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Drop Zone
The Drop Zone is a disentanglement drill that closely replicates a firefighter becoming entangled in the grid and wires of a drop ceiling. In addition to providing challenging entanglement conditions, this drill is simple and inexpensive to conduct. These benefits are noteworthy in that the prop can be reused several times, yet it is also expendable. Participants are “encouraged” to use any and all means necessary to free themselves and their crew from the entanglement. The crew members’ efforts to cut and remove sections of the entanglement during the drill create a multitude of different entanglement possibilities each time the prop is used. This prevents the participants from becoming “used to” the prop and simply going through the motions in successive drills.
The Drop Zone prop is a roll of plastic construction fencing. The fencing is unrolled and staged around the perimeter of a room or with adequate space to allow a crew to be enveloped by the fencing. With their masks occluded, the participants are led into position, and the fencing is draped over them (photo 4). With very little instructor manipulation, the fencing will seemingly seek and catch on any snag points on the particpant’s helmet, SCBA, and turnout gear. Initially, the firefighters will inadvertently entangle other crew members by their individual efforts to clear entanglements. Teamwork and communication become paramount and are reinforced as the participants recognize, address, and overcome obstacles. This drill has also been adapted for scuba entanglement during pool training sessions.
Triple Crown
The Triple Crown drill objective is for the participants to use and master a variety of breathing control techniques to improve individual ACRs. Repetitive short and intense bursts of energy and exertion, typical of many initial fireground activities, are used to provide this challenge to the firefighter. To simulate the weight and the action of pulling a charged line on the fireground, rope or short lengths of out-of-service hose are attached to old tires (photo 5). Bus or tractor-trailer size tires provide the best overall drag on the ground to simulate the approximate weight. Although you can use actual charged handlines, the benefits of this training prop include saving wear and tear on in-service equipment and portability, since it doesn’t require using a piece of fire apparatus. The prop can be left assembled and stored for use at any time. The instructor can set up the drill in whatever configuration suits his goals and needs.
It is called the Triple Crown because the participants are divided into three-person relay teams. A back-and-forth relay course is established in which two firefighters are placed at one end of the course and one firefighter at the other. Firefighter 1 drags the tire to an awaiting Firefighter 2 positioned several yards away. Firefighter 2 drags the tire back to where it came from to the remaining Firefighter 3. Firefighter 3 completes the process by dragging it back to Firefighter 1. This process continues and can be run in as many “laps” as needed to achieve the desired goal. Several teams can be simultaneously run side-by-side, adding some fun and competition.
SCBAseball
Networking and training with firefighters from all around the country provide an invaluable opportunity for innovation and ideas to grow into phenomenal teaching and operational practices. FDIC International 2015 is a great opportunity to experience this. Many years ago, I met my good friend and fellow instructor Lieutenant Mark Misek of the Wichita (KS) Fire Department. Misek developed this drill to reinforce orientation and reorientation techniques should a firefighter become disoriented while operating within a structure. The premise is simple: Place traffic cones in the same pattern as the infield of a baseball diamond, about 30 to 60 feet apart. The cone in the middle designates the pitcher’s mound with the corners of the cone base pointing toward the respective bases (photo 6).
The participants are placed on air with their vision occluded. Teams of two or three firefighters begin at home plate and are given specific search assignments, not necessarily in chronological order, to attempt to find the designated bases. When the firefighters become disoriented, they must try to reorient themselves or call a Mayday. Other search crews are pressed into service as RITs to assist their fellow firefighters.
This drill is very challenging and multifunctional since it covers search, oriented search, SCBA survival techniques [e.g., buddy breathing, the emergency breathing support system (EBSS), the universal air connection (UAC)], integrates the newer “rule-of-thirds” air management practices and personal alert safety system alarm tones, Mayday, RIT, personal survivability, and situational awareness.
I recommend videotaping the crews as they search or place different color utility flags in the ground so that the crews may see how easily they got disoriented and can assess where they actually ended up vs. where they thought they were. SCBAseball places a fresh spin on the tired and contrived search and rescue drills.
Putting It All Together
Perhaps the most critical elements that are taught as part of SCBA Bootcamp: A Firefighter’s Survival School is the Continuum of Survival®. Individual techniques and methods of SCBA survival and air management are imperative. However, if that one “go-to” method doesn’t work, then what? Many states and regions used to conduct smoke divers programs that enabled firefighters to become intimately familiar with their SCBA. During these programs, firefighters essentially lived in SCBA for a week. It was rigorous, physically and mentally tough, and among the best classes that were offered at the time. One of the ancillary lessons learned during this training was that you always had options.
Unfortunately, case studies have revealed that many firefighters today have been unaware or untrained in these survival options. Some jurisdictions shy away from teaching certain survival options because they consider them dangerous. This mentality parallels that of suggesting that hurricanes should have more ominous names because people won’t react appropriately if they have “friendly” names. The operative word in that sentence is “hurricane,” just as the operative word in our sentence is “survival.” If we have resorted to survival techniques, something has gone wrong and we’re about to have a really bad day. Providing a Continuum of Survival® enables the firefighter to employ a variety of rapid, progressive actions that help him to keep fighting to stay alive when things don’t go by the book.
The ability to recognize and clear a stuck diaphragm in a regulator may be all that’s needed to keep the SCBA unit working while you find your way out of the building. One- and two-person SCBA survival techniques, escape, and egress tactics and thinking outside the box to find alternate air sources may provide critical seconds of air that save your life. Understanding and training on survival options such as mouth-to-regulator or mouth-to-cylinder and improvised filter breathing may be the only thing that keeps you from becoming the next LODD. Yes, these methods incur a certain risk—that is the nature of this business. Isn’t the greater risk dying? Many occupational and regulatory agencies are reluctant to endorse, recommend, discourage, or condemn survival techniques for fear of litigation should there be a negative outcome. Dying by the rules is great for your beneficiary; however, living to see your loved ones again is priceless!
Ultimately, we owe it to ourselves, our families, and the people we serve to become masters of our trade. A basic tenet of our profession is that the SCBA literally preserves our lives as we try to save the lives of others. When teaching SCBA Bootcamp, I use an example based on the U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman’s Creed. Take a few minutes to look it up—simply replace the word “rifle” with “SCBA” and see what you think. Whether you take the example literally or metaphorically, learning and mastering the tools and techniques of your trade make you a formidable force.
Additional Links
Is Your Department Complying with the NFPA 1404 Air Management Policy?
The Rule of Air Management Q & A
R.E.A.D.Y. CHECKS AND THE RULE OF AIR MANAGEMENT
TREVOR STEEDMAN, a 27-year veteran of the fire service and the owner of Strike The Box Training, LLC, is a captain with the Ocean City (MD) Fire Department, where he is head of the Office of Training, Health & Safety.
Trevor Steedman will present the classroom session “SCBA Bootcamp: A Firefighter’s Survival School” on Wednesday, April 22, 3:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m., at FDIC International 2015 in Indianapolis.
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