While the year has changed, the Mayday Monday message remains the same: Firefighter survival starts with the basics.
To illustrate this, we look at a close call from Virginia that occurred in 2020. Newport News (VA) firefighters responded for a fire in a single-family dwelling that functioned as a group home. They arrived to find fire on both floors of the building with reports of two occupants still inside. Quickly, the engine and rescue went to work. After removing one victim, crews were working to get a knock on the fire and to the second victim upstairs.
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Without warning, the back half of the house collapsed. The collapse sent two members from the second floor down to the first and trapped the engine crew who was attacking the fire on the first floor. Mayday calls were transmitted, and the rapid intervention team (RIT) was activated. Fortunately, the engine crew was able to crawl out the back door. As the RIT was trying to get in, the two rescue members were digging themselves out. Once they were disentangled, they found their only exit (a kitchen window) blocked by security bars. The bars were quickly removed by a quick thinking, well trained, experienced member operating on the exterior.
Check out this month’s Mayday Monday podcast below to learn more about this incident.
The firefighters involved in this incident credit their survival to
1. Equipment. The department provides a quality attack package, good self-contained breathing apparatus, and excellent turnout gear.
2. Training. Members are constantly seeking additional training to ensure they are prepared.
3. Experience. You cannot make experience, but you can make the most of what you do get.
4. Attitude. Expect to go to a fire every day you come to work and make yourself better than yesterday.
Skill/drill. Newport News firefighters rescued from the building collapse credit the good saw work of members working on the exterior. In fact, the captain operating the saw stood on a fence in order to get into position to cut the bars. Are you ready for this? This month practice with your rescue saws, K12’s, cutoff saws, or whatever you call them. It’s a skill that will benefit them and us!
Please send in pictures of you and your crews performing this month’s skill drill. Send to tcarroll@louisa.org.
Tony Carroll is deputy chief of operations with the Louisa County (VA) Fire & EMS Department.
