As for laying in or laying out, it depends what works best for your department. Ask the guys in cities like New York or Detroit or anyone else who drops a bundle at the building and drives to the hydrant if they would rather do preconnects and drop a supply line on the way in. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Truck Placement is key on some of these jobs and laying in from a hydrant simply doesn’t work well sometimes.

I never said I was absolutely convinced that I need a charged hoseline in the lobby of a 6 story building. I’m not standing on the sidewalk checking my nozzle on a charged hoseline when the job is 6 floors up. I’ll do that on a stairwell, balcony, or some other safe place prior to entering the hallway where the fire is. For this particular job I would imagine that the Engine Officer ordered the line charged prior to entering the fire floor, and probably becuase they were already in that position when the chauffeur had the rig in pumps. I would also imagine the first due truck had the door forced and controlled and was awaiting the line.

The PPV may help clear the stairs, but if there are doors or windows open below the fire or people in the doorway or a whole list of other factors I don’t see much benefit. If the wind is working against you that fan won’t do anything. We use a PPV when the fire is out or mostly out to clear smoke and heat and they do work great for that. They are also loud, which I see as a problem in the initial stages of a fire because hearing what is going on in and around the building is important, they blow crap around and in the stairwells and wherever else they are and unless you have a mask on and breathing air that junk gets in your eyes sometimes, and I can’t tell you how many times they’ve gotten knocked over during overhaul and been in the way of the door… having them there when people are exiting the building and a line is trying to get stretched and I’m trying to hear a radio and talk with the members all while a fan is on full force sounds like added complications.

You also say to locate the fire from the street. That is not always possible. I may narrow down the fire to a certain floor, however I’m more interested in reading the smoke and thinking about the building layout and where the fire may be going. My first line may not be to the fire I see at a window.

The roof man opens a hatch and other openings when necessary to get the smoke and heat out. There is enough common sense and training that members know when to and when not to do that. When was the last time members or the public was burned in the stairwell as a result of a roof hatch being opened?

I don’t think New Yorks tactics leave a lot to be desired. If you do that is fine and you have a right to that opinion. However, a vast majority of departments in this country do not advocate putting a fan in the door prior to getting the fire knocked down. I have heard the positive pressure push since I started putting fires out in 1989. That’s 23 years ago and the fan is still one of the last pieces of equipment off the truck, and in all those years we’ve never hurt or killed any members of the public or the fire department as a result of it.

Lastly, It seems those who come in here and bash the tactics of well known and respected departments have little respect for the fire service and the brotherhood that is associated with it. Usually, they promote their way as being THE way and everyone elses way is wrong. That is not to say that we shouldn’t speak up when we see something in a video that makes you think WTF? however you immediately had to be sarcastic about busting on New York and then patting them on the back as you close up your follow up comments.

If the firefighters in New York are such excellent people, why would you say their tactics leave a lot to be desired? Define Excellence? Is doing the wrong thing over and over excellent? If such a large department is doing it so wrong, why hasn’t anyone stepped up and changed things, especially if it’s getting so many brothers killed in the stairwells?

Nice clear camera! Very cool

No Comment!