BY TIM PILLSWORTH
Standardization and placement of equipment can make each us safer at every alarm. You will waste time and energy, not to mention look incompetent, running around the engine, truck, or rescue to find a much-needed tool. One of the keys to making a successful run is to keep things easy. Here are some easy, simple-to-complete, and inexpensive things that you can do to make every call run more smoothly.
Standardization. In 1904, a fire broke out in Baltimore, requiring the assistance of fire departments from hours (and states) away. Departments from as far as Philadelphia and New York City responded. When they arrived, they had dissimilar hose connections. The many different thread configurations kept the out-of-area departments from connecting to the city’s hydrants, rendering their equipment useless. Things have improved today, but there are still issues in many areas, even within single departments.
Some people say you cannot put the same tool in the same place from one apparatus to another. This is incorrect. Just because they are not the same engines, trucks, rescues, or manufacturers does not mean you cannot place tools in the same spot. Alan Zytowski, chief of the Engineering Plans and Services Division at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, saw a simple idea for safer and faster operations while serving in the reserves in Iraq: Place all the ammunition and supplies in the same location in every vehicle (Hummers, etc.) within the battalion. Every soldier knew where to locate any needed item at any time. That covers upward of 100 vehicles. Even with different types and forms of apparatus, there are things that don’t change. The first compartment behind the driver’s crew door is the same on all vehicles. Place the tool bag/box, spare air tanks, and extinguishers in the same compartment. Things might look different from vehicle to vehicle, but there is only one first compartment behind the driver’s crew door. Because of different designs and shapes, this may not always be possible, but it can be accomplished with a little planning and forethought.
Toolboxes and bags (photo 1). Most of the time, you will need only a few tools to accomplish the tasks at hand on most alarms: adjustable pliers, small wrenches for battery terminals, electrical tape, screwdrivers, and a set of Allen wrenches for pull stations. Instead of placing all the tools in a large toolbox, which can get full of water when it rains or snows (we all know we do not clean and oil the tools enough), use a small canvas tool bag or tool roll. You can place all the tools you need into it and even carry it in your pocket to keep your hands free. The one downside is that a small bag is much easier to lose than a big clunky toolbox, so keep track of it.
 (1) A small tool bag with the tools you need on 90 percent or more of your alarms. (Photos by author.) |
Electrical connections, cords, and adapters. Having more than one type of plug (male) on your equipment is too many. Each piece of equipment has a male plug, so there is no reason to have more than one type. Keep it simple: Use one locking plug that works for you and your department. Also, check to see what your neighbors are using. If all of your neighboring departments are using a 15-amp twist lock, do not use a 20-amp twist lock. Marry up to the same connection so you can work together.
Once you pick your plug type, start the setup. All tools, (e.g., reciprocating saw, fans, electric pumps, lights) need to have a locking connection. There is no National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulation on electric connections, but under NFPA 1936, Standard on Powered Rescue Tools (referring more to hydraulic tools), all tools need to have a locking connection; this principle should be for all tools! Why should you have to tie the cord to keep it from coming undone? Consider a reciprocating saw at a motor vehicle accident. How many times do you pull the cord? With a locking connection, there is no need to tie a knot; have someone hold it or keep plugging it back in.
Place the male plug on all your equipment, make lead cords of different lengths (10 to 25 feet with the locking connection; longer cords will get tangled), and create one very important adapter: a plug that will run straight to the household. This is necessary for the culinary disasters to which we respond or for a portable pump to assist a homeowner with a hazardous condition. Let the homeowner take care of the problem himself with some equipment. If you have the ability to use power from the house, why bring in supplied power?
To make the plugs easier to use in limited light, use reflective tape to align the plugs. Line up one “master” male and female plug together, and place the tape across them. Use the master plug to complete the remainder of the plugs. By using one master, all the plugs on all the tools and cords will be identical (photo 2).
 (2) An electrical connection in light with an alignment stripe. |
For fans, reflective tape is an inexpensive method to make the use of your fans easier and safer (photos 3, 4). Over the years, the flow direction arrow on a fan wears out and becomes too small to see. By placing large arrows on the different sides, you cannot mistake the flow direction (photo 5). Also, in most cases, the small switch is not easy to see. Place a large reflective circle around it. It will stand out and make an operation much easier.
 (3) An electrical connection in dim light with a reflective stripe. |
 (4) A fan with an old worn out flow direction arrow. |
 (5) A fan with a reflective arrow in low light. |
An additional use for the reflective tape is in the truck’s ladder storage area (photo 6). Most manufacturers use small nameplates for noting the size and type of ladder. They may be hard to read at night or in the rain, snow, or smoke. Place the ladder size and type on a large surface adjacent to the ladders; there will be little mistaking where each ladder is in the truck. This is important when a firefighter from a different station is ordered to quickly get the 16-foot roof ladder from your truck. If you place pike poles in the same area, label them as well.
 (6) Ladder identification in the storage area. |
There are a vast number of plugs, chains, oils, and tools needed to maintain and operate many of the different chain and rotary saws we use (photo 7). There is nothing worse than being at an alarm, needing to change a plug or chain or make up more fuel mix, and not having what you need. By placing all the required parts and tools in a small plastic tub and keeping it in the same compartment as the saws, you will always have what you need to get the job done.
 (7) A saw bin with a tool, a chain, fuel oil, and a spare plug. |
Personal tools (photo 8). Firefighters should carry some of their tools for use at normal alarms or for a self-rescue. The tools can range from screwdrivers to pliers, knives, and wire cutters. If you look at all the tools noted, most have sharp ends that will puncture your personal protective equipment (PPE). This damage will not only put you at risk of injury but will also cost money if you have to repair or replace your gear. By placing the nonemergency tools in a tool wrap or an old piece of hose, the tools will stay together and not damage your PPE.
 (8) Personal tools for your gear include a loaded punch, pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, spare medical gloves, and a knife. |
For your spare medical gloves, use a glove holder on your belt or suspenders or put them in a 35-mm film canister. Many camera stores toss canisters in the trash. They are free and are the perfect size for a pair of medical gloves.
We set up our apparatus and gear to work for us; but by making some small changes, updates, and good plans, we will be able to find our equipment and operate it more safely on all alarms. These ideas only scratch the surface of what is being done around the country. Use them and your own to make each alarm safer for you and everyone around you.
TIM PILLSWORTH is a 22-year veteran firefighter/EMT and a former chief of the Winona Lake Engine Company #2 in Orange County, New York. He has contributed articles to Fire Engineering. He is also a civil engineer at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
