Good Shepherd Fire Training

Bro pics….take the picture

Anytime we force a door, we should be doing a life, fire, layout, or as we call it “The 10% Search”.

One statistic that has remained consistent over the course of 5,000 documented rescues with Firefighter Rescue Survey is that approximately 10% of our victims are found within 6 feet of an exterior door.

Whether we’re forcing the front door for fire attack or search OR we’re assigned to proactive RIT, take the opportunity of the lift in the smoke to get low, sweep and look for life, fire location and layout of the house, particularly making note of hallway and stair locations.

Depending on conditions this might be a visual survey or this might be getting low on your belly and looking under the smoke and maybe even getting your hands on everything.

We start by hooking the lock side of the door, sweep across the doorway, check behind the door for the possibility of another door or stairs, and then if needed we can extend off of the door as seen here to check just a little further out with a leg sweep.

Once the search is done, don’t forget to control the door.

“BUT WE SHOW UP.”

This quote comes from one of my former Battalion Chiefs — one of the most experienced and respected leaders I’ve known.

To me, it captures the seriousness of our calling.

In my city, we take an oath at graduation. The first line is:�“As a firefighter, I will protect life and property from the devastation of fire and other disasters.”

An oath is a solemn promise — a commitment that comes with a cost. That cost is time and effort. To be ready for that moment — the one that may or may never come — you must invest in your training.

You should feel burdened by this. It’s not supposed to be easy.

I spend a lot of time teaching at our academy. I tell recruits: the training never stops.�As your career goes on, take a moment now and then to assess yourself honestly.
Make a list of the five best firefighters you know.
�Now ask:�“If my house was on fire and my loved ones were trapped, would I want one of those five to show up — or me?”

If you can’t say you, you’ve got work to do.�And if you can say you’re in the top five — are you number one?�If not, keep pushing.�And if you are number one?�Find someone better and start learning again.

I usually end with this:
Look around your city. Think about the people you serve. Christians. Jews. Muslims. Hindus. Buddhists. Atheists.

They all believe in something different.

But when the tones drop —�
when their house is burning —�
when their loved one is trapped —�
WE show up.

And in that moment,� they all put their faith in you.

Are you worthy of that level of trust?

📸: James Spann social media

Bar to Bar with tuned halligans. A lot of negative comments lately on our buddies post showing ignorance with regard to tools and forcible entry.

A Halligan is not a Halligan. There is a reason why tools have been tuned for decades and now come that way.

Extending Leverage: Part 2

With two 30” halligans married at the forks, you have a total of about 55” because the forks are married at the crotch. The mechanical advantage is roughly 27.5:1. Remember, this is rough, theoretical mechanical advantage that’s changing as you move throughout your force. #𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐

Heading back home to Mississippi. Be on the lookout for class announcement over the coming weeks.