BY MIKE NASTA
"People trapped!" The mere mention of these words is enough to start most firefighters' pulse racing. Life safety is one of the biggest concerns for any fireground commander. Once the order is given to search any fire building, the incident commander (IC) makes a major commitment to support the firefighters assigned to this task. Forcible entry is required to get into the structure, hoselines should be stretched to protect the search crews, and proper ventilation must be performed to clear the structure and enhance the efficiency of the search efforts.
However, the support for these crews must start long before the alarm for a fire is even struck. It begins with proper search training that puts protection of the firefighters at the top of the objectives list. Do the firefighters know how to correctly don their personal protective equipment (PPE)? Do they know the limitations of the PPE? Have they received sufficient training in the use of the SCBA and its limitations? How about the emergency procedures related to the SCBA? Let's not forget a functioning PASS device that is also turned on! We can sometimes be our own worst enemies by not using all the protection given to us! (See photo 1.)
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