My Board

There I was minding my own business when suddenly we get called for a Structure Fire in a trailer park in Wayne Township.  Upon our arrival, we were assigned search as there was a report of a "possible" victim.  As myself and my partner entered the trailer we were immediately forced to the ground due to extreme heat and zero visibility.  We went right and started our search. After completing the living room, we made the decision to exit.  It was just too hot.  We get on the front porch and come off air when the bedroom (fire room) flashed.  It sent a heat wave up through the hallway and out the front door like nothing I have ever felt.  I then faintly heard someone yell for help.  I clipped back on air and stepped back into the front door.  There was a FF standing just inside the doorway and the heat blast literally disoriented him and he didn't know where the door was.  I reached in and grabbed his pack and guided him through the door.  Why he was standing there alone, I still have no idea.

We had no business being inside that trailer.  As soon as we were forced to the ground we should have known it was not possible for anyone to survive those conditions.  This was 15 years ago and I was still under the impression we were supposed to go no matter what.  Man how things have changed just in my limited time in the Fire Service.  The truth is, we got lucky that day.

I find it hard to believe you were actually minding your own business, lol.

I think we have done a good job in the fire service with slowing down and completing risk assessments to help avoid being somewhere we shouldn't be. Situations like this are great learning experiences and should always be shared with the younger more gung ho firefighters. This is a great example of why we operate like we do today.

A time I was playing in the top left box was the first time I had to use ketamine to sedate a combative patient with a serious head injury that resulted from falling off a hover board while intoxicated. He had a blown pupil, was posturing, abnormal breathing, and combative. We were trying to maintain his airway and also get him sedated. The use of Ketamine was newly added to the GMVEMSC protocol and the crew I was working with at the time, along with myself was unsure of the dose needed in relation to the different methods of administration. The patient was a large male that was very difficult to physically restrain. Careflight was en route to the scene, one of the firefighters was constantly updating me on the status of Careflight, and PD was climbing into the medic to help restrain our patient. While all of this was going on some of the crew members were shouting out what they though was the correct dose/route which only added to the confusion because all the doses were different. Needless to say, it was a chaotic scene in the back of the medic.

I finally found a moment to get the protocol book open and double check the dose needed. One crew member was able to obtain IV access, so we drew up the IV dose. Just prior to administering it the patient was able to pull his arm away and the IV came out. Ultimately this patient ended up getting two IM doses of Ketamine before Careflight arrived on scene and used their medications to sedate him since the patient was still being combative.

Something we could have done differently was to review the new protocol a little more thoroughly when it first came out. It is not a good time to try and look up drug doses in the protocol book when trying to restrain someone. There was a lot going on at the same time on this call which only added to the confusion and hectic atmosphere. As the PMIC, I should have taken more control of the scene.

What have I learned...When you find yourself unsure and falling behind, stop and take a time out. Reassess the situation and see what you have in front of you. Make sure everyone has clear defined roles and make sure everyone knows the protocol. Although we always learn as we go, the best time to learn is before the call, not during it.   

Finally, Someone who is speaking "Truth to Power".  This guy gets it.  Just like the horse drawn pumps from the cowboy days, firefighting has evolved.  Interior firefighting is a thing of the past and should no longer be utilized in our profession.  I love and respect the guys I work with enough to never put them in that kind of environment.  I personally am allergic to cancer and want to part of it.  We should never put our selves in a spot to get it.  Robert (the author) is a pioneer.  This concept in today's world makes since.  After all, everyone we serve is now educated, just ask them.  They know to keep their smoke detector batteries changed regularly and to have them set around their house in purposeful spots.  They also know that putting smoking materials in trash cans and flower pots are hazards don't do it accordingly.  As a matter of fact, they are so smart that they don't leave the kitchen when they are cooking and keep an extinguisher at their side while doing it. 

The good thing is that when Robert's house does catch fire and one of his kids are inside, if it is over 200 they are dead and we don't have to do anything.  He will absolutely understand and will write another blog about how awesome we are that we showed up anyway to watch everything he owns and loves disappear right in front of him.  He will tell the world that we are great because we were able to sit around in a truck he paid for and tell him how sorry we are that he is legally and financially accountable for not preventing this fire.

Opinions are like A$$holes, everybody has one.  If I can come up with one crazy enough, I can be famous too!!!!

I feel like there is a little bit of sarcasm in your post...lol!  I think the author has good intentions with his article. But unfortunately he's lacking in the details. How possible or should I say, impossible something like that would be to pull off for departments such as ours. To treat each fire like a hazmat scene, not make interior attacks and hold people financially liable. Good-bye to any chance at ever passing another levy.