1.  When working at a new house for the first time, shut-up, work hard, and pay attention.  I can promise you that everyone is paying attention to you.

2.  The young firefighter knows the rules, but the old one knows the exceptions.

3.  Let the tool do the work.

4.  Be like a duck.  Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath.

-Michael Caine

5. “Twenty-five years from now you will be more disappointed by the the things that you didn’t do than the ones you did.”

-Mark Twain

6.  Don’t make a scene and never disrespect your brother.

7.  Never take the seat that faces the television when sitting at the dinner table.

8.  When in doubt, take a halligan.

9.  Two hands.  Two tools.

-Mike Ciampo

10.  Never claim to be what you’re not.  Time reveals all things.

11.  If you don’t know what you’re doing, say so.

12.  When approaching a fire scene, it is imperative to slow down three blocks before arrival.

13.  Suck it up.

14.  You shouldn’t worry when the guys make fun of you.  You should worry when they don’t say anything at all.

15.  Give Credit.  Take the blame.

16.  Never turn your back on the fire.

17.  When things go wrong, don’t go with them.

-Elvis Presley

18.  Always show up to work at least a half-hour early.  There is no better gift you can give to guy or gal your relieving.

19.  Never trust the handlights on the truck.  Buy your own.

20.  Don’t gloat.  The guys will do it for you.

21.  Take pictures often.

22.  Seek out the busiest units and the best officers.

23.  Drink coffee.

24.  Don’t tell war stories to non-firefighters.  No one thinks its as exciting as you do.

25.  Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.

-Aesop

26.  Don’t be so eager to get off probation.  The time you spend riding backwards will be the most fun you have in your career.

27.  Never be the last one to the truck, or the sink.

28.  Be the last one to bed.

29.  Don’t be afraid to fail

30.  Drill.  Drill. Drill

31.  Never respond to criticism in an e-mail.

32.  Surround yourself with smart people.

33.  Maintain a healthy fear of this job.

Windsor building fire

34.  Stay committed to being a life-long student of the fire service

35.  Share your ideas and observations.  You never know it could save someones life.

I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.

-Woodrow Wilson

36.  Learn to cook at least two great meals.

37.  Read John Norman’s book, Fire Officers Handbook of Tactics

38.  One fire sticker on your car is more than enough.

39.  Don’t complain about how many calls you had last night.  No one cares.  Least of all, the people that are working 9 to 5 jobs while you’re napping.

40.  Have pride in your department, but more for your station.

41.  Be precise.

42.  One of the best ways to learn is to teach–even if its teaching what you just learned.

43.  Don’t panic.

44.  Befriend the driver.  You won’t get anywhere without him.

45.  Go down fighting.

46.  If you’re carrying more than one knife, you’re a moron.

47.   Be careful what you put on paper or e-mails.  You can’t take it back.

48.  Don’t scribble in the logbook.

49.  Learn how to swim.  You don’t want to be the guy that can’t go near the water.

50.  When you’re a guest at a house (on overtime or just there for the day), follow their rules.

51.  Offer to help before you are asked.

52.  The phone and the doorbell are always for you.

53.  Just because you have the uniform, that doesn’t make you a firefighter. . .It just makes you a city, county, or government employee.  Your peers will let you know if you’re a firefighter or not.

54.  When spending money, good quality leather boots are always worth the investment.

55.  Never call out sick on a drill day.

56.  If you don’t have kids, Christmas is not as important to you.  You should not be asking for the day off.

57.  The one true measure of a successful shift is returning home safely.

58.  Don’t date a co-worker.

59.  Carry two wedges and 20′ of webbing.

60.  You will find no better camaraderie than in a firehouse

61.  Don’t talk about the other department you worked for.  No one cares.

62.  Participate in a good practical joke.

63.  Introduce yourself.  Don’t be offended when you’re not remembered.  You’re not memorable–yet.

64.  Treat your body well.  You’ll be glad you did.

65.  Always have $20 in your wallet.  No one wants to take you to the ATM.

66.  Learn your territory.  Know it like the back of your hand.

67.  When you are out in public, never criticize your own department.  You can make up for lost time on your next shift.

68.  Take the stairs.

69.  Don’t show off.  Impress.

70.  When using a power saw, patience, form–not strength are needed to make the cut.

71.  Choose the right blade.

72.  Fire is always changing and you cannot be stationary in your attitude to something that is always changing.

73.  Never criticize a fire or a call unless you were there yourself.

74.  Don’t wear your fire t-shirt to the gym unless you plan on giving mouth to mouth.  Trust me, its never going to be the 18 year old co-ed with sweatpants that read, ‘juicy’ across her butt.

