A PARTIAL GUIDE TO MCFRS SAFE STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING POLICY

1. A PARTIAL GUIDE TO MCFRS SAFE STRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTING POLICY Section III EMERGENCY SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES

2. PURPOSE The purpose of this presentation is to expand on the new Safe Structural Firefighting Policy 24-07 with regards to rapid intervention.

3. ACROYMS RIT- Rapid Intervention Team RID- Rapid Intervention Dispatch RIG- Rapid Intervention Group RIT Air Supply- A Self-contained System For Providing Air To Injured/Downed Firefighters Without Exposing Them To The IDLH.

4. APPLICABILITY This material is to be used as a last resort only. DO NOT USE these techniques for day to day operations. If you expect to use them in an emergency, you must practice them in advance.

5. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES WALL SOUNDING Purpose: To create noise to assist other firefighters in locating you when escape or self-rescue is impossible Technique: Use your tool to bang on an adjacent wall or other building components and continue banging until located. To sound with a tool on drywall wall, hit against the areas where the framing backs the drywall. Sounding against the floor can be just as effective.

6. DRYWALL KICK THROUGH Purpose: To exit a high hazard area into an area of lower hazard by breaching gypsum board wall. This technique can also be used to create an exit through the exterior wall of a typical wood frame house. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

7. DRYWALL BREACH Technique: Use your tool to break a hole in the gypsum wallboard. Enlarge the hole by kicking with your feet, striking with your elbows and pushing and pulling with your arms. Use your tool to displace any framing materials encountered. Swing downward with your tool prior to exiting to clear wires or other entanglement hazards. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

8. DRYWALL BREACH Technique: Pass through the wall head first sweep ahead with your hands to ensure locate wires and other obstructions. Sound the other side before moving through. Select a location away from corners, doorways or windows to avoid reinforced framing. By twisting your body to a 45-degree angle, you can minimize your body width to fit between the studs. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

9. DRYWALL BREACH Technique: Avoid removing your SCBA. If you are unable to pass through wearing your SCBA, drop the harness off one shoulder and drag the SCBA through the hole behind you. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

10. DISENTANGLEMENT Purpose: To escape when entangled in suspended wires such as electrical conduit, computer wiring, or cable television wiring. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

11. DISENTANGLEMENT Technique: The second you feel yourself snag, stop moving forward. Slowly back out of the entanglement while swinging your arms in a swimming motion (use caution, this method could cause further entanglement). EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

12. DISENTANGLEMENT Technique: When the entanglement is severe, it may become necessary to utilize lineman�s pliers, scissors, or some other tool to remove the wires. The utilities must be controlled to prevent an entanglement from becoming an electrocution. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

13. CROUCH & COVER To improve chances of survival and reduce the risk of injury if unable to escape a high heat environment. This is only to be used as a last resort when all possible means of escape have been exhausted. Continue to try to escape until you are forced to crouch and cover. Do not give up and crouch in the corner EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

14. CROUCH & COVER Technique Move to a corner of the room with your head pointing into the corner. Crouch in the corner and cover the sides of your face (at the face piece/hood interface) with your gloved hands. Attempt to cover yourself with furnishings or other objects. This technique takes advantage of fire behavior. The corners of a room are �dead airspace� and suffer less damage when a room is heavily involved in fire. When this technique is employed, ventilation should be accomplished whenever possible to reduce heat and remove the super heated gases. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

15. TWO ARM HANG & DROP Purpose Exiting from a second story window without a ladder. It will reduce the height of the fall approximately 7 to 8 feet. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

16. TWO ARM HANG & DROP Technique Exit the window feet first. Position yourself so your stomach slides over the sill and you end up facing the wall. Lower yourself gently and hold onto the windowsill with your hands. Hang from the windowsill with your arms fully extended before dropping to the ground. Roll when you hit the ground to reduce the shock to your body and lessen the risk of injury. When possible, the firefighter should remove the SCBA before attempting this maneuver. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

17. ROPE SLIDE Purpose To quickly lower yourself from a hazardous area using a personal rope and no hardware. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

18. ROPE SLIDE Technique Tie your personal rope securely to a substantial anchor point (i.e. a sturdy railing, door hinge, tool in the corner of a window). Place the rope across your back with your strong hand closest to the anchor point. Wrap the rope around your body. Your body will be the friction device. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

19. ROPE SLIDE Technique It does not matter if the rope is over or under your SCBA. Throw the running end of the rope out of the window. Straddle the windowsill. Place your dominant hand outside the window, ensuring that your dominate hand has a good grip on both the standing and running end of your escape line. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

20. ROPE SLIDE Technique Roll your body gently out of the window and use the squeezing of the lines to control your descent. You are using your body as a friction device. Remove as much slack as possible before beginning to lower yourself. Slack will reduce friction and could cause you to loose control of your descent. This technique should only be used to lower yourself to an area of lesser danger. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

21. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT It is critical for each member to carry on their person enough tools/equipment to assist themselves or others in emergency situations. While we cannot predict when, where, or how emergencies will strike, we can offer some suggestions for the type and number of tools to be carried. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

22. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT Wire cutters: There are a number of different wire cutters on the market. Typically the type you choose depends on the type and size of material you plan to cut. Webbing- a 10-12� piece of 1� webbing: The webbing, configured with large fixed loops on either end, can be wrapped around a downed member and used for dragging. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

23. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT We cannot predict what will need to be cut. Our suggestion is a pair of heavy duty, spring actuated pair of lineman�s pliers. The longer the handle, of course the more leverage. These pliers will cut through the average cable TV wire and will also cut through the average hangers for drop/suspended ceilings. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

24. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT What you carry is a personal decision. Arguments abound in favor of or against each type of cutter. Again, the type of cutter you need depends on what you are cutting, how many hands you have at your disposal and your mental state at the time. If you could predict those things you would not need the cutter. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

25. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT Personal Escape Rope: The size and length of the personal escape rope is a matter of personal preference. Some suggest 54� of 11mm rope, others suggest 40� of 8mm rope. Whichever you choose, it is crucial that you practice using the rope with the appropriate safety precautions in place. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

26. SUGGESTED PERSONAL EQUIPMENT Personal Escape Rope: What type of personal escape rope you choose should not be based on this text, or a magazine article. You have to get out and try different methods and sizes to know what will work for you. Personal Strobe Light- may make it easier for the rapid intervention group to find you. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

27. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Assistant Chief Michael Clemens; MCFRS PSTA Training Officer Captain Derrick Anthony; MCFRS In-Service Training Coordinator Lieutenant Charles Bailey; MCFRS NEMT-P Master Firefighter Eric Fessenden; MCFRS Firefighter Robert Faas; MCFRS