Fire Fighter Survival
This course was developed in response to the tragic
deaths of many firefighters. Many of those who perished did so because
they could not get out to the fire building or area where they were working.
Fire Fighter Survival
We train our firefighters in confined space, hazardous materials, incident command but until now there was no training course that teaches our firefighters how to save their own.
Fire Fighter Self Rescue
• Most of your career is spent on rescue skills for “others”.
• Some Fire Fighter fatalities could have been prevented if the right skills were present.
Self Rescue Concept
• These skills are based on the concept that the circumstances are so bad that if you don’t react you will die.
• Some of the skills will violate previously learned tenants.
• Some involve high risk.
Downed Fire Fighter Pitfalls
• Rescuer reactions to avoid;
– Attempting to remove the victim before calling for assistance.
– Immediately leaving the victim to seek help.
– Failure to react immediately.
– Panic reactions leading to the rescuer becoming a victim as well.
Approaching A Downed Firefighter
• Check breathing
– If the mask is in place check the airflow. – If SCBA is out of air remove regulator. – If the face mask is dislodged, reposition
it.
• Check for consciousness
– Can they assist in removal.
Approaching A Downed
Firefighter
• Call for Help
– Emergency Traffic, Emergency Traffic. – Give details of location.
– Give possible means of escape. – Early is better than late.
• Move To A Safe Haven
– Move to uninvolved area, stairwell, landing, window, fire escape.
Approaching A Downed
Firefighter
• Shared breathing Options
– Exchange SCBA set with an other one. – Air line “ Cascade” system.
– If possible share the face mask.
• PASS devise
– Consider disarming it if interferes with communication.
Self-Disentanglement
• Loosen SCBA, rotate the pack to one side to reduce your profile.
• Doff the SCBA if necessary, and push it ahead of you while breathing from the mask.
• If tangled in wire etc, get low and back up. • If still tangled. Doff pack, roll over on your
back, remove material, re-don pack and continue.
Reduced profile
maneuver• Fully loosen the right shoulder strap and remove it.
• Loosen the waist strap to allow the harness assembly to be rotated around to your left hip. • Grasp the neck of the cylinder with your left hand.
• Rotate the harness assembly to the left to allow you to pass through the obstacle.
• Proceed through the obstacle.
• Don the S.C.B.A. (tighten both shoulder straps and waist belt).
Navigating Through Smoke
• Use search line.
• Stay with the attack line.
• Take a hand tool to probe ahead. • Mark rooms as you proceed.
• Mark locations of emergency exits as you proceed.
Locating Lost Fire Fighters
• Immediately call for additional assistance. • Listen for personal alarms.
• Breach walls near last known location.
• Use radio feedback to locate, if necessary. • Follow hoselines and searchlines.
When Lost or Separated
• Stop where you are.
• Call out for your partner.
• Check air supply & call for help.
• Transmit emergency message over the radio.
• Activate PASS alarm.
Essential Survival Criteria
• Know & Practice the skills.
• Always carry a “Tool” & Light with you when entering the hazard zone.
• Consider equipping yourself with an appropriate rope.
Initiate an emergency “Mayday” Stay Calm, Preserve Your Air Supply
Activate P.A.S.S.
Provide a situation / problem report If trapped or disoriented as a crew, stay
together
Search for an exit – look for light
Attempt to follow a hose line / life line to safety
Retreat to an area of safety
Assume a horizontal position to enhance the audible signal of your P.A.S.S. and enhance
thermal protection
Use your flashlight as a beacon device Attempt to make tapping noises using tools
or other objects.
Wall Breaching
• Requires “Thinking out of the box”.
• If normal egress is denied, then “Make your Own”.
– No windows, stairs, or doors available. • You must be equipped with a “Tool”.
• Keeping breaching walls until a safe area is reached.
Wall Breaching
• Possible obstructions on the other side of the wall.
• Possible obstacles inside lower wall.
• Break out studs etc. at bottom if hole is too small.
• May require loosening or doffing BA.
• Always remember to take “tool” with you to the next compartment.
Moving a Downed
Firefighter Up a Stairwell
• Two Different Techniques:
– 2 firefighters present & victim has BA. – 2 firefighters present & victim not
Basement Rescue
• Requires 2 ropes.
• If hole is unstable at edges, cut new one. • Tie handcuff knots.
• Drop rescuer into hole by rope. • Attach ropes to victim & haul up. • Retrieve rescuer the same way.
Window Bail With Rope
• Can exit a hostile environment without a ladder.
• Requires rescue tool and a rope.
• You belay with “yourself “ as the load.
• Considered a controlled drop not a rappel. • If you can’t reach the ground at least your
Anchors
Improvised
Window Ladder Bail
• If a ladder is available, use it.
• Time dictates if you must exit head first. • Catch window sill with your feet.
• Rotation required to orient feet “down”. • Able to descend the normal way down the
Need to Call for Help
The reality of our culture is very simple: we hire aggressive fighters, we hate to lose, we are always there to answer the call for help from others, we will adapt and improvise to overcome any situation (even to our own detriment) and none of us ever want to
admit defeat or even that we may possibly need help. To make this cultural issue even worse, how do we treat those in our ranks that show this perceived
Calling A MayDay
The logical sequence would be your name;
assignment, location, activities, and resources needed to affect the rescue.
LUNAR
Location – Unit number – Name – Assignment – Resources.
• The purpose of this procedure is to identify the roles and responsibilities of all the parties involved at an incident where a “May-Day” has been
transmitted.
• (N:\Emergency Services Read Only Files\SOP Volume 2 - Emergency Operations \Chapter 1 - Fire Operations)
Section 11 - Risk Assessment and Management Procedure. doc
• The radio message "May-Day" will be used by fire fighters to report their status as being lost, trapped, or injured and needing rescue.
• Any member may use "May-Day" to report a lost fire fighter. • “May-Day” transmissions shall be repeated 3 times.
• Any report of "May-Day" will receive priority radio traffic.
“
MAY – DAY” SOP
• The term "May-Day" will be reserved ONLY to report a lost, trapped, or injured fire fighter(s).
•
• The term "emergency traffic" will be used to report all other emergencies. “10-33” will be used to summon police assistance in a discreet manner.
“
MAY – DAY” SOP
• Command will maintain an awareness of the location of fire fighters on the fire ground primarily through assignments and the
accountability system.
• In the event that a fire fighter cannot be located, or any time a fire fighter is missing, the captain or any member should announce a "May Day."
“
MAY – DAY” SOP
The term "May Day" will indicate a lost, trapped, or injured fire fighter. Command shall respond to a "May Day" by
implementing a rescue plan for the fire fighter(s).
Firefighter Survival Summary
• These skills can make the difference
between;
– Attending a funeral, yours or someone else’s.
– Having a good story to tell.
– Firefighters who have been properly trained
in self-survival skills can greatly enhance the possibility of a successful Safety Engine/RIT team rescue. Standardized, predicable actions of a trapped, lost or disoriented member will enable rescuers to locate and extract the
member in a much more timely manner
Saving Our Own
What we are is “Our Brother’s Keepers”. Each and every one of us has the
responsibility to be able to respond to a
“firefighter down” situation. Some of that responsibility involves our own actions and some of that responsibility involves what we do as companies and platoons.
