In Case You Missed It: April 2016 Fire Engineering Features

Last month, the staff of Fire Engineering was at this year’s record-breaking FDIC Intenational 2016. You can find our complete coverage at fdic.com/coverage as well as select pieces below, in addition to our usual slate of exclusive firefighting articles.

Check out more firefighter training pieces at http://emberly.fireengineering.com/features.html.

C.O.R.E. Skill Drills: Street of the Day

 

Use Forest Reeder’s eighth C.O.R.E. drill to identify specific grids, streets, or buildings such as a target hazard location to stress the importance of knowing your skill and assist districts in your community.

 

Throw Back to Basics: The Minuteman Preconnect Load

 

Brian Zaitz latest looks at this line that serves as firefighters’ most commonly deployed attack line.

 

Video: Bumper Line Hoseload

 

Michael Testa, Deputy Chief of Operations at Five Points (DE) Fire Company, shared a video on packing and deployment of the modified Scorpion 150-foot bumper line.

 

Drill: Chocking Magnetic Locks

 

Wichita (KS) Fire Department Lieutenant Samuel Hittle returns with this drill that focuses on magnetic locks, which are being used increasingly on commercial properties with aluminum style doors.

 

Fire Photographer Profile: Lloyd Mitchell

 

Fire photographer Lloyd Mitchell has covered New York State’s largest cities, and often shares his work photographing Fire Department of New York (FDNY) units with Fire Engineering. We talked to him a little about his beat and work.

 

Humpday Hangout: Focus on Firefighter Health and Safety

 

In this week’s Hangout, P.J. Norwood and Frank Ricci will be joined by guests Ernie St. Amant and Joe Kapp. Sponsored by Tencate.

 

SO…How’s Your Daughter?

 

Billy Goldfeder comments on bullying, behavior, and the death of Fairfax County (VA) Firefighter Nicole Mittendorff.

 

Know Your Gear: Turnout Gear

 

Turnout gear or “bunker gear” is as important to the modern firefighter as any piece of armor worn by any warrior throughout history. Alex Langbell has a closer look at this crucial piece of firefighting equipment.

 

Training Minutes: Tower Ladder Bucket Positioning

 

In this new Training Minutes video, Mike Ciampo and company share some tips on positioning the tower ladder bucket, including details for flat roofs and dealing with parapets.

 

FDIC International 2016: General Session Videos

 

Watch video from the awards and speeches at Thursday’s General Session of FDIC International 2016.

 

Opening Ceremony Videos

 

Check out videos of yesterday’s speeches and awards, include the Courage and Valor Award presentation and keynote  by Steve Pegram.

 

Video: Hands-on Training Tuesday at FDIC International 2016

 

View some more action from the hands-on training Tuesday at FDIC International 2016.

 

UL FSRI Launches Positive Pressure Attack Online Training Program

 

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) announced the release of “Study of the Effectiveness of Fire Service Positive Pressure Ventilation During Fire Attack in Single Family Homes Incorporating Modern Construction Practices”.

 

Video: On the Training Grounds

 

Bobby Halton has a review of Monday at FDIC International 2016, including a look at the hands-on training sites.

 

The Great Conflagration at San Francisco

 

Recent earthquakes have caused extensive damage and loss of life in Japan and Ecuador. A devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, California, 110 years ago, on April 18, 1906. As severe as the earthquake damage was, the fire that ensued exceeded it and leveled the city. See Fire and Water Engineering’s coverage of this disaster.

 

Why I Teach: Steve Crothers

 

Steve Crothers of the Seattle (WA) Fire Department wanted to create a class that allows subject matter experts the ability to take their knowledge and become strong communicators.

 

FDIC International 2016 Hangout, Day 1

 

We’re live from the floor of FDIC International 2016! Join Rick Lasky and John Salka, Doug Cline, and Ed Hadfield as they chat live from the conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

Back to FDIC 2016: A Brief Guide

 

What are you looking forward to at this year’s FDIC International? Brian Zaitz of Engine House Training, who puts together the Throw Back to Basics training bulletins for Fire Engineering, has a short, downloadable document that showcases just a few of the offerings at this year’s conference.

 

The In and Out Brothers

 

“Brothers don’t have to be identical in looks or opinions, and so it was with the In and Out brothers, different as night and day when it came to fire attack.” Read a new one from Ray McCormack.

 

Increase Your Situational Awareness!

 

Conditions are changing and adjusting constantly during a fire. You need to be aware of them as they happen. Jordan Ponder shares some drills to help improve firefighters’ situational awareness and responsiveness on the fireground.

 

May Their Sacrifices Not Be in Vain: Homewood (IL) LODD Case Study

 

“He was a very positive, aggressive firefighter…a typical Irish Catholic South Side firefighting kid.” Joe Pronesti reviews the 2010 death of Firefighter Brian Carey in a structure fire in Homewood, Illinois.

