BY BILLY WHITE AND FERGUS JOHNSON
Shortly after midnight, a frantic citizen calls 911, reporting heavy smoke coming from a neighbor’s apartment. Less than three minutes later, the first-due companies arrive at the incident site. The engine crew stretches the appropriate handline and enters the fire compartment. The backup firefighter flakes hose, chases kinks, and assists the nozzle firefighter in advancing the hoseline through the cluttered apartment. Meanwhile, the inside team from the first-due truck company performs a primary search, locating and removing an unconscious victim.
Teamwork is the cornerstone of the fire service. In this scenario, all firefighters on scene played an important role in a successful rescue. Working the nozzle or performing the search may be more exciting than catching a hydrant or chasing kinks, but the scenario discussed above would not have had such a successful outcome had all firefighters on the fireground not properly performed their tasks. One often overlooked, yet vital, position is that of the backup firefighter.
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