A fire today at 5615 Virginia Avenue in South St. Lous. The evacuation order comes at :30 into the clip. At about 3:15 a saw seems to get away from one firefighter working on the roof.
Also on STATter911 …
- Arrival video: Garage fire in St. Louis, Missouri. – October 16, 2012
- Helmet-cam video: Timing is everything. Evacuation order came just in time at East St. Louis house fire. – January 13, 2013
- Raw video: House fire in Mount Prospect, IL. Evacuation ordered. – March 19, 2013
- Arrival video & radio traffic: Two-alarm Minneapolis house fire. Evacuation ordered because of loss of water in attack lines. – May 22, 2013
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Nice ppe use while on the roof. A great example of stupidity.
I guess I'm confused. They evacuate but still go on the roof to ventilate? Isn't there some saying about if it's too dangerous to be under it it's too dangerous to be on it?
Regarding the saw, thankfully no one lost an arm or leg or head. Not sure what he was thinking reaching with a saw plus over\next to someone.
One other minor detail, apparently smoke isn't bad for you when you are outside the structure, only inside?
I was wondering the same thing about the roof operations after the evac but the description says they re-entered after the evac. No indication of any of the timing. At 5:17 the fire through the roof appears to be hit by a line on the interior.
Quick, someone call the police and report a stolen fire department. Cause these guys can’t be real firefighters. Either that or they have a split personality. Like the others said , either you are outside defensive or inside offensive. Bur not both. At the same time.
The fact that they didn't have SCBAs on the roof was bad but the fact of a pass device sounding throughout the video is worse. Noone seem to think to either find the person or shut it off. How are they supposed to know if someone is really down if they let pass devices sound continuously.
This whole roof operation was a total embarrassment for a supposedly full time career department, leaves little to be desired for what level of training that Chief Officer had, looked up at a totally unsafe operation going on and meandered by, yeesh.
Dave as for your assessment your not alone, this was as dumb as I have seen, if you evac and how many did you see exit, I saw none post communication, then the conditions worsened and we continue on. Protect exposures, minimize your members risk, go defensive and stay that way, what did anyone there prove. Its only a matter of time, everyones luck runs out, Murphy never takes a day off. Sad to think this is the way thats accepted.
As for PASS alarms, personally I have grown to hate these devices, as an IC their now more of a hindrance than a help. Chief's running scenes get a grip on these alarms continually going off, retrain your people, explain they are defeating a valuable tool in the 1 out 1000 alarms sounding that's life and death. Clip after clip you hear these going on for minutes at a time, you would think the rest are deaf. Take ownership of your device, cancel it!!, move, reset, do something. Complacency kills firefighters, if your not part of the problem, be part of the solution.
I have just finished a train the trainer course with several other senior FF, Captains, District Chiefs and up and spent my time continually pointing out PASS alarms that were signalling to "MOVE, SHAKE" cancel, the majority are so tuned out now it causes me great concern as the Chief that there appears to be a total disconnect which in time of need may prove fatal.
Risk Management zero, the white hat seen in the picture not a clue. One has to wonder what qualifies a person to be a firefighter in St.Louis these days. I never can understand these types of roof operations anyways, let me see if I get it correct. Lets get on the roof and suck in the worst combinations of carcinogens into our lungs, yea who wants to be a wussy wearing an airpack anyways, we'll just die a premature death. If this were my members they would all be on suspension under the stupid is as stupid does act. Their company Officer would be conducting fire attack review and proper use of PPE before running there next call.
The worst thing about this is they got lucky, it appeared to be traditional construction which gave them a comfort zone, probably use the same attack on a millenial constructed home.
Your brothers and sisters as well as the citizens deserve a better effort, look inside your helmets, your family, kids, don't care you climb on roofs, get beat up, they only care you return home to them at the end of the day SAFE. Give it some thought.
I am the author of this video. The saw was a little unsafe but the evacuation was ordered prematurely by the arriving battalion chief and command was passed to the relieving battalion chief. I do not know if it was a miscommunication but I can assure you that they interior crews had it. I was there, talked to some of the guys who were in there, so don't even think about being a flamer and keep your mouths shut!
FAP, I thought the same thing–evac was premature. I really had to wonder why the decision was made.
