Fire Department Pointers and Knowledge base

In the case of a fire, there are certain protocols that must be maintained to make sure firefighters and civilians stay safe. These are all basic pieces of information, but make the operational area much safer. Please note the below information is not issued by the Centre for Operational Planning aand Administration, however COPA does endorse this as a general knowledge base. This is not ERT Protocol, just ERT accepted knowledge

P.P.E's (Personal Protective Equipment)

Structural Bunker Gear

Turnout Pants/trousers-Once the need arises for actual firefighting protective equipment to be worn, also known as turnouts, a firefighter must properly wear protective equipment required. Turnout trousers will be the first article of clothing that a firefighter will usually wear. Suspenders worn with the turnout trousers should be the heavy duty type in order to stand up against such heavy weights and rigorous activities they will face. Most experienced interior firefighters (Firefighters that enter the structure in an emergency) will carry, in their turnout trouser pockets, various tools and equipment as well as rope they may need during an emergency. You can expect to find a multipurpose tool in the cargo pocket of a firefighter. The turnout trousers, when not in use, are usually stored scrunched down around the boots for efficient and fast access when they are needed. The firefighter may then step into each boot and pull up the trousers and suspenders.

Turnout Coat
A turnout coat is the type of jacket typically worn by firefighters. Oversized pockets to allow for carrying tools and equipment, and reflective safety stripes to ensure that firefighters remain visible to each other. Protective coats will usually have Velcro or zipper functions which will enable a firefighter to properly and efficiently don this piece of gear. There is also a storm flap which covers this closure area and protects it against damage and loosening and as an extra measure to the fire fighter as these areas can be exposed to fire and heat. Wristlets, 4 inch (according to NFPA 1500) 100% Nomex coverings along the distal end of the coat arms in with the thumb joint will slip through, fit around the firefighters hand and provide redundant protection where the skin may show between the glove and coat. They are designed to prevent burns to the wrist, while preventing bunching and remaining flexible.



Turnout Boots
Usually pre-fitted inside the legs of the trousers are the firefighting boots, which can be made of either rubber or leather. When the trousers and boots are not being actively used, the trousers will fold down and out around the shins of the boots, ready for quick access for the firefighter. Due to the enormous amounts of potential hazards at a fire scene to the feet, turnout boots are required to be able to handle a variety of different burns and blows. All boots are required to be outfitted with safety toes and a puncture resistant midsole plate to prevent puncture from sharp objects that may be stepped on.



Helmet-The fire helmet is first and foremost designed to protect a firefighter from falling debris and injury to the head while fighting a fire. The secondary job of the fire helmet is to protect from heat, and hence burns to the head. It provides a hard shell, electrical, heat, and steam burn protection, and in some types of helmets, goggles or a visor. Goggles or a visor are used to protect the firefighters' eyes during rescue and extraction operations. In some countries, firefighting helmets are designed for identification purposes through coloring and numbering systems. Fire helmets are constructed of various materials including non conductive materials for protection against electrical currents, carbon fiber and plastic combination for a lightweight design for comfort, and a Kevlar lining for strength and protection.

Structural gloves-Structural gloves tend to be the last piece of protective equipment to be donned; usually because the free dexterity of the fingers are required to perform functions such as properly placing an SCBA mask on and accurately tightening a helmet strap. The gloves will fit over the wristlets and under the distal part of the coat sleeve, ensuring full enclosure of the latter arm. Gloves are designed to protect from extreme heat, various penetrating objects, and to allow dexterity. Usually the latter is sacrificed in order to give adequate protection to heat and sharp objects.

An S.C.B.A. is an acronym for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus and is similar in design to a SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) used by deep sea divers. Should be used on any incident involving fires in vehicles, structures, or any man made material, or hazardous environment. (Not used for wild land fires.)

Hose & Hose Usage

1 1/2" hose. 2 kinds, single jacketed cotton lining and WAJAX.

