Assignment 5

[michael.toothman]

A time I found myself in the top left box was the first time I pumped a structure fire.  I remember driving E48 while working at Miami Township and being more nervous than I had ever been when we pulled off the ramp and saw a large column of black smoke rising in the distance. We had been dispatched to a working apartment fire on the 3rd floor.  We were first on scene.  I could feel myself starting to become overwhelmed with all the tasks before me.  E48's crew pulled a handline and was gone to make an attack on the fire.  I had to make sure and slow myself down mentally to ensure I did everything correctly. 

Slowing down and falling back to my training helped me manage a high stress situation.  I learned that training was vitally important.  It is import to train to the point you cant mess things up.

Everyone could used the first time they pumped a fire as an example. It is one giant pucker from start to finish and you don't know if you did it right until it's all over. It sounds like the people who trained you did a good job, you fell back on to that training and got the job done. And it was done right.

[brian.petry]

So it is old news, but a time when I was playing in the top left box was at the tanker rollover fire on St. Rt. 42. This was a fantastic scene to behold when arriving on the scene. There were many updates painting a horrific scene in my mind. All the while responding to the scene I found myself thinking about the area and where the nearest hydrant was located, and my priority was to extricate the driver from the tractor before the tractor caught fire. Initially three of the four tanks of the trailer were on fire. I couldn't be happier with how my crew interacted and the assistance of the Lebanon Police Officer and Warren County Deputy that were on scene first. After arrival communications were split as the first arriving officer over the radio to incoming crews and communications. The only communication that I had with my crew was the initial communication of grab the tools and get to work. From that point I did not communicate with my crew, I was on the radio giving directions and developing long range plan that was communicated with the Battalion on his arrival. Shortly after the Battalion and R21 arrived on scene the driver was extricated form the vehicle with minor injuries.

This was low frequency high risk event that I had never been exposed to before.

Knowing what I know now I would have added more tankers to the incident and requested the Foam Trailer earlier in the incident. Tactically speaking I don't know of any other way that it could have been handled in a better way.

The only way to help other be prepared for this type of incident is to discuss the incident with them and let them take the leadership role and let them run with it in a training environment, where things can be controlled, allowing them to learn from mistakes in an environment that is not life threatening.

[nunz]

A time I felt I played in the top left box was on a barn fire in Wayne township. The fire at night and there was no electricity in the barn, so it was pretty dark in the barn. The homeowner told me that his bull was in the field and there were no other animals in the barn. What he forgot to mention was the bull was able to run back into the barn, because there wasn't a door. I'm not a farmer nor do I know alot about how farmers keep their livestock housed. We entered the barn knocked down some hotspots, when someone yelled BULL. I don't think I saw E22 crew move so fast jumpimg over the barn dividers getting out of this very large bulls way. We don't get alot of barn fires in Clearcreek, so dodging farm animals wasn't something I thought about or was used to.  Although it's something I won't ever forget.

The crew was safe from the bull behind the barn dividers. We stayed there until we finished putting out the hotspots the safest way we could. We were able to find another way out of the barn that kept us away from the bull.

I would have asked more questions or at least had him elaborate more on the bull's location. Along with, did the bull have access back into the barn. This was one of those ask 1,000 questions and keep your head on a swivel moment.

I always try get the crew to look at their surroundings and know whats going on around them. Get more information from people on scene, to see if there is anything that can hurt us. Even if that means not being involved in the work that's going on but for the safety of the crew working. I must admit that being chased by a bull was a first for me and hopefully the last.

[twilson21]

The first time I responded to a structure fire with a possible trapped victim was definitely a time a was in that top left box.  The location of the call was in our first due district.  The structure was a multi family apartment building and it was 4 or 5 in the morning.  As several others have mentioned the pucker factor was present.  Dispatch relayed that there was one person unaccounted for but the time of day meant there could be more than one victim.  As we arrived there was smoke showing from a second story corner apartment.  My crew and one other crew met at the door of the apartment and we forced the door.  As we made entry there was zero visibility.  At this point the my heart was beating out of my chest and I was breathing heavy.  I knew I had to calm myself and rely on my training.  My crew went one direction and the other crew went the other.  As we searched and called out things just fell into place.  We finally made it to the bedroom and we found the victim on the floor near his bed.  We were able to remove the victim and hand him off to EMS outside. Our training and working as a team is what help us accomplish our goal.  Unfortunately he did not survive.  The only thing I would try to do better is to calm myself before entering the apartment.  As for what I'd pass on is to make sure you train and be confident in your training and your trust in your crew members.

[kclary21]

My most memorable time of playing in the top left box was the overturned tanker fire in October 2019.  The outcome was amazing with one rescue being made.  The fire was eventually put out and environmental impact was minimalized as much as possible. 