 

Why I Teach: Ric Jorge

 

Quite by accident, Ric Jorge discovered techniques that worked extremely well to keep anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and sleeplessness in check. Now he wants to share those techniques with other fire service members.

 

Why I Teach: Bob Callahan

 

Bob Callahn developed this class once he realized that the tactics we were using for years on legacy large vehicles were no longer effective.

 

Firefighter Mayday? Reality vs. Myth

 

Billy Goldfeder and Don Abbott share some findings on facts regarding firefighter Mayday scenarios.

 

Why I Teach: Shan Raffel

 

Near misses and line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) involving modern fire phenomena propelled Shan Raffel’s quest to determine what was causing “routine” fires to escalate into sudden and unexpected flare-ups that were injuring and killing firefighters.

 

New Series from The Battalion TV: The FDIC Experience

 

Check out several new clips from The Battalion TV on Fire Engineering, including the FDIC experience, which follows members of the Snyder (NY) Fire Department as they attend FDIC International 2016, the world’s largest firefighter training conference.

 

Construction Concerns: Insulation of Exterior Walls in Cross-Laminated Timber

 

Greg Havel takes a look at some other aspects of cross-laminated timber construction that may be of interest to firefighters.

 

Training Minutes: Multi-Car Pileup in Highway Tunnel

 

In this new Training Minutes video, David Rhodes and Jamie Brads go over a scenario at the Guardian Centers involving a simulated pileup inside a highway tunnel.

 

Why I Teach: Joe Knitter

 

The impetus for Chief Joe Knitter’s class was the line-of-duty deaths of Houston Firefighters Lewis Mayo III and Kimberly Smith in the McDonald’s Restaurant arson fire on Valentine’s Day of 2000. Read more about what you can learn on this subject.

 

Eight Possible Reasons for Fire Department-Induced Chaos

 

Still struggling to prevent chaos from creeping into your firefighting operations? Roger Lunt identifies several key areas that might be the problem.

 

Throw Back to Basics: Bailout System

 

Brian Zaitz shines his light on this quick, efficient, and safe method for escaping a violent fire event.

 

Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue Shares Video on Disinfecting Your Mask and Regulator

 

Miami-Dade (FL) Fire Rescue recently released a training video showing how to properly disinfect your mask and regulator.

 

Humpday Hangout: Focus on FDIC

 

In this week’s Humpday Hangout, three instructors will give you their perspective on why they attend FDIC every year, their favorite FDIC experience, and why they are teaching at FDIC 2016.

 

Why I Teach: Joseph Polenzani

 

Joseph Polenzani on encouraging firefighters to approach mobile home fires with a better understanding of the tactics that should be employed.

 

It’s All About the “Buzz”

 

Dr. Nicola Davies asks, what makes firefighters particularly prone to frustration when they are not allowed to do the job for which they signed up?

 

Training Minutes: Using a Tool as an Anchor Point for Bailout

 

In this Training Minutes video on firefighter bailout situations, Jeff Weffelmeyer of Engine House Training discusses and demonstrates using a tool as an anchor point.

 

From the Vault: Third Avenue Collapse in the Bronx

 

Yesterday, members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) marked the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Third Avenue Collapse, which killed six members in 1956. Download a feature story on the tragedy from our May 1956 issue.

 

Why I Teach: Jerry Wells

 

Firefighters need to spend some time reinforcing the value of personal responsibility as it relates to just getting along, says Jerry Wells.

 

Firefighters’ Code Voice: Impact Your Work Environment, Part 1

 

Getting engaged in the building and fire codes makes for a safer situation not only for firefighters, but the public at large. Jack Murphy has a primer of what fire service members should look for in the upcoming code proposals for this year’s cycle.

 

Improving Facility Orientation

 

Marking a door may not seem to be a tremendous concern in the overall scheme of response to a facility, but sometimes it’s the little things like that which can hinder or create incident-hampering problems, writes Eric G. Bachman.

 

Bobby Halton on Civility: In Front of the Fire

 

How you conduct yourself has a bearing on how you will likely be received. Bobby Halton talks about FDIC and shares some more knowledge from George Washington, this time regarding how to behave “in front of the fire.”

 

C.O.R.E. Skill Drills: Kick-Starters

 

Forest Reeder offers these drills that training officers or company officers can issue at the start of a shift or a drill night to get members thinking and practicing basic skills.

 

In Case You Missed It: January 2016 Fire Engineering Features

In Case You Missed It: February 2016 Fire Engineering Features

In Case You Missed It: March 2016 Fire Engineering Features

Hand entrapped in rope gripper

Elevator Rescue: Rope Gripper Entrapment

Mike Dragonetti discusses operating safely while around a Rope Gripper and two methods of mitigating an entrapment situation.
Delta explosion

Two Workers Killed, Another Injured in Explosion at Atlanta Delta Air Lines Facility

Two workers were killed and another seriously injured in an explosion Tuesday at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport.