Chain Saw Check Weekly/Monthly Check

Push Button Vehicle Start

by- FF Oliver Friedheim (Austin FD 28B)

This might be old news to some, but for those who haven’t run across them, the latest crop of vehicles have a few “amenities” that we should know about from a first responder’s point of view. My crew ran a call a few shifts ago on a Lexus SUV that had a push on/off button on the dash instead of a key. There is a "fob" that has to be inside the vehicle, typically on the driver somewhere that both unlocks the car and allows it to start. Systems vary across manufacturers, but we need to be aware of one important feature that could interfere with our taking c-spine precautions.

When we reach across the PT, check the car is in park, and push the start/stop button on the vehicle, the drivers car seat moves from it’s “drive” position backwards, away from the steering wheel, and reclines. Additionally, the steering wheel can retract, extend, and move up or down automatically. The distance varies according to how the driver presets their driving position. In the case of the Lexus, the seat moved forward about 6 inches, and the steering wheel dropped about 3 when I sat in the car and hit the start button (needed to drive it to the shoulder). The reverse would be true when shutting off the vehicle. Just something to know/remember when taking c-spine precautions like we did for that driver.

Additionally, we might be less inclined to expect these kind of features in non-luxury vehicles, but the truth is, more than half of the cars manufactured in 2014 come with a push-button start system. Honda, Scion, Nissan… the list goes on. Not all will have seats that move automatically, but be aware that some will.

The takeaway is this. Push-button start vehicles require a remote or “fob” in or around the vehicle to unlock, start, and drive the vehicle. When the button is pressed, be prepared for the drivers seat to move substantially, especially in a case where c-spine precautions are being taken. This technology is no longer only in top luxury brands, but filtering into vehicles we might not expect to find it.

See links below for more information...

Keyless Entry

Memory Seats

5 Alarm Houston Fire with Rescue- Know Your Ladders

Video from the 5 alarm Houston apartment fire (under construction).  The ladder truck backed in giving them just enough to reach the victim.

Think about plan B.  How high would your tallest ground ladder reach?  Remember that in this case we only need the make the bottom of the balcony.  Go to an apartment in your first in a throw some ladders and set the aerial to see what you can reach.

My driver a few years ago had us throw ground ladders after a medical call to see if we could reach the third floor balcony in an awkward spot.  About a month later, with him in charge, we had a rescue in the exact situation and we all knew we could reach it.

Quick Hose Drill

Here’s a quick drill for high-rise hose stretches and estimating distances.  Take a 150’ or 200’ rope bag into a building with standpipes.  Choose a “fire door” and lay out the rope as you would do with hose.

Of course dry hose is better and charged line would be the best, but his drill can be done quickly with little prep.

Daily Truck Check- Setting Up for Success

 by- FF John Bass (Austin FD 3C)
      
        I was thinking about why when calls go bad, it usually comes down to some small thing that was missed, overlooked, or not anticipated. It is often noticed on the way to the call or during that initial time after we arrive on scene, and can slow the call down, or set it off in the wrong direction. It got me thinking about set up and preparation before you even get on the truck, and how people learn to be detail oriented to look for not just the obvious stuff, but to consider what may trip them up.

        How do you stage your gear or tools? How do you keep stuff in your PPE? Do you routinely check your unit beyond the obvious? Do you look for the unusual things that may trip you up on a call at 3am? These things are the unusual problems that we don't always anticipate. I hate feeling behind the curve and playing catchup on serious calls, and I am sure everyone can recall a frustrating experience that was unexpected, that slowed you down, or led to other problems. Like everyone, I have learned many of these things through my own experiences or through learning from other people.

        These things to watch out for and check can be made for every rank, and although they seem very basic, it is something worth reminding ourselves from time to time . And of course, we are good at adapting and overcoming the problems that inevitably arise, but that shouldn't make us complacent for not fixing the things we can ahead of time.

        Here are some of the things I try to remember to do, and this list wasn’t meant to be a comprehensive checklist of everything we are taught, but to show some of the things I’ve learned to focus on.

And the point with all of this is not to be compulsive about stuff, but to notice the out of ordinary stuff that may bite you when you least expect it.

My gear:

- Beyond the obvious, I always make sure my webbing is staged to be actually grabbed quickly. A
small tail of webbing sticks out of the front and back of my left thigh pocket. And I always make
sure my wire cutters are set to easily be pulled out. I will likely never need my wire cutters for a
true emergency, but if I do, I hope am not fumbling to grab them.

- I have my wedges easy to grab, not in the bottom of my pockets under other stuff.

- I keep the radio in my coat on 201. It is a pain to take it out on every non fire call, but having it
set is one less thing to do when bunking out.

In the cab:

- I always check my air pack straps to make sure they aren’t wrapped around each other, and I
check if the regulator is wrapped around the shoulder strap. This happens all the time, and I
have bunked out more than once, with my regulator through either my waist strap or shoulder
strap, where it is not ready to be used.

- I keep an extra map book in the back in case the driver needs help and the officer is preoccupied
with something else.

- I look to see if the personal tag line is on my air pack, and if its quick release is set up right.

Tools:

- I make sure the irons are together and ready to be carried. Sometimes I’ll find the flat head axe
in the cab, and you want to know that ahead of time.

- If hand tools are loose and in a pile in the compartment, I make sure the irons are on top.

- Usual checks on the fan, but I also look at the tripod legs to see if they are tightened down so
they won’t extend when I pick it up.

- I make sure the gate valve in the hydrant bag is closed, and I always look for the hydrant wrench
and adapter.

- I make sure the manifold valves are closed.

- I check to see if the extinguishers are set up to quickly grab, and if the straps holding them can
be undone easily.

- I check to see if the saws are ready to start with a pull of the cord. On position, choke out, and
compression button pressed.

Hose:

- I make sure the rack lines look good, and don’t have any twists or something that looks like it
may not deploy right.

- I always look for the bundles to have the adapter on the tail, and if they look messy or if the
straps are loose, they probably will be a pain to carry.

- I look to see if there is any reason that the 5” or 3” may not deploy easily. I check the strap at
the cab end of the hose bed. It can easily catch the 5” couplings.

- I double check that the adapter is with the standpipe hose.

Ladders:

- When I travel, I always like to look at the 24' and see how it is stowed. Can it be pulled out and
thrown as is, or do I have to flip it over first?

        I do the above routine when I am in the firefighter position. And when I am driving, I have a whole new set of things I like to take a look at. This could be done for every rank, and the point is not to find every last thing that could trip you up, but to develop a mindset to anticipate things, rather than always being reactive. And doing these things helps me keep focused on the call, not on a problem. Everyone develops their own things they pay attention to, so if you have any ideas you want to share, it is always good to learn from.

Fireground Size-Up and How to Read Smoke

Good smoke reading video.  Add to it and make a tabletop discussion with your crew.  Size up starts at the firefighter level.

Milwaukee cut

Consider this cut for steep roof operations.  It adds a level of safety and is still very functional.  I like to do it with 2 saws also to make the operation faster.  If the construction allows for a louver consider making dice cuts every four feet against construction to assist the louver.

New vs Old Room Fire Final UL (+playlist)

Interesting review of the traps of Modern Furniture.  Control the Flowpath and win.

Basic Level Mechanical Advantage