In Case You Missed It: November 2015 Fire Engineering Features

Every month, Fire Engineering is committed to bringing you the most comprehensive articles on training and tactics of interest to the professional firefighter–both volunteer and career alike. Check out a digest of what ran on our site during the month of November.

View more of our feature articles at http://emberly.fireengineering.com/features.html.

	Throw Back to Basics: Single-Firefighter Extension Ladder Raise Every firefighter must be proficient in the use and functionality of ladders on the fireground. In this training bulletin, Brian Zaitz asks you to brush up on the single-firefighter extension ladder raise.
	Engine Company EMS: Treating One of Your Own Making EMS skills another essential ingredient in every good firefighter’s toolbox is not an option, writes Michael Morse.
	Q & A: Robert Lipscomb on the Lynchburg (VA) Oil Train Derailment Lynchburg (VA) Battalion Chief Robert Lipscomb answers to questions posed by views of his recent Webcast, “Lessons Learned from a Bakken Crude Oil Train Derailment.”
	Building Exterior Wall Assembly Flammability: Have We Forgotten the Past 40 Years? John Valiulis addresses the disturbing movement in the U.S. toward trading off exterior wall assembly fire performance safety requirements in the building code when internal sprinklers are present in buildings.
	Training Minutes: Aerial Ladder for Lowering a Victim In this new Training Minutes video on technical rescue, David Rhodes, Scott Brantley, and company discuss using an aerial ladder to construct a simple system for lowering a victim to the ground.
	Firefighter Training on Post-Blast Response Available The Firefighters Support Foundation’s (FSF) newest training program, Post-Blast Response is now available free of charge. The program is presented by August Vernon, the well-known Emergency Management subject matter expert.
	Chemical Suicide Awareness Exercising situational awareness and not being complacent will not only help first responders but it will also allow for an incident action plan to fall in to place at these particular incidents, writes Robert Bohrer.
	Glove Up for Firefighter PPE Removal Robert C. Owens Sr. offers a method of ensuring the safety of those who will treat down firefighters who may be dealing with superheated PPE and SCBA.
	Training Officer’s Toolbox: More Tactical Decision Games Brian Ward follows up his previous Training Officer’s Toolbox with this new Tactical Decision Games which is designed to work with your current standard operating procedures.
	The Power to Empower The power to empower others starts with the individual. Mark Rossi discusses the benefits of good leadership and shares a list of “Power Triumphs.”
	Throw Back to Basics: Hydraulic Ventilation In his new Throw Back to Basics, Brian Zaitz looks at this proven tactic that is a quick and effective way to ventilate small, compartmentalized spaces and areas.
	The Job: Window Bar Removal In this video, New Haven (CT) Fire’s Frank Ricci and Justin Bialecki demonstrate a method for attacking window bars as well as establishing a point to step up.
	Humpday Hangout: Becoming a Better Team… Firefighting is a team sport. In this week’s Humpday Hangout, host Rick Lasky speaks with Sue Tamme and Donna Black about what chiefs, company officers, and firefighters need to get a better understanding of the true meaning of “team.”
	Training Minutes: Pin Under Railcar In this new Training Minutes video, Paul DeBartolomeo and company demonstrate a method for removing a patient pinned under a railcar.
	Search That Saves Lives Conducting a rapid search for life and fire coordinated with proper size-up and situational awareness saves not only civilian but firefighter lives as well, writes David DeStefano.
	The National Fireman’s Journal, Nov. 17, 1877 Today, we celebrate the first appearance of the National Fireman’s Journal. Bobby Halton, editor-in-chief of its descendent, Fire Engineering, offers his thoughts on this anniversary. Fire department funding/staffing issues, building construction concerns, home fire hazards, and much more—they’re all here in the first issue, November 17, 1877.
	What Would You Do? Fire In a Six-Story Commercial Building This fire occurs in a six-story commercial building in your downtown area. All floors have occupants, but there are many vacant areas on all floors with the exception of the first floor, which is completely occupied. What would you do?
	Construction Concerns: Pre-Code Buildings In his new Construction Concerns, Gregory Havel writes, “As firefighters, we must know some of the history of our older buildings, understand how they were transformed from their original to their present use, and how different eras of building and fire codes were used in modifying them so that we can work in them safely.”
	To Mentor or to Disciple: Which is the Nobler Call? Yvonne Stargell on becoming a mentor, accepting disciples, and cultivating leadership in the fire service.
	Throw Back to Basics: Foam Operations Brian Zaitz offers this new drill which looks at three of the most common ways to apply foam to fires.
	The Rescue Lab: Load Reaction The solid understanding of loads is a vital skill every rescue professional should have. Mike Donahue has some tech rescue scenarios to consider.
	The Job: Working in the Attic — Ladder Tactics In this video, Frank Ricci reviews some safety considerations–including ladder placement and hazard identification–for ensuring successful operations in an attic.
	Training Minutes: Extending a Hoseline In this Training Minutes video, Dave McGrail and company discuss a safe and effective way to extend a hoseline in an IDLH atmosphere in the event of stretching short of the main body of fire.
	Rapid Intervention Team Size-up and Actions Time is our greatest enemy, and any delays when deploying the RIT on scene could prove catastrophic. It is better to be “proactive” as opposed to “reactive” when considering rapid access and firefighter welfare, writes Michael A. Clark.
	Get To Know Your Neighbors…The Ones Who Died Last Week Every week, another firefighter, police officer, EMT, service worker, or community resident is dying from World Trade Center- or 9/11-related disease. Billy Goldfeder urges remembrance and action.
	Drill: Getting More From Doors Wichita (KS) Fire Department lieutaenant Samuel Hittle offers this drill that looks at a methodical approach to exploit learning potential with a single door.
	Throw Back to Basics: SCBA Confidence Brian Zaitz offers this new drill that forces us to handle and manipulate every aspect of the SCBA while wearing fire gloves in a limited-visibility situation.
	The Fire Officer’s Guide to the Tough Community Questions, Part 4 In Part 4 of his series, Mark Wallace looks at how to respond to the frequently asked fire service question, “Why do our fire trucks have to be so big and cost so much?”
	Humpday Hangout: Bridging Generations in Recruit Training In this week’s Humpday Hangout, hosts Steve Pegram, Aaron Heller, and Brad French discuss differences between instructors and recruits with training officers from two Virginia departments.
	The Fire Intel Officer: Managing the Fireground of the Future At complex emergency incidents, incident commanders (IC) must process streams of information from various sources, including from new technology such as drones. Curtis Massey argues that this task can be made more efficient by the appointment of a fire intel officer–someone whose role is to manage these various streams of intelligence and supply pertinent information on demand to the IC.
	Training Minutes: Stabilization Options for Rollover Rescue In this new extrication Training Minutes video, Steve White and company demonstrate two options for stabilizing a vehicle that has rolled onto its top.
	Preincident Intelligence of Athletic and Fitness Facilities Like physical conditioning at a health and fitness center, a practiced preincident intelligence program will improve a fire department’s ability to perform, writes Eric G. Bachman.
	What Would You Do? Two-Story Residential Fire This fire occurs in a single-family dwelling at daybreak. Check out a new firefighter training simulation from Skip Coleman.