75.  Be patient with the ER staff.  They can’t help that they chose such a miserable career.

76.  Dorms are for sleeping.  Turn the tv off and hang up the phone.

77.  Don’t go cheap on the ice cream and the coffee should be from Dunkin Donuts.

78.  Courage is not the lack of fear, it is acting in spite of it.

-Mark Twain

79.  You are what you do.  Not what you say.

80.  One of the most difficult and dangerous things to do on a fire scene is backing a truck up.

81.  Pace yourself.

82.  A fellow firefighter who is not willing to share their knowledge is suspect.

83.  Avoid gossip

84.  The common sense approach is usually the best way.

84.  Stick to the plan.  You haven’t been at it as long as you think you have.

85.  Follow instructions.

86.  Read John Mittendorf’s book  Truck Company Operations.

87.  Attend fire conferences.  You’ll see that your department is not the center of the universe and there are other guys that are already doing it smarter and better than you are.

88.  Be the guy that everyone has to say, ” take a break.  You’re making us look bad.”

89.  If your department allows it, invest in a leather helmet.

90.  Always look up and around and read Brannigans book Building Construction For the Fire Service.  If you can’t make an educated guess as to how a building will perform under fire conditions, you are putting yourself in danger.

91.  Demand more from your officer.

92.  It is a good idea to carry a multi-tool.

93.  Never defend the liar, the cheat, or the thief.

94.  When your officer tells you to take a nap, it’s not a joke or a trick.  He wants you to be worth a shit at 3am.

95.  You don’t clean a seasoned cast iron skillet with soap and water.

96.  Shaving your arms is not cool.  It’s a good way to contract MRSA.

97.  I’ll take the chubby firefighter that can work all day over Mr. February who has to eat six meals, drink three protein shakes, and is no good to me after one tank.

98.  Always eat dinner with your crew.  Your diet is not as important as family.

99.  Never ask the guys to lie to your spouse when he or she calls the station.

100.  When it’s your time to drive, always remember that you’re now responsible for all the lives in the truck.

101.  The day you show up to work hungover, or sleep deprived is the day everyone is going to need you.

I’ve actually got more than 101, but I thought I’d like to see if anyone has anymore.  That’s all for now.

-George

Here’s a video of Aerial 2 battling a car fire when the gas tank ruptures.

On our way back from another EMS call the other day, we passed this warehouse.  Probably wouldn’t even take a second look at this if you weren’t a firefighter.  If you are a firefighter you can imagine seeing this after you pull the slats on your overhead door during the warehouse fire.  Hopefully you won’t get that far before you figure it out.

This is a concrete wall covering what used to be an opening into a warehouse.  I don’t know why they left it rolled halfway up on this day, but I’m glad they did.  I can’t tell you whats behind door #2 because it was after hours, but I’d give it a 50/50 chance that it’s walled up too.  Even if the wall was down though, the Rock of Gibralter in front should give a clue that the door is not used all that often.

Keep your eyes open and be safe.

-George

Southernmostfools.com is up and running.  You can register for the Fireground Safety class by following the link.  Once there you can read about the class, register and pay.    Bookmark the page and check back with us.   Training, training and more training. 

-George

Yesterday, two Buffalo Firefighters were killed in a building fire.  Click here for the story from the New York Times

And one more story from the Buffalo News.  Click here.

Be safe.

George

Found this one online.  Good footage and very aggressive roof work. 

 

Enjoy.

