By Bobby Halton
Photos by Kevin Brautlacht
As these dramatic photos vividly illustrate, wearing our gear properly–gear that has been made to the correct specifications for our environment–makes all the difference when things go wrong. These Buffalo (NY) firefighters were knocking down a fire that was probably caused by the improper use of flammable liquids. Suddenly and unexpectedly a five-gallon container of gasoline was knocked over, spilling the fuel directly onto fire and igniting. As we can see in photo one (above), two of the firefighters are engulfed in those flames.
Now is not the time for a firefighter to be wondering if their storm flap is up, if their hood is on correctly, or are they wearing their gloves. Wearing the right gear properly makes all the difference when we are working in these dynamically complex environments, and for these three firefighters it has just gotten very complex. These firefighters now have three separate and distinct types of fires to deal with: a liquid fuel fire, a fire in the concealed void space the porch roof, and a potential car fire.
(2)
As soon as the officer ascertains that the firefighters have not sustained any potential burns requiring immediate medical attention, his attention needs to be immediately directed to controlling and extinguishing the fire on the most critical exposure first. It is difficult in photo two but more apparent in photo three that there are firefighters still inside the structure. Communication should be made as soon as possible to make sure that those firefighters have a working handline to protect them should the fire begin to reenter the structure. Or that those firefighters can exit via the safe path now that the fire has intensified on the porch.
(3)
In the third photo it is readily recognizable that the vehicle is the most potentially exposed; the first handline should probably be directed at removing the fire now impinging on the lower portion of the vehicle. A foam line would be the line of choice in this particular instance where you have a liquid fuel fire impinging on two exposures.
The lessons learned in these photos are that the unexpected happens every day in our business and that our personal protective gear needs to be, of the highest quality maintained to the highest standards and worn appropriately and intelligently until the mission is complete. Thinking firefighters can never let their guard down because the fire is almost out. Until the all-clear is given and every bit of fire is extinguished, this should serve as a vivid reminder that we can never let our guard down. Wearing good gear properly made the difference for these Buffalo firefighters. Make sure that you buy the best gear for where you do your work, that you maintain it properly, and that you insist that everyone wears it correctly all the time.
More of Kevin’s photos can be seen at www.wowmephotos.com.