The crews went to work on the rescue immediately and got the driver out.  After that, operations were put in place to put the fire out.  This involved a tanker operation due to no hydrants and a foam operation with the WATP.  This was a very extensive operation that took a lot of time to set up.  Many resources were used on this scene that included mutual aid fire departments, police departments, ODOT, EPA, HAZMAT, the oil company, a cleanup company, and a towing company. 

Something I would have done differently is not flow as much water as we did prior to having the WATP in place.  We used all of the foam we had on scene which just knocked the flames down a little bit.  Then we used water to keep it from flaring up too much.  It kept the flames and heat down, but created a lot of extra runoff. 

The most important thing I learned was to know your resources and train for situations even if they are unlikely.  Training and/ or experience are what you have to rely on when you are in these situations.  Creating stressful situations in training will prepare you for real situations. 

[NBaldridge]

One event that comes to mind is one of the very first structure fires that I had.  I was a newly cleared driver/operator at the volunteer department that I was working at.  We were dispatched mutual aid for a barn fire with exposure to the residence.  While responding, we were assigned water supply and advised that it would be a dump tank/tanker operation.  As you can imagine; not only being one of the first fires having to pump, but now being a drafting operation; my anxiety was through the roof.

Thankfully, I had some very good Instructors while going through my operator training, but also has one of the crew members hang back to help me get things up and running for the drafting operation.  While the operations when smoothly, I had a very uneasy feeling throughout the entire night.

One thing that I learned from this event, was that you have to be ready for whatever gets thrown your way.  Afterwards, I reviewed over drafting operations to ensure that I was comfortable with all of the steps and specifics of the operations.

[ross.moffitt]

Called to gun shots heard on the first floor, apartment A.  Upon arrival, residence were evacuating first floor and second floor.  PD arrived on scene same time.  Medic crew went to the apartment the callers stated the shot were heard from, PD began clearing the rest of the apartments.  The caller did give the correct apartment number.  Found one pt, DOA.  At the time thought we were doing the right thing by going to attempt to help the person. In hind sight we should have staged and waited for PD to clear the entire building before putting ourselves in a scene that was not safe.   

At least you realize now that you made a mistake. It's hard  to not rush in sometimes but you can't help the victim if you become a victim.

[ross.moffitt]

A time I found myself in the top left box was the first time I pumped a structure fire.  I remember driving E48 while working at Miami Township and being more nervous than I had ever been when we pulled off the ramp and saw a large column of black smoke rising in the distance. We had been dispatched to a working apartment fire on the 3rd floor.  We were first on scene.  I could feel myself starting to become overwhelmed with all the tasks before me.  E48's crew pulled a handline and was gone to make an attack on the fire.  I had to make sure and slow myself down mentally to ensure I did everything correctly. 

Slowing down and falling back to my training helped me manage a high stress situation.  I learned that training was vitally important.  It is import to train to the point you cant mess things up.

Sam your scenario is why i believe we should take our time and not rush new guys into the role of FAO. I think they should be drilled multiple times before they are cleared. This will help to ensure they are comfortable and ready for the challenge ahead.

[nunz]

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.   

Sounds like you did the right thing. You stopped and took the time to find the answer. Doing that saved you time when you had to go to the IM rout. You already had all the information.

It's east to get behind the eight ball on runs, because you never really know what you're walking into. Then there's 10 things you need to do but just like anything you just have to slow down. Complete each task one a time, communicate with your partner. Regardless what controlled drug I'm using, I always refer to the protocol book just to make sure there's no confusion. 

[eric.henry]

One event that comes to mind is one of the very first structure fires that I had.  I was a newly cleared driver/operator at the volunteer department that I was working at.  We were dispatched mutual aid for a barn fire with exposure to the residence.  While responding, we were assigned water supply and advised that it would be a dump tank/tanker operation.  As you can imagine; not only being one of the first fires having to pump, but now being a drafting operation; my anxiety was through the roof.

Thankfully, I had some very good Instructors while going through my operator training, but also has one of the crew members hang back to help me get things up and running for the drafting operation.  While the operations when smoothly, I had a very uneasy feeling throughout the entire night.

One thing that I learned from this event, was that you have to be ready for whatever gets thrown your way.  Afterwards, I reviewed over drafting operations to ensure that I was comfortable with all of the steps and specifics of the operations.

I think a lot of us could easily find ourselves in this same situation. Drafting isn't something we do regularly. We are lucky to work in a well hydranted area. Given a similar situation, it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for someone who is familiar with drafting to help with that part of the operation to ensure it goes smoothly.

[eric.henry]

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.