As for the roof ops, when exactly was that filmed? After the decision was made to go back in? Or was it after the evac order?
There is no defense against these guys not being on air while venting–before, during, after the evac. That was flat out stupid. If you can't understand that, well……….
Buncha know it all safety nazis making a well fought fire out to be a travesty….Stay working where ever you currently ride and keep your bull crap away from the departments that actually fight fire…these comments are a discredit to real firemen
What's that saying?
100 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress.
Yes, I believe that's it. Never let education and facts get in the way of doing things the old fashioned way, even if it does mean one dies prematurely of heart disease or cancer.
To fedup and FAP , we will give credit to you when we honor your familes at your funerals
agreed SCBA would have been nice on the roof. appeared FF with saw slipped.
Based on the video only. I was not there. Nasty brown smoke coming out of the upper floors. Probably a well advanced fire in void spaces. Probably warm up there and low visibility. Crews pulled out, roof opened up, smoke and heat vented, crews went back in under much better circumstances and put the fire out. Coul dit have been done safer, maybe. But in reality it was done safer. Rather than leave those crews in there searching for fire and trying to open the place up in crappy conditions, they vented and put the fire out.
These vollies give all firefighters a bad name. I mean how amateur were these vollies? No SCBA, Evac horns when its a minor fire="Retreat!! Retreat!! Run Away!! Run Away!!", Texas cutoff saw masacre, and the list goes on and on and on.
I think vollie videos like this are an embarrassment to all of us Proffesional Firefighters. Please stop posting them, I'm getting high blood pressure.
last time i checked STLFD was not a vollie outfit.
got any updates on your reply?
I'm willing to bet he was being sarcastic
No, sarcasm is strictly forbidden on this forum. Read the rules.
Statter
Wait a sec, there's rules?
How freaking hard is it to take out the ENTIRE window when you vent !!??!! Do the job right or get on the Ambulance !!
The thing about being on the roof is when the smoke gets in your face you can move. It’s not the same as entering a burning building. I’d hate to see the outcome if the fireman that slipped with the saw would of had if he was wearing an Scba that affected his balance and vision. Two sides to everything we do. Not a sermon just a thought an old-timer once told me sometimes safer is more dangerous
Maybe he wouldn't have been cutting at an awkward angle, reaching over another fireman if he had a pack on.
But once again, 100 years of tradition unimpeded by progress.
If any of my guys had performed that way , at that fire , I would put them on charges!!!!! BUT, they wouldn't…… WHY?!!! Training!!!!
What i saw in this video was reckless, and stupid…..
1. scott packs
2. work smarter not harder…. why was the axman swinging for the fences?
Small chops, try it , it works…….
3. The ventman without a back up man, hand on his back, keeping others away from the cut …
I can go on and on……………….
The point is , training training training!!!!!!!
I'll definately use this video on what not to do when venting a roof!!!!
STAY SAFE!!!!!
First I'd like to thank the STLFD for putting this massive fire out. No one got hurt. This house was unoccupied at the time. Beverly went to Heaven back in April. It was being kept up by family and friends.They are all saddend that the house she was proud to own,went this way. No one was there at the time and what I saw after it was put out was this fire burned for a long time before anyone noticed it. The living room,right inside the front door ,and right inside the front porch window,was charred heavily and looked like it burned for a long time. Since this was wood structure, it burned quickly. I'm not a fire fighter,nor am I an arson investgator. I'm her son and wanted to keep her house the way she wanted it. It's under investigation . I believe it was started intentionally. Again, Thank you STLFD for trying to save her house. WM SEXTON
ceiling was made of 1×6 material nailed with 2inch nails into the joist not fun to pull with pike poll this is what caused a delay in exstinquishment
Not only was this my mother's home, it was mine and my children's home. We had many fantastic, spiritual, loving, caring and tears of happines filled with years of memories in OUR FAMILY HOME. Yes someone intentially set this fire. Visiting this structure was also a healing process from losing The Anarchy of our family. Yes thank you STLFD and we looking in can critic however Murphy is always working without mistakes perfection or improvement can not occur. Again Thank you for the STLFD!!!!!! Evil Dies God Prevails