FireFighterNation

The first in a series of free simulations from FireRescue and Digital Combustion.

For years, firefighters have been dying in the line of duty at structure fires where civilians were not at risk. Captain Stephen Marsar of the FDNY introduces the concept of survivability profiling and why new leaders must consider whether conditions permit survival before committing resources to interior search and rescue.

Bad habits on the fireground can translate to unsuccessful fireground operations—even if you’ve always had success doing things the same way you’ve been doing them. According to Mike Kirby and Tom Lakamp, one of the bad habits of the fire service involves always pulling the same 1¾” line on every fire. Kirby and Lakamp discuss when and why it’s important to pull the larger 2½” line, and offer advice on how to operate and maneuver it with limited staffing.

Major high-rise fires are low-frequency, high-risk events for most firefighters. As such, firefighters must be well prepared for battling such a fire, which means they must be able to think outside the box if confronted with conditions they aren’t accustomed to dealing with, such as rescuing or evacuating a large number of people. Mike Kirby and Tom Lakamp describe three components to successful operations at large high-rise fires that will keep both firefighters and civilians safe.

Vehicle fires can involve everything from exploding struts to burning fuel to combustible metals. Greg Jakubowski provides real-life examples of vehicle fires that involved near-miss experiences, then discusses the proper tactics for attacking a vehicle fire. He also lists additional items to watch out for and remember while on scene.