By Jim Pidcock
Firefighters in most urban fire departments usually have the security of knowing that a predetermined number of colleagues are responding to a reported structure fire with them, but in many rural areas of the country, the staffing levels are not as defined. Regardless, fire departments in these areas must make sure they are training for their number-one priority: life safety. Rescuing a civilian from a structure fire in a rural area can involve a tremendous amount of courage and team work and requires thorough training, preplanning, and discipline. Having all members of your department understand what is expected when responding to a “people trapped” call is essential for a successful outcome.
Imagine this scenario: You are dispatched to a reported residential structure fire at 3 a.m. Dispatch is reporting that an excited male caller said he awoke to his smoke alarms sounding and heavy smoke in his bedroom, and then he hung up. Dispatch gets no answer on the callback. You drive to the fire station and get your gear on. Three other members arrive, and the four of you respond on the first engine. The address of fire is about six miles from the station. While en route, your chief arrives on-scene and reports fire venting from a single window on the first floor, Side C, with light smoke coming from the second-floor windows and eaves. He establishes command. He orders your engine crew to split into two teams, pull an attack line to the first floor, and to search the second floor of the house. He also reports an adult male and female and one child outside the home, with family members telling him that a second child missing.
Although this scenario does not take place every day, it is also not unrealistic. The question is, With this limited number of personnel, what are your initial actions? What have you been trained to do? What is your number-one goal? What does the family on the front lawn expect from you?
On arrival of the first-due pumper, and assuming one member will be engineering the pumper, the remaining four members (including the chief/command) should split into two teams: Team 1 is for fire suppression (the hose team); team 2 is search and rescue. Command should notify dispatch that he will be involved in fighting the fire until the next department member arrives on-scene and assumes command duties. In some departments, this strategy is known as a “Fast Attack” or “Quick Attack.”
The suppression team should stretch a hoseline with the priority of getting water on the fire. Putting the fire out will not only protect the rescuers and victims but will also protect the egress. The engine probably has a booster tank of between 500 and 1,000 gallons, so the water should be used skillfully and aggressively (a continuous water source may not be established for quite some time). The suppression team should report fire conditions and the potential for knockdown to the search team as soon as possible. The suppression team may also have to ventilate for themselves as part of their fire attack.
The search team should immediately enter the structure and, using information gained from the family outside, proceed to the area where the victim would most likely be found (in this scenario, an upstairs bedroom). The search team must proceed in the most direct route without a hoseline. The most direct route could be through the front door or the back door. It may be up a ladder and into a window. It may be from an outside porch roof or deck. Whatever the route, this team needs to be fast and efficient. Stretching and dragging a hose during the search process will slow down the team and compromise precious minutes. All the search team should carry are forcible entry tools, a portable radio, a flashlight, and a thermal imaging camera, if available. If a ladder is needed, the engineer may be able to help place it or at least remove it from the rig.
Given the time it has taken for this first group of firefighters to arrive on-scene, there is a very brief time to perform a successful rescue. Stopping to lay in from a hydrant, waiting for the second apparatus to arrive, or having the chief officer remain outside will detract from the rescue. Additionally, requiring that the search team stretch a second hoseline to drag with them during their search will impede their primary goal. If the fire has gotten to the point that two hoselines are needed just to make entry, it may be too late to search the house anyway.
If and when the search team finds a victim, they should be ready to remove the victim from the structure by the quickest route possible. This may be through the inside of the structure, or it may be out the nearest window. Removing the victim from the super-heated, oxygen-deficient atmosphere is the highest priority. The suppression team may need to temporarily give up the fire attack to help with the rescue and removal, if doing so will not compromise the path of egress. Once outside, all of the initial firefighters in this scenario may also need to completely abandon the firefight if the victim requires immediate EMS intervention, including resuscitation efforts.
Keeping in mind that firefighters are taught to “risk a lot to save a lot” and that have taken an oath to put life safety first, the actions in the above scenario become obvious. As a department, you may have to be disciplined enough to let the structure burn down in front of you to attempt a rescue, knowing that you have saved or done your best in attempting to save a life. Recognizing and accepting the potential of the above scenario are the first steps toward being prepared for it when it happens. Establishing a training program and practicing the skills needed to perform an effective search and rescue in a real-fire situation, with or without a hoseline, will provide you with the satisfaction of knowing that you have done all you could if faced with such a grave test.
Jim Pidcock is a firefighter with Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District in Carbondale, Colorado. He has been a firefighter for 23 years and has served as a fire officer and training officer. He was formerly the assistant chief of training with Evergreen (CO) Fire Rescue and a former lieutenant, captain, and assistant chief with Lawrence Road Fire Company in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
Subjects: Rural firefighting concerns, limited staffing/personnel tactics, structural firefighting, rescue operations