WAJAX-Standard wild land firefighting hose. Each section is 100'. Made of synthetic fiber.

Single jacketed-Small hose used for small fires in general, or mop up purposes.

1 3/4" double jacketed cotton lined hose. Used as the primary attack line/crosslays.

2 1/2" double jacketed cotton lined hose. Used in primary packs. Also is set forward lay (male nozzle facing out). May be used with a decreaser to be turned into an attack line, or used with a nozzle (I.E TFT Handline nozzle") for a 2 person attack. Also may be used to connect to a hydrant with a 2 1/2" double female appliance.

4" double jacketed cotton lined hose. Set in reverse lay (Female side out) for connection to a hydrant.

Forcible Entry Tools

Halligan: Used to break open doors/pry materials away.

Flat headed wooden handled axe: Used to chop through walls/vent. Multi purpose

Pick headed fiberglass handled axe: Pick side can put holes through walls, also wild land use is acceptable.

Pick headed wooden handled axe: Same as fiberglass handle, not as strong on the handle though.

Bolt cutters: 36" usually, cuts through locks, chain link fence, can be used on security bars, and other objects.

Elevator key: Opens the door and overrides the controls of the elevator.

Sledge hammer: Usually 10 lbs., this is used to smash open something, nail down the spikes for the ground monitor stand, or used in conjunction with a flat headed axe which can be used to pry open doors.

Breaker bar: Used to break open doors, windows, covers for the hydrant shut off.

K-tool: Used in conjunction with a halligan or flat headed axe to remove cylinder locks. By striking it in over the lock cylinder, after it's all the way in, use the halligan and pry the k tool out, which takes the entire lock with it. the bolt may then be removed with a screwdriver.


Wild-land hand tools:

Wooden handled axe with a flat edge pick head (May be called a bladed edge, or among other names) : Used for clearing brush, as well as cutting through obstacles such as bushes, plants and small trees.

Spade shovel & flat headed shovel : Used for clearing brush, as well as rocks and other obstacles, and putting dirt on the fire to smother it.


Rope types, rope diameters, uses & bags their put in

Rope types:

Diameters:

Uses: There are 2 uses for rope. Life safety and utility.

Life Safety: The rope is able to hold up to a certain amount of weight, but also is somewhat elastic. Encase of a fall, or slip, the rope gives a little bit so the person does not sustain serious injury.

Utility Rope: This rope may carry a lot of weight, but does not give way. Usually used for hoisting tools or securing an object.

Bags: There are always a few different kinds of bags of rope on rigs.
The biggest rope bag is a 200' rope bag with appliances for the RPM bag. This bag is the most commonly used, because it has a large amount of rope, webbing, pulleys, carabiners and mariners.

Another very important bag is the RIC (Rescue Intervention Crew) bag. Basically, this has rope, an extra B.A mask, a bottle with a URC (Universal Rescue Connection), rope and webbing.

Next bag is the harness bag. Basically, it carries harnesses.

Finally, the RPM bag. (Rack, Pully, Mariners hitch). This is used in LARRO (Low Angle Rope Rescue.) Basically, it's a bag with carabiners, pulleys, rigging equipment, webbing and rope.


Foam and foam application

Foam types and tool

Class A: Wildfire foam. Used on natural fuels I.E: Wood, brush.

Class B: Flammable liquids foam. I.E: gasoline, oil. ((Anything lighter than water.))
2 kinds. AFFF and synthetic.

Foam wrench: An aluminum wrench with a circular end with teeth inside used to open foam containers.


Types of Fire

Class A: Dry fuels: Textiles, plastics, wood, brush

Class B: Flammable liquids: Gasoline, oil

Class C: Electrical fire. (Always becomes a class A or class B fire when electricity is removed.)

Class D: Metal. Magnesium is the best example.

Class K: Grease fires. I.E Turkey fryer.

Medical Equipment

Medical bags

Spinal bag: Contains C-collars, Head beds, and tape.

