By Michael N. Ciampo
January brings the start of a new year, filled with all types of resolutions for so many firefighters. Whether the resolutions are personal or professional, many of us use this time of year to revive and reenergize our careers and lives with something we see as fulfilling and beneficial. Many times, we try to achieve these goals in record time, only to burn out and revert to our old ways. However, for many firefighters, proceeding at a steady pace with strong will and determination will help us achieve our resolutions. Much like on the fireground, you have to proceed with the determination to get the job done safely and sometimes one step at a time.
Basement stairs. Proceeding down basement stairs is often very dangerous to do under some very harsh conditions. You’ve been told that the faster you get to the bottom, the quicker you’ll be below the rising heat. Unfortunately, so many of us get to the stairs and fly down them with only a “It’s cooler at the bottom” mindset. But is that really the way you want to proceed? Proceed down FEET first, but even before that, SIZE UP the stairs you’re going down as well as the fire and the building’s characteristics. If you find that the door to the basement stairwell (normally under the main stairwell) is closed, feel it for heat or use the thermal imaging camera prior to opening it up.
If the door is open on arrival, probe with one arm or leg, and feel for the stairs: Are stairs open tread or solid? Are the stairs sturdy or shaky? On which side is there a wall? Is a railing present? Feel the width of the stairwell (in an emergency, it may permit only one firefighter to rapidly exit at a time).
Now that you have a visual of the stairs and you’re ready to proceed down them, place your body’s weight on them, ensuring the stairs can hold you. If a solid wall is on one side, you can lean into it for support and go down in an “outstretched” sitting position with one leg forward (a very useful tactic for advancing the hoseline down the stairs). Remember, use caution leaning into any railing on a stair; the weight of a firefighter or the air tank striking the balusters could dislodge them and cause you to fall off the side. Also, spacing out the members or having one member at a time descending the stairs reduces the chances of collapse in case the stairs are compromised.
Another advantage of going down feet first following a hoseline is that in a stairwell failure or a lean-to collapse, you could pull yourself up the hoseline or be pulled up holding onto it. In some situations, if the fire is so severe and consuming most of the basement and opening the door and proceeding down them is dangerous, you could keep the door closed (protecting the first floor and cutting off any extending fire) and have a hoseline proceed in from an exterior entrance if one is present.
Roof access. Prior to stepping onto a roof, ALWAYS “sound” the roof (banging, tapping, or striking it with moderate force) with a hand tool first. Then, before making the transition off of a ladder, sound the roof with your foot. This helps to make sure the roofing is strong enough to carry your weight. As you proceed along the roof or operate on top of it, periodically sound it with your foot or a tool to check its stability. Just because others may be operating on other portions of the roof, it doesn’t mean the section you’re operating or traveling on is stable. If visibility becomes momentarily obscured by smoke, it may be safer to remain in place if there’s no immediate danger. If you must proceed forward, crawl pushing a tool or saw out in front of you or advance with one leg outstretched to check the roof for stability and any holes, shafts, or other hazards. Remember, most roofs won’t have a parapet in the rear; you could easily walk or crawl off the roof if you are not probing in front of you.
Advancing a hoseline. When advancing a hoseline, the type of conditions you encounter will dictate how to proceed. In high heat, you may have to crawl to advance to the seat of the fire. For advancing in debris, rubbish, or clutter (even after sweeping the floor by spraying the floor with the hoseline in a back-and-forth, side-to-side motion to clear it of debris or hot and glowing embers), you may choose to “duck walk.” Duck walking is crouching and moving forward without your knees touching the ground. You can lean into a wall for support as you move forward using this method. Using this tactic keeps you out of the hot and scalding water runoff that may be present on the floor, which may reduce the risk of bunker pants absorbing it and burning your knees. Advancing in this manner is very useful in buildings with concrete floors such as office buildings or housing projects. Another method is to kneel on your back leg and have the front leg forward or outstretched as you advance with the hoseline. This keeps you balanced. It also allows you to check the floor’s integrity as you advance, which is a real advantage in a vacant structure.
So as you begin the New Year, make a resolution to make every effort possible to put your best boot forward and safely on every run.
MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 26-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladder chapter and co-authored the Ventilation chapter for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos on www.FireEngineering.com.
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