The Southernmost FOOLS is putting on its first class On October 2nd at MDFR Headquarters.  Here is the flyer

Southernmost

FOOLS 

SPONSORING

Fireground

Safety 

 BY CAPT. BILL GUSTIN

IN TODAYS FIRE SERVICE, AS FIREFIGHTERS, WE CANNOT OPERATE AT EVERY FIRE AND EVERY OCCUPANCY WITH THE SAME INTENSITY, DURATION, STRATEGIES, TACTICS AND LEVEL OF RISK. THIS CLASS WILL CONSIST OF 5 HRS OF INFORMATION THAT WILL BRING TO LIGHT NEW CONSTRUCTION RISKS AND FIRE GROUND DANGERS THAT ARE NOT OBVIOUS AT FIRST GLANCE. THIS CLASS IS NOT ABOUT WEARING FIRE GLOVES AND SAFETY VESTS, IT’S ABOUT REAL LIFE, REALISTIC INFORMATION THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND MINIMUM STANDARDS.

SPEAKER: CAPT. BILL GUSTIN, MIAMI DADE FIRE DEPARTMENT AERIAL 2, IS A 35 YR VETERAN OF THE FIRE SERVICE WHO HAS TAUGHT FIRE TACTICS AND STRATEGIES RANGING FROM FORCIBLE ENTRY TO SHIP BOARD FIREFIGHTING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. CAPT GUSTIN IS ALSO A “FIRE ENGINEERING” CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND AN FDIC EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER.

Class Date; October 2, 2009

Time: 0900-1500

Location: Miami Dade Fire Department Headquarter

9300 NW 41 St. Doral, FL 33178

Cost: $60 (FOOLS members), $70 (non-FOOLS members)

SEATS WILL GO FAST….RESERVE BY

SEPT 20^th.

CONTACT:    Lt. S. Richard, at richs@miamidade.gov with your contact information, in order to reserve your seat.

There have been a few articles written as of late about new security systems for vacant structures.  With the rise of foreclosures we are starting to see a few of these VPS systems in our district and many more in our neighboring district the City of Miami.   VPS stands for Vacant Property Security and they are one of a few similar companies who lease out these security systems.  If you want to read more about the company, you can click here.

In this article, I’m going to focus on the door and one way to overcome it if it needs to be forced.  Below is a picture of the door in a structure.

The door is an outward swinging steel door that is installed in front of or in place of the normal front door.  It utilizes a color coded keypad entry system that locks and unlocks the door.  You release and activate the three deadbolts with the latch in the center of the door.  The deadbolts are located at the top and bottom of the opening side and in the center of the opening side.  Here is another photo of the door open.

Front of door open

Close up of front door lock

The two bolts that extend vertically and the one bolt that extends horizontally make this is an extremely difficult door to force conventionally.   Additionally, you will be equally hard pressed to attack the hinges because of the way the hinge bolts recess into the door frame.

The easiest and quickest way to attack this door is to simply make a triangle cut above and to the left of the latch.  Poke your nozzle through, darken down the fire, then reach through the opening and engage the latch.   Here are some diagrams.

Back of door and latch that needs to be engaged

This method also retains the integrity of the door and allows us to utilize reversible ventilation and close the door if need be.  There is a keyed version of this door, but the vendor did not have it with them.  I will try to find some photos of that door if possible.

Thanks to Lt. Stacy Richard for putting together this training and thanks to the VPS vendors who were kind enough to come out and show us how to overcome their system.

-George

Just a reminder.  There is a meeting today at The Field Irish Pub at 2:00 pm.  The field is located at 3281 Griffin Road in Dania.  Here is a link to their website.  See you there.

-George

The second firefighter drag and probably the most popular is the hasty chest.  This drag is completed by simply wrapping a girth hitch across the firefighter’s chest and under his arms with your webbing, then wrapping the extra webbing a couple of times around your gloved hand to allow for a good strong hold on the drag.

girth hitch under the arms

Rodeo wrap around hand to secure position

The next tool that uses the same method, but is commercially made, the ‘Sav-a-Jake.’  It consists of two pieces.  First a piece of webbing with two biners on it and a ‘y’ piece of webbing with two pull handles and a connection pointon the other end.  It can be integrated into the DRD or locked under the armpits and then snapped on to the pull handles.  It can even be run through the shoulder straps as shown on their website.

If you’re interested in sav-a-jake, you can click here to find out more about their product with additional uses for this simple but effective tool.