Trauma bag: Contains multiple pieces of equipment. BP Cuffs, stethoscope, ice packs, variations of bandages (Ace, bandaids, Kerlix) alcohol wipes, scissors and other pieces of first aid equipment.

Airway bag: Contains masks (Non-rebreather, CPAP, Nebulizer), bottle of o2, bp cuffs, intubation equipment, tube tamers. Basically everything for airway management.


Kits

OB Kit: For pregnancies.

Intubation kit: 2 Miller Blades, 2 Macintosh Blades, 1 Medium Laryngoscope Handle, 1 Adult Magill Forceps, Adult Stylet, Cuffed Endotracheal Tubes, Thomas ET Holder (tube tamer), Robertazzi Latex-Free Nasal Airway Kit, Berman Oral Airways, 9 Water Based Lubricant Packets, 1 Roll 1" Dermicel Tape

Portable suction: Suction to remove saliva, blood, or vomit from the airway so the patient may breathe.


Other medical Equipment

Backboard: Keeps the patient from moving encase of a spinal injury. Also makes transport of an injured patient much easier. Peds boards are smaller. For pediatric patients.

KED sled: A backboard cut in 1/2 for people in traffic collisions to get behind them while their in their seat.

Splints: Cardboard splints: Keep a person's arm/leg stable. Traction splints (Hare/Kendrick) are for patients whose femur is broken. The muscles in the legs are so strong, they pull the bone back past the other part and it causes additional injury, so this reduces that.


Monitor: The monitor measures electrical signals from the heart, as well as doubles over as a defibrillator. May be used to cardiovert someone. Takes o2 saturation, can read respiration, as well as many other things (Not going into huge detail on this right now.)


Pumper & Ladder info
Pumpers and Trucks are the main engines of the fire department. These allow us to do our job efficiently and effectively. Without these, we would not be able to function.

Pumpers are usually first out, as they are known as the workhorse of the department. The engine carries hose, appliances, forcible entry, power tools, overhaul, rope and medical supplies, as well as ventilation tools.

Trucks are not first out, but are usually requested or sent with the first out engine in a Light Force (LF). A truck is normally requested as part of an automatic alarm, or if another department needs it. A truck has very little hose (2 crosslays and 4" supply lines), a 100' hydraulic turntable ladder, smaller ladders (Attic, roof, extensions), ventilation (fans, rotary saw, chainsaw, gas powered flood lights, pike poles, rubbish hooks.), auto extrication tools, rope, flares and other items.

Types of Engines
There are 3 types of engines, Type One, Type Two, and Type Three. Each of these has a specific role.

Type One-Structure engines
Type Two-Large engines, also known as pumpers. (In some areas, type 2's are classified as Trucks, or TL's)
Type Three-Brush engines

Medical Engine Types.

ALS-Advanced Life Support. Carries at least 1 Paramedic (EMT-P) on board with a drug box, and the equipment to perform advanced life saving techniques.

BLS-Basic Life Support. Carries the minimum amount of equipment for EMT Basics and Intermediates to use. (EMT-B & EMT-I)

The jobs of the engine vary in incidents, but is usually in charge of fire suppression, medical (for ALS engines) and extrication (for engines with a hydraulic power unit, cutters, spreaders, rams, air chisel, support beams straps, air bags, step chocks, and ked sled (for people sitting in their car with a spinal inury)

Jobs of the Truck (TL)

The truck has multiple jobs as well. Rescue is a large part of the trucks' jobs. It may also be used for auto ex, secondary fire suppression, ladder rescues, rope rescues (Low angle or High), ventilation.

On scene:
On the scene of an incident, the use of PPE's should be judged appropriately, as well as the choice of appliances, to ensure your safety, and that of others.


