BY MARTIN C. GRUBE
The next time you have duty at the fire station, take a few minutes and give your peers a Quick Drill, which is an opportunity for veterans to pass on their experience to probies. The Quick Drill does not replace the normal hour-long drill later in the shift. You may have to obtain information beforehand to be prepared for your drill. At the morning meeting or muster, give a quick five-minute drill. The information discussed may be helpful that same day.
QUICK DRILL 1
Fire department connections (FDCs) and hydrants. As you drive through your response district, get into the habit of checking the condition of the fire department sprinkler/standpipe connections and hydrants. Make sure there are no bushes, fences, or other obstructions inhibiting access to the FDCs and hydrants (see photo 1).
 1 Photos by author. |
Regardless of whether the water department or the fire department does it, in the summer it is imperative to maintain access to hydrants and clear out weeds, tall grass, and shrubs. Maintain a list of FDCs and fire hydrants that need to be uncovered. Once every other week, bring a weed trimmer with you to work and trim around all the FDCs and hydrants hidden by undergrowth.
 2 |
Maintain at least three feet of clearance to the FDCs and hydrants. In my jurisdiction, if a vehicle is parked within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or connection, it is a violation (see photo 2). Check your local fire code for specifics.
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If a sprinkler system on a particular floor of an occupancy is not functioning, place a sign on the connection so that the engine company driver/operator can advise Command of the condition of the sprinkler system (see photo 3). Keep an up-to-date list of these situations. Maintaining fire hydrants is critical to their overall performance. Indicate nonfunctional hydrants (see photo 4), and maintain a list for future responses.
QUICK DRILL 2
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Building information/contact information. Does your department conduct building inspections? It’s a great opportunity to get inside and see the floor plans of the same building you may respond to in the future. When you do these inspections, prepare a standardized form on which the owner of the business can provide contact phone numbers of the owner or keyholder after business hours and alarm company information. These numbers will be handy for fire and police personnel when responding to an incident after hours. Once the form is filled out, send it to the 911 communications center so it can be filed and updated in the computer system as needed.
QUICK DRILL 3
Command post. Remember to lower the volume on your portable radios when approaching the command post. Radio feedback slows down radio traffic, and an important message may be missed. When waiting for another task assignment, stand back at least 15 feet from the command post so you do not crowd the area.
QUICK DRILL 4
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Floating in turnout gear. Consider asking a local recreational center with a swimming pool if you can use its facility for a specialized drill. Have each firefighter in full turnout gear, including SCBA (use a damaged SCBA for this drill so you don’t ruin a usable one) and simply fall sideways into the pool from a standing position. Hold your helmet on with your hands so you do not choke yourself with the chinstrap. Allow your body to resurface, remove your helmet, trap some air underneath it, and use it as a flotation device (see photo 5).
MARTIN C. GRUBE is a 24-year veteran of the Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department and is currently assigned to the Fire Marshal’s Office as an assistant fire marshal. He is master firefighter, a Virginia-certified fire instructor, and the department historian and photographer.