[nunz]

Called to gun shots heard on the first floor, apartment A.  Upon arrival, residence were evacuating first floor and second floor.  PD arrived on scene same time.  Medic crew went to the apartment the callers stated the shot were heard from, PD began clearing the rest of the apartments.  The caller did give the correct apartment number.  Found one pt, DOA.  At the time thought we were doing the right thing by going to attempt to help the person. In hind sight we should have staged and waited for PD to clear the entire building before putting ourselves in a scene that was not safe.   

I can see how you did that, especially on a gun shot victim. We often forget about the dangers we encounter on runs. We all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them and pass this infromation on to others. Its defineatly a lesson learned.

[matthew.walker]

A time that I found myself “playing in the top left box” was when I caught a structure fire in what was thought to be a single family residence, but had actually been turned into a duplex. At the time, I was working for the City of Franklin Fire Department and was riding backstep on E-17. Upon arrival, there was a working structure fire with heavy smoke showing from the Charlie side. My first instinct was to pull the line to the front door as the officer did his 360. I didn’t even consider the possibility that the interior of the home had been modified and turned into a duplex, additionally not considering how this home may be broken up. After the officer’s 360 was complete and a brief conversation with the home-owner, we realized that this home was now a duplex and that the only access to the unit that was on fire was from the Charlie side. The line was then redeployed to the Charlie side and the fire was put out. The repositioning of the line took some time and I realized that there were several things I could have done to prevent the delay. The address had a half in its numerics, such as 105 ½ South Main Street. This should have made me consider the possibility of this residence being modified and think before I automatically pulled the hoseline to the Alpha side when smoke was showing from the Charlie. Other than being more aware of the numerics from the address, I learned that I could have slowed down and recognized additional signs that this residence had been modified, such as multiple A/C units, multiple electrical meters, address indicators and multiple mailboxes. This incident also taught me to slow down and not get sucked into doing the same thing on every fire (automatically pulling a line to the alpha side), because each fire is different and requires different tactics. Knowing your district is also a very important lesson learned in this instance. Had I been out more and studied my district, I may have known that several homes on this particular street had been modified into multi-family units. Overall, my biggest take away is to slow down in order to prevent the tunnel vision effect and know your surroundings, whether that is the scene that you are currently operating in or preplanning and knowing your district.

[matthew.walker]

My most memorable time of playing in the top left box was the overturned tanker fire in October 2019.  The outcome was amazing with one rescue being made.  The fire was eventually put out and environmental impact was minimalized as much as possible. 

The crews went to work on the rescue immediately and got the driver out.  After that, operations were put in place to put the fire out.  This involved a tanker operation due to no hydrants and a foam operation with the WATP.  This was a very extensive operation that took a lot of time to set up.  Many resources were used on this scene that included mutual aid fire departments, police departments, ODOT, EPA, HAZMAT, the oil company, a cleanup company, and a towing company. 

Something I would have done differently is not flow as much water as we did prior to having the WATP in place.  We used all of the foam we had on scene which just knocked the flames down a little bit.  Then we used water to keep it from flaring up too much.  It kept the flames and heat down, but created a lot of extra runoff. 

The most important thing I learned was to know your resources and train for situations even if they are unlikely.  Training and/ or experience are what you have to rely on when you are in these situations.  Creating stressful situations in training will prepare you for real situations.

Out of the three tactical priorities, I definitely think the fire service as a whole can do better with the emphasizing property conservation. This is a good reminder to measure the effectiveness of an action because you may be doing more harm than good and in this case making property conservation more difficult due to runoff.

[matthew.walker]

A time I felt I played in the top left box was on a barn fire in Wayne township. The fire at night and there was no electricity in the barn, so it was pretty dark in the barn. The homeowner told me that his bull was in the field and there were no other animals in the barn. What he forgot to mention was the bull was able to run back into the barn, because there wasn't a door. I'm not a farmer nor do I know alot about how farmers keep their livestock housed. We entered the barn knocked down some hotspots, when someone yelled BULL. I don't think I saw E22 crew move so fast jumpimg over the barn dividers getting out of this very large bulls way. We don't get alot of barn fires in Clearcreek, so dodging farm animals wasn't something I thought about or was used to.  Although it's something I won't ever forget.

The crew was safe from the bull behind the barn dividers. We stayed there until we finished putting out the hotspots the safest way we could. We were able to find another way out of the barn that kept us away from the bull.

I would have asked more questions or at least had him elaborate more on the bull's location. Along with, did the bull have access back into the barn. This was one of those ask 1,000 questions and keep your head on a swivel moment.

I always try get the crew to look at their surroundings and know whats going on around them. Get more information from people on scene, to see if there is anything that can hurt us. Even if that means not being involved in the work that's going on but for the safety of the crew working. I must admit that being chased by a bull was a first for me and hopefully the last.

I was on a call similar to this as well. I never even considered that this would be a hazard that we would encounter. However, it was a good reminder to always be aware of your surroundings and knowing what type of scene you are entering into.