Seats & Jobs

Seat 1: The driver/engineer. Usually the person who has the least to do on scene.
Seat 2: Captain/T.O. In charge of communications, commands crew, may take lead on some situations.
Seat 3: Nozzle. Will go directly for an attack line or first on nozzle.
Seat 4: Help where necessary
Seat 5: Help where necessary
Seat 6: Hydrant. Goes for the necessary size hose and if necessary, appliances, breaks open the hydrants. Also will be "can man" on attack.

All crews may help with attack when multiple lines are in use. T.O's will usually only help with a line when it's necessary. (Unsure about ERT standards on this 1.)
EDITS WILL BE MADE

EDIT BY EWAN:
Snakes on scene
If a snake is present on scene, the simple, and most efficient way to kill it is to spray it with a CO2 fire extinguisher.


REQUESTS ARE ACCEPTED

PICTURES OF EQUIPMENT/GEAR WILL BE UP SOON

Please note this is not official from COPA, therefore must undergo edits before it can be treated as ERT Protocol

Go ahead. It's definitely not official, but it took forever. Used parts of 2 text books and all this other info from the stations and everything. Try not to change the guidelines too much out of the real standards though, because we do want to keep it real, haha. Seriously though, Engine is always the first out unless requested by dispatch to a location with another engine/engines on scene.

Thanks you saved me a lot of reading, and if you were wondering, I did test positve for pot... now I shall always wear SCBA to car fires from now on.

Haha, I actually made this originally for the old ipb site, I just redid it and posted it. I also did a medical guide and gave it to Burke a while back, idk what happened to it.

No I did a guide like this and it became official! It was on overhauling, someone said they kept spraying and so I took an hour out of my life and told them the dangers of flooding a structuarly undsound building.

hahaha, it's 90% refresher, the only things that are remotely hard to remember are hose sizes and uses, the rest is simple.

Haha

Aye, that's what I was having differculty. I was thinking of ropes...

haha. there's quite a few rope bags. I'll throw that in. I don't know if Burke will edit it or not, it may stay unofficial, but who knows?

As it stands right now, this is LAFD style protocol and althought it will be similar to ERT Protocol there will be changes made. You can use this as general knowledge but overall ERT rules rule.

Yeah I thought this was pretty helpful, especially the stuff about the hoses and stuff. It's good to learn, so I have knowladge when I become a firefighter.

Your welcome Chuck

Alright, so general knowledge, just send me a message over MSN or on here Burke if you want me to make the changes.

Everyone can make requests for different scenarios, pieces of information that should be added or you want to know about, or anything like that Feel free!

I'm perfectly fine with you guys sharing information about calls, and how to act and that, but don't label it ERT Protocol. Please. TSince protocol comes form COPA and although it may be real life protocol, we can't have real life 100% verbatim to this, because quite frankly, it wouldn't work and people would leave out of boredom.

Do you guys know about those equations for water pressure and the pump and stuff?

((ert has automatic adjusting pumps so that someone doesn't get stuck pump minding, because they'd quit here))

Yeah I know, I'm just saying for like in real life.

I'll post pictures for everything from turnouts Friday, and the hoses and equipment off our American La France here. Same with pump pressures and everything.

Burke, just edit it the way you want it to be. Turnouts and hose don't change, but for the response stuff, that doesn't take too long to edit. Make it yours and pin it xD

Cool! This will be the top info page for the ERTFD!

Some pictures tomorrow, but I want Burke to set up his version before I do anything, because this is the only step we have toward "official protocol". If we don't get something soon, I'm restricting everything down to the minimum. Firefighters put out fires. Paramedics do medical. Paramedic/firefighters do medical unless there's no medical stuff to be done. Hurry up Burke, I know you want to keep it interesting, but you restrict what I have done, yet you have nothing official, so what is official protocol?

My protocol-Done
Burke's protocol-unknown

Yea, I agree with Garcia, There should be a set of Official Protocol for ERT. Paramedics should stick to medical & EMT's shouldn't take control of the situation unless advised to by COPA or a Paramedic. Firefighters should also stick to their job. Firefighter/Paramedics should choose treatment if there is no fire going on. That's all I have to say.

