Wearing an extra 30 lbs on your back when you will be bent over opening up the roof is just ridiculous…..We put out fires here and we have interior fire attacks, unlike your crappy departments. Once you realize that your small department is a joke you adopt this safety culture stuff to justify why you can be a coward.
You will never be a fireman in a big city to keep your posts where they belong, in small town America.

We didn’t have a fire department that was a joke until we received our fire chief from inside your beltway. And now we are getting a buddy of his – one of your retired chief officers from the very department on this video. Please take him/them back.

As a DCFD FF, it’s on my mind.. Safety is on my mind.. The guys I work with from NW to SE.. it’s on our minds… It’s serious, it’s not play time. It’s deadly work… we know it.

We have a job to do.. it could kill you.. you signed up for this job.. I’ll say it again, you could die on this job! From falling from a roof to getting cancer.. It’s a risk!

I am all for being safe. I have a family, I have lot’s of FF friends that I don’t want to attend a funeral for. Don’t think for ONE MINUTE that a DCFD Member doesn’t think about this. I’ll say it over and over.. It’s a serious and deadly job.

Yes, tradition is in our department and with this roof operations, I agree the wearing an SCBA is a hazard. The limited peripheral view does not work for roof operations.. You need see all the trip hazards, obstructions, change in roof lines and so on.. The SCBA mask is unsafe to wear on a roof, period! You take a risk of falling off the roof or getting exposed to cancer causing gases.. NO one is trying to be “cool” here on this fire.. They are getting the roof open and move on.

YES!Wearing a mask does limit the exposure to cancer causing gases, etc. – NO ONE will argue that.. There is NO good answer.
Maybe better equipment? who knows..

Throwing the cancer word at this is kinda BS… Diesel exhaust, what you eat, do you smoke, and so on all causes cancer.. It’s terrible, I know.. My dad died of it.. He was not a fireman.

How many have died because they were disorientated on a roof wearing a SCBA mask? Was that even considered in a report. Do we even consider this limited view as a risk.. It’s not a perfect solution…

BUT.. I can tell you, that getting the roof vented is a vital operation in a working fire. The faster you get a fire vented, the faster you get water on the fire, it lowers the risk of killing fireman and civilians, period.

I don’t think the weight of the pack is an issue or the physical fitness angle some are complaining about.. Everyone has people that are not in shape for firefighting. Move on!

We are aggressive, it’s a known fact.. We take pride in this very much so. We do practice safety, we drill, we are always thinking or coming up with tactics that are safe, efficient but aggressive.

Aggressive = risk…. Not always wearing the mask or putting on that mask is a risk..

You also have to look at our operations.. We are very fortunate to have good manpower/equipement on the scene of a working fire with in minutes of dispatch.. 4 man Eng.Co. 5 Man Trucks, 5 man Rescues, Multiple BFC’s. Yes a Safety Offcr… Rit group in place immediately and so on.. Then add a very calculated attack with strong SOG’s plus AGGRESSIVE Fireman, it works very well.

DCFD not operating safe is truly unfounded.. Aggressive with some risk, yes… but that’s the job people.. This will never change no matter how many magazine articles are written or fireshow seminars you attend.

At your next fire, grab the crew and go over the job.. See what you missed or didn’t do.. There is no perfect fireground. If you want to go home each day, never think you “got this one”…

My point here is that everything about the fire service is debatable. Some good and not so good.

Characterizing DCFD as a bunch of renegade, unsafe Cowboys is well, only showing your ignorance to how we think, operate on a fireground. Fellow DC Members “slinging mud” back at the naysayers, please stop and don’t get suck in to their level..

It’s a great job but it is not risk free..

Our INTERIOR crews are SAFER because our roof teams vent so quickly and efficiently!!! I think this is what is lost with those whose departments do not understand the concept of a rapidly deployed, organized, efficient, cooridinated, AGGRESSIVE INTERIOR suppression effort. A QUICK, AGGRESSIVE, COORDINATED FIRE ATTACK PROVIDES THE GREATEST BLANKET OF SAFETY TO FIREFIGHTERS, CITIZENS AND PROPERTY!!! PERIOD!!! I understand that this is not in the mind-set of those non-aggressive, non-interior firefighting departments and it is difficult to understand and comprehend. Our techniques, style, and operations have been developed by and for our members over years and years and years of service, and our members have honed them tried and true … It works. It’s safe. And it’s the way we do business.

Here at the DCFD we are all SAFER because of the way we operate, and I for one appreciate it….

For the 2 defending the practice, call the Durango, Colorado fire department and ask them about this.”

I called, they said they had no clue about venting a row house in D.C.

“and to all the people that understand roofwork (and firefighting in general), just realize that the cowards in our profession now have a lifeline to grasp onto. The cowards now can throw out the “safety card” and try to justify their failure to operate effectively, efficiently, and without delay.
Let the criers cry, the cowards hide, and the firemen carry on. Once again,“You’re either a Fireman or your not” enough said”

I rest my case. May all the sentimental “sudden” safety professionals be damned. If I recall the job announcement for this job stated that it was inherently dangerous. If this job is not for you please find another. Don’t speak through your bushy, non smoke filtering, mustache while wearing your neatly pressed “It came from the night” T shirt to me about making my job safe for you to participate in. If you make it so that everyone stays safe outside breathing air than you can gear up, stand tall next to us and render the Prefix “Firefighter”; below your name or before it over the phone. Stop impeding progress by claiming that I, or persons like me, are the ones doing so. Why in this day and age do buildings still burn to the ground? After all we have all this great technology and training you safety-dancers hail as the end all be all. “Don’t you know this” and “well any modern firefighter that”. is all I hear but what I see are people VIOLATING their oaths to protect live AND PROPERTY, not stand by safely and watch it get destroyed. Any John Q citizen can do that, and they cost the city nothing(most of the time).

They were on the scene in less than 3 mins. 4 hand lines in operation in less than 5 minutes. Roof teams had the roof open in less than 10min. Not just one roof, but found there was a shed roof built over the original roof, so, 2 roofs open.

The roof teams were experienced, efficient, gave clear reports to the IC and managed their job professionally. I have great trust and confidence in these men and know that they will wear and use the appropriate level of protective equipment that each particular job requires.

The roof teams and interior truck teams (remember the roof teams are only one part of a whole crew) did a great job of opening both those houses up and controlling the fire within 15min.

This fire could have easily run the entire row of 5 attached houses. There was minimal damage, no injuries and no drama. Focus on the job at hand and please don’t be so quick to judge others when you’re not there. Learn from these brave men, and hold your criticisms, unless you have no faults.

A personal thank you to the 6th, 1st and 4th battalions for a job well done.