SEARCH WITH A PARTNER
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Let’s address individual, primary search-when you must operate with a partner.
We had been speaking of departments that believe these two search partners must operate directly together-either by holding hands or by connecting to each other by rope. What do the two of you do while “connected” in the hallways of private dwellings? How do you both search that third and smallest of bedrooms- the one the second-born child got? ‘Hie one that the parents cannot get into during the day-and they’re on their feet! What do the two of you do when, connected by rope, you come across more than one victim? What do you do to pass around obstacles?
The answer here is a partnership based on communication, commitment, and accountability. Split at the end of the hall by some audible, visual, or tactile signal that indicates to each of you where the other is going and that you each will await the other’s return before proceeding. One left, one right -a quick primary search and return. Once you join up again, continue the search. The team continues to communicate by voice or touch, until the primary search of each room and all the halls is completed.
Partnership in search operations (at least in those areas that may be searched completely by an individual search) provides accountability for each of the firefighters. This accountability depends more on good communications and teamwork than on direct contact with each other.
The partnership is even more important when the objective is the floor above the fire in a two-story private dwelling. This is the most dangerous operation in aggressive interior truck work-searching above the fire at the top of an open interior wooden staircase. The key is communication-with exterior and interior forces-informing them you intend to “make” the floor above.
In the old days, when we were too dumb to wear SCBA, we had better communication. When you told the officer in charge of the line or the nozzle team that you were going above, you just got a grunt or a nod. But that grunt or nod carried the weight of the strongest contract ever recorded. It was a commitment from the officer that he would not leave the stair unprotected until you returned. Today, for some reason, we don’t have that bond of yesteryear. Perhaps it is the poor communication-I hope.
In any event, here is where the accountability partnership works best. If the fire condition is such that you doubt the handline team’s ability to maintain control (or any other reason-for instance, the fire will pass the handline location to trap you), then your partner should remain on the lower third of the stairs. His job will be to maintain a vigil over the fire conditions and remain in contact with you as you search the areas above. Constantly be alert to communicate with this lifesaver, to be told to continue or to retreat. Once the fire condition is darkened down to control, your partner can rapidly ascend to meet up and work with you until the primary search is complete.
As long as we re up here on the floor above the fire searching for human life (remember, you found the fire on the first floor), another subject stirs some random rumblings whenever it is broached. You’re crawling, it’s hot, it’s blacker than black, your nerves are playing racquetball with your courage, and you come upon this window. Do you break it? Before we answer this question, we have to review some basics.
Search is a function that has two objectives-search for fire and search for life. Our tactics are based on which of the two objectives takes precedence at the time. Fire search tactics are performed with the textbook physics of fire behavior in mind. Vent the rear; then the flanks; then, as water controls the fire, vent the area the nozzle entered, if needed.
However, venting for life means you will open anything that will help you remain in the area to continue the search. This means that if breaking that window will help you to mentally or physically continue and go some additional distance-break it! There are a lot more advantages than disadvantages. First, you feel better. You just opened your second means of egress. The area seems to brighten (probably because you’re calmer)*, Victims have more time for you to find them-you just raised the stra-j turn of deadly combustion by-products away from the prone victims’ respiratory openings. Visibility has be-! gun to improve-even if you think you still cannot see.
More importandy, the outside team knows exactly where you are! Only firefighters break windows from the inside (other emergency workers from the outside). Your outside team(s) wilh be able to track you accurately and continue to provide assistance in the form of additional ventilation, communication, and ladders.
Don’t worry about those yelling at you not to break the windows. If ⅛⅛ conditions that we describe here exist’ at your fire, those orders are coming from outside the building
