TIC’s are nice, great tool, but they do not replace common sense and a general understanding and feel for what is going on. Unfortunately some people have the feel or instinct and others have all of the classes you would ever need. Few personnel have the education, experience, and understanding of the gravity of the situation at hand. We do not have the volume of fires that we once did. Without the calls it is hard to get good guys seasoned. We just had a fire and the new Lt. had never been in a fire that had a second line pulled! He seemed to have the unique ability to be off, detailed, driving, Kelly day, etc. when we had a good fire. He is my project until I retire or one of us gets moved. He is also coming to the realization what it is going to take to replace the relics. Probably half of the Chiefs and Captains in the city can go in the next two years or so.

I believe we will see more of this happening as the “Relics” as I was just referred to, retire. I would bet 50% of our actual fire knowledge is held by ten percent of the people.

Be Safe.

The Edison story is interesting. I seem to remember several years back when the president of the DC FF union was disciplined for having a bumper sticker on his car. DC Fire, It’s Not Just a Job, It’s a Joke”.

As I recall that one went to court and his discipline was thrown out because it was seen as retaliation for his union activity. I think there was also a First Amendment issue as well. I’m surprised that this suit was tossed out by the court.

“The home is a balloon frame structure, which has no fire barriers, allowing fire to go up the walls”, said Lodi Fire Official Paul Wanco. Yup, that’s what happens in balloon frames … So you need to get a hand line into each level along with firefighters carrying 6′ hooks. Open the walls and ceilings and hit the fire. keep opening up until the fire is out. While the folks inside are doing their thing, lay the aerial into a valley on the roof and start cutting. Continue to cut, pull and expand the opening until the fire is out.

“It gets in the walls and you can’t find it,” he said. “We had quite a bit of manpower, but it was a real hard fire to catch.”

The manpower needs to get inside with hose, tools and TIC’s, locate the fire and put water on it. The few who thought about venturing inside the structure only made it one or two steps inside the front and back doors and just inside the 2nd floor front window. If you are not willing to quickly move in and attack this type of fire, you are in the wrong profession. Firefighting is not easy and is dangerous even when done correctly. This fire was painful for me to watch. Thank God the occupants self evacuated and the adult male had the guts to take a feed and locate and rescue the kid’s dogs. The F.D. should have given him PPE, a hook and a hand line … he probably would have accomplished more than the entire group of spectators and slow movers who showed up dressed as firefighters.

“Firefighters evacuated neighbor Jennifer Perito, who said the fire kept shooting back up each time it looked as if it was under control.” Are they going to give medals for valor to these FF’s who evacuated a neighbor from the warmth of her home which wasn’t on fire?

Train as if your life depends on it … Be safe …