MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY Having the confidence, knowledge, and courage to call for help when you need it!

Rule To Live By… • The first and absolutely most important factor in calling for a MAYDAY is the decision to call for a MAYDAY… • You should understand that the decision to call for a MAYDAY must be made by the firefighter in the truck prior to entering a dangerous environment.

How to avoid the need for calling a MAYDAY • Recognize the potential for collapse • Recognize the indicators of Flashover • Stay orientated when in a structure • Remain in contact with your crew • TRAIN

Reasons why Firefighters don’t call for a MAYDAY • Temporal Distortion (time seems to speed up or slow down) • Not wanting to “loose control” of the situation • Channeled attention to another task or mind set • Loss of situational awareness • Fear of the unknown • Fear of retribution (for getting into the situation) • Lack of procedural knowledge • Attempting to fix the problem • PRIDE/EGO • Denial

When To Call For A MAYDAY… • If an “if – then” event happens a MAYDAY should be called for immediately… • Become tangled, pinned or stuck • Fall through roof or floor • Collapse that blocks your exit • Become disoriented or separated • Cannot find any exit (door or window) • Low air alarm with no exit • Fire conditions change to where you feel a flashover or back draft will occur • If any of your PPE fails • Injured or medial emergency while in IDLH • If you have that gut feeling something is not right and you cannot remove yourself from that situation BASICALLY WHEN LOST – MISSING – TRAPPED - IN TROUBLE

Would you call for a MAYDAY… • As a group ANSWER • % said YES Possible Mayday Conditions • Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck; low air alarm activation, Mayday • Fall through roof, Mayday • Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck and do not extricate self in 60 seconds, Mayday • Caught in flashover, Mayday • Fall through floor, Mayday • Zero visibility, no contact with hose or lifeline, do not know direction to exit, Mayday • Primary exit blocked by fire or collapse, not at secondary exit in 30 seconds, Mayday • Low air alarm activation, not at exit (door or window) in 30 seconds, Mayday • Cannot find exit (door or window) in 60 seconds, Mayday

Would you call for a MAYDAY… • A firefighter must call a mayday for themselves under these conditions. • % said YES Possible Mayday Conditions • 98% Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck; low air alarm activation, Mayday • 94% Fall through roof, Mayday • 92% Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck and do not extricate self in 60 seconds, Mayday • 89% Caught in flashover, Mayday • 88% Fall through floor, Mayday • 82% Zero visibility, no contact with hose or lifeline, do not know direction to exit, Mayday • 69% Primary exit blocked by fire or collapse, not at secondary exit in 30 seconds, Mayday • 69% Low air alarm activation, not at exit (door or window) in 30 seconds, Mayday • 58% Cannot find exit (door or window) in 60 seconds, Mayday

Problems With The MAYDAY Transmission • Volume – firefighter speaks too loudly or not loudly enough • Speed – firefighter speaks to rapidly • Quality – the voice is deep or soft and hard to understand • Feedback – the firefighters radio is to close to another radio in the area • Traffic – firefighter is trying to transmit amid all the other fire ground traffic • Failure – firefighters radio does not work properly or battery is dead • Inattention – Command is distracted or not paying proper attention and misses the message

MAYDAY Myths • If your low-air alarm activates inside the hazard area, you have to call a MAYDAY • You will receive charges (discipline) if you call for a MAYDAY

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Call MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY • Give LUNAR Report • Activate PASS Device • Orient yourself • Communicate with your crew, the RIT team or Command using – CAN Report • Solve the problem!

What to do if you call a MAYDAY continued… • Call MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY • Do not use “emergency traffic”, firefighter in trouble or any other terminology

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Give LUNAR Report • L – Location (where you are in building or what your assignment was) • U – Unit – apparatus you were assigned to • N – Name – give your name, take the guessing out of the game for Command • A – Air – what your heads up display tells you • R – Resources – what you need or think you need

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Activate PASS Device • Firefighters are trained to hear PASS – use it! • Turn off PASS when transmitting? • Does it effect your voice when transmitting? • Turning it off could effect those using its sound to find you? • Consider transmitting PASS over radio if you don’t thing you have been heard

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Orient yourself • Calm down, get your bearings • Don’t Panic • Be systematic in your actions • Let Command/RIT know what you see, hear, feel

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Communicate with your crew, the RIT team or Command using – CAN Report • C – Conditions – visibility, heat, structure • A – Actions – what your are doing, where you are going • N – Needs – what you need or think you may need, Air supply!!! You C-A-N get yourself out of the situation – NEVER give up!

What to do if you call a MAYDAY • Solve the problem! • Highest priority after giving your MAYDAY • Go back on your training… • Remain calm, orient yourself, use PASS

Command Actions • Acknowledge MAYDAY • Confirm LUNAR report, and MAYDAY on radio • Inform Dispatch of MAYDAY • Announce name of missing firefighter • Advise other units to only transmit essential information over radio • Deploy RIT • Also consider having RIT report to Command for quick face-to-face briefing/coordination • Call for next greater alarm • Assign additional RIT • Include additional EMS

Command Actions continued.. • Assign and aid to Command • Conduct a PAR • Rapid and quick • Make a Rescue Division or RIT commander • Reassess Risk vs. Benefit of all fire ground operations • Consider fire spread, building integrity, risk of making more “victims”

When it comes time to call a MAYDAY, that is not the time to fail!

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY