PRIMARY SEARCH—WHEN CAN YOU ABORT?
RANDOM THOUGHTS
“I don’t care what! I’m tellin’ you, no firefighter worth his salt would ever quit a primary search—ever! There are no excuses—at least not if you want to work with me!” The classroom was filled with 40 “new guys” who looked on with mouths opened—ears and eyes hooking into every macho word of this twoto five-year veteran of professed “heavy” fire duty.
As course instructor, I stood at the front of the room questioning just what my own direction would be after this statement. Two tilings get me more upset than anything else. One is to have someone who knows nothing of the real world of fire and its battle discuss its aspects, impacts, and lessons (always in a passive situation and to a captive audience). The other is the two-year “big mouth” who knows everything and is active as department spokesperson while awaiting permanent appointment by the chief of department. Both these types suffer from the same syndrome—they believe the fire service is the world of the blind and that they may be king if they have but one eye.
1 lere in front of these “kids” stood a disaster —a rather large fellow with a blue shirt embossed with a “puffedout” maltese cross identifying one of the largest, busiest, and most successful fire departments in the world. The young men —all less than a year “on the line” —had hero worship in their eyes. What do you say when their “god” is spouting a speck of truth in a statement that is a ton of bull?
First, a little chop at the character who now occupied center stage. “Gee, 1 notice that the company identified on your shirt is the one that relieves me every three nights so that the members of my truck can get some rest in the slowest area of the city.” Tennis match started. A short chop at the knees followed by good, real world information. The standing brother now’ had the time to back off gracefully and listen with the others instead of continuing his path into future and instant embarrassment and obscurity.
We were sowing the seeds that would shape careers, the life safety basics for the next 20 years, and the success of these brand-new’ firefighters who would become more and more aggressive as they became more and more expert through training and experience. Risk analysis did not allow for this six-foot, one-inch clown to continue without someone putting a large dent in his blue armor.
Second tactic: Get some real information out to these firefighters—even if it is not in the outline or notes. Something that only real experience can allow an instructor to talk about. Something only those “w ith two eyes” can do.
The statement “Never let the fire stop you when searching for occupants of a fire building” has some validity. The “never” means you should go another way, improve the conditions that prohibit, get some artillery to get you there.
But can you quit a primary search? Yes. When is it all right to abort the operation? You must know the answers to these questions if y ou are to answer for your actions on the fireground—and in your own mind.
What if you just can’t go on? Each firefighter has his or her own tolerance’ for heat, blindness, fear, and commitment. These hopefully w ill increase in intensity as time goes by, laced with experience and training. But when you want to turn around and get out, it must be okay — to you, to the department, and to command. Not to finish a primary’ is allowed — not to communicate either what you accomplished or what you failed to accomplish is never okay.
What if you run out of air? (This macho guy is starting to look awfully dumb.) Exit in an orderly manner and communicate that fact. Either get another bottle and return or ensure that fireground operations account for the area uncovered.
What if there is a mayday message of impending collapse or some areas of local collapse? Sure will put a crimp in any interior search —at least for a time.
What if hazardous, flammable, or explosive atmospheres or threats are present? Evacuation is usually ordered or, at a minimum, aggression is put on hold until control and mitigation are gained. How many of us have shared the experience of a bank of gas meters hissing in a basement that is also occupied by fire?
How about flooded conditions? The list goes on ….
As you can see, there are situations in which a primary’ search can be aborted. The importance of this information is that firefighters must understand that it is all right to abort a search! Again, it’s worth repeating that it is not all right not to report to command that the search momentarily was not completed. The macho attitude exhibited above w ill prevent such vital communication from occurring.
What do you think? I still would love to hear from you —it doesn’t happen often enough.