You've got it. There should be a set of rules before COPA comes out and says we're doing something wrong, because there are no rules in effect except the one put in place on scene by truck officers and usual safety stuff xD

Yea, That's right! Sorry if we are sounding that we don't like ERT, Were just trying to improve it.

We love ERT, just changes need to be put into effect

Yep! We still love yo DCBurke!

I <3 you so much burke.. m... burke... jk, but seriously, we love you (in a no-homo way)

Haha Garcia!

But you guys are right. The more improvment, the better!

Hey guys? Question: Uhhhh...What do you use the Halligan bar for. I forgot.

Okay, that's such a probie question, as a result of it being a probie question I have set up a riddle. DId you catch it? No? Oh that's cause there wasn't a riddle.

Wow. You so crazy!!!

The halligan is used to pry open metal doors and things of that nature.

Thanks man. That's what I thought. You could also use it at car accidents with an ax to pry open doors.

You know what, IDK. My dad just became a firefighter and he had to read this like 4" thick book about firefighter training. Maybe I'll ask him.

OK. That's what my training taught me.

You a real firefighter at 16? I know it's possible, though. That's what I'm gonna be.

NO NO... I wish. I'm a fire explorer. They teach us pretty much everything a real firefighter learns. We then do some scenarios with other counties or police explorers so we can get used to it. Like the tools and stuff. Sadly the only things we can't do is use hydraulic tools ( I know how to use it though) LOL.

We have an exploror program here. It's new. I get to join in a couple years! (P.S., hydraulic tools are heavy!)

No wonder Rescue guys want to put em down.

How old do you need to be to join. In my dept, you have to 14 or have passed eigth grade.

F. Garcia wrote:Some pictures tomorrow, but I want Burke to set up his version before I do anything, because this is the only step we have toward "official protocol". If we don't get something soon, I'm restricting everything down to the minimum. Firefighters put out fires. Paramedics do medical. Paramedic/firefighters do medical unless there's no medical stuff to be done. Hurry up Burke, I know you want to keep it interesting, but you restrict what I have done, yet you have nothing official, so what is official protocol?

My protocol-Done
Burke's protocol-unknown

Burke's protocol is being made as we speak. Your protocol is not done. Also, not to be bitchy, but you don't restrict anything, you watch your crews, no one else. You're the current truck officer of Pumper 11. ERT worked fine before, and how often does COPA say you're doing something wrong unless it's totally crazyily nuts? Not very, because most of you guys can functions without a manual.

M.Daniels wrote:Yea, I agree with Garcia, There should be a set of Official Protocol for ERT. Paramedics should stick to medical & EMT's shouldn't take control of the situation unless advised to by COPA or a Paramedic. Firefighters should also stick to their job. Firefighter/Paramedics should choose treatment if there is no fire going on. That's all I have to say.

That's how it is. I had a set of rules to each person when they signed up last time, but that doesn't exist anymore after the loss.

Alright Burke.

Anyways guys, halligans are used for multiple purposes. You can pop vehicle doors, break windows, it's in a set of irons as entry tools (Halligan & flat headed wooden handled axe bound together with 2 velcro straps) there's a lot more. It's going into the knowledge base with some other stuff later on.

EDIT: you can now see what will be added later on.

Married coupples... or a set of irons.

i call it irons, marriage tools/couples is another name. anyways, I'm also adding medical bags, backboards, drugs and stuff i won't do though just because it's a bit much to know all the drugs and uses.

Agreed.

anything else you can think of for going up tonight? so far i'm doing

Entry tools
Ropes
Medical

Make sure to go long about halligans, they're very popular :p

Foam and the K-Tool.

Foam, k-tool, and a long description of halligans, haha. Anything else?

Nope looks good from here, COPA Approves the addition to the knowledge base

((haha))