There was a feature a few weeks ago on the FIREHOUSE.COM website, (May 2, 2008) about how the NY State legislature is looking at the way fire districts are run in the state. The commission, it is reported, wants to “say no” to the fire service because of some significant problems seen in only one small area of the state. The article talks about how they were upset with Taj Mahal stations, expensive equipment and apparatus, and that it was time to show the fire service who is the boss.

A note to the commission…all we get from NY State is “NO”, “NO” and “Hell NO”.
We need more state training time….”NO”.
We need help in purchasing needed gear and equipment. “No”.
We need training courses that don’t take our new members 6+ months of 2 to 3 nights per week to complete.  “NO”.
We want to hire our own instructors to give state training courses. “No”.
We want to put in some simple exercise equipment so that members can get in better shape. “No”
We want some input on how the state mandates more and more without any additional funding. “Hell No!”

What we do get from the State is more and more mandates, taking more and more time and money, which mandates do little or nothing in the way of improving our safety or making our lives any easier. And as for the “Taj Mahal” fire stations they complain about, I’m sure there are some out there. However, most of us make do with what we have, and oftentimes are working out of fire stations that are barely adequate at best. And though I hate to point this out, these political leaders are writing these notes and criticisms while sitting in State offices stocked with the newest and best of everything, all of it bought on the public’s dime, driving to meetings on the public’s dime, and pulling down darn good salaries on the public’s dime, while you and I are struggling to make ends meet, and are running fundraisers, coin drops, and breakfasts to make ends meet in the firehouse, and many of us try to hold down 2 jobs as well as volunteering our time for the department, so our family can survive as well. Isn’t there an old saying about the pot calling the kettle black?

Some Thoughts on Wildland Fires
Brush fires, grass fires, woods and forest fires

The task of attacking wildland fires is different from what we are used to, and so we must prepare for it differently. Most of the time, our involvement in such incidents will be through mutual aid, so there is a bit more time to prepare, and a little less urgency. Consequently we have a few minutes to gather what we need and prepare ourselves.

Because these fires are being fought in terrain that can be rugged, and because there may be considerable distances walked, both in reaching the assigned area as well as on the fire line itself, foot protection and comfort are important. Bunker boots, either rubber or leather, are a very poor choice and will leave you exhausted and with painful feet in short order. Likewise sneakers and “dress shoes ” offer little or no protection. The best and safest footwear are work boots, either leather or combination leather/fabric, well broken in and comfortable for wear for hours at a time. Height of boots is a personal preference, with higher boots giving more protection, to a point, and lower boots weighing less and (usually) more comfortable.

For leg protection, both from sticks, scratches, thorn bushes, insects, and from heat, fire and sparks, long pants are a requirement. The ideal is wool pants, but these are hot, hard to find, and expensive. Nylon or polyester aren’t a good choice as they melt and stick if exposed to heat or flame. Fire-resistant fabrics are great, but most of us don’t have any. Actually, cotton isn’t a bad choice, as it won’t melt, is fairly tough and puncture resistant, cheap, and accessible…can we say denim jeans!!
Long sleeve shirts are another good idea. Though long sleeves can be hot and restrictive, they are great protection from brambles and scratches, as well as sparks and hot embers and biting/stinging bugs. Fabric choices are the same as for pants.

Because wildland assignments can run long hours, back-up clothing can be a godsend. Hot, sweaty days can quickly become cool, damp evenings, and a backup jack-shirt or jacket can make a huge difference in your comfort, even if it is just when you get back to base.

Fire line work is tough on the hands, so a pair of heavy-duty gloves is also necessary. Structural firefighting gloves are great for that task, but are bulky, stiff and heavy for this job. Rather, a pair of leather work gloves will give a lot of protection while being flexible enough to wear for long stretches. If possible, wear them for a while before they are needed so they loosen up and flex, just like your leather boots. Stiff gloves and stiff boots equal blisters. Head protection is MANDATORY, and our department supplies lightweight helmets for this job. These helmets include goggles; until you’ve worked in the smoke for a while and felt like your eyes were on fire as much as the fireline is, you can’t appreciate how great goggles can be.

A personal choice here, but a bandana can be worth its weight in gold. Most sporting goods stores sell these for a few bucks, in vivid colors, usually 18 by 18 inches or larger in size. They can be tied across the nose and mouth to filter out some of the crud in the air; they can be tird around the neck to protect the neck from bugs, bark and bites; they can be wetted to cool the head and neck; they make a passable emergency bandage. For a few bucks, a handy tool and a good investment to stick inside the support straps of the helmet.

Most host departments will try to feed and water all the troops, but on the fireline such supplying may be hit-or-miss. It is very much worthwhile to carry your own water bottle or two, or canteen(s) so that you have a drink when you want or need it. And a pocket full of whatever yummies you enjoy can be appreciated, but watch out for high salt and/or high sugar goodies. These can make you really thirsty. Granola bars, an apple sliced up, anything that satisfies, takes little space and won’t squish or spoil.

Anyone working outside of the base or command post must have a working portable radio with them at all times. Winds shift and things can happen, so everyone has to be “reachable” at all times. Likewise a flashlight should be carried by everyone. Darkness falls very quickly in the woods, and walking in the woods in the dark is a really good way to get hurt and/or lost.

What else to bring is mostly personal choice. I would offer the following as suggestions and guidelines only:
a tough knife
a signal device eg whistle (3 blasts is universal signal for distress)
bug repellant, depending on season and your tolerance to little critters chewing on you
rain protection
pain meds (aspirin, tylenol, advil) if susceptible to headaches, muscle pains, etc
PeptoBismal if bothered by upset stomach aches
artificial tears or wetting drops
pencil and notebook
emergency (space)blanket, just in case you need to spend the night
a couple of band-aids, antibiotic ointment for dings, burns, blisters

Most, if not all of this, will fit in your pockets and/or a fanny pack. Either way, try to keep it with you at all times.

The New York State DEC has a list of equipment to carry anytime entering the woods for searches, which list will be attached to this note. All of this need not be carried, but review it and think about what you want with you if all the doo doo hits at once.

Be Safe

Doc

Suggested personal gear from NYS DEC for Search and Rescue Missions

first aid kit
map and compass
whistle
matches in waterproof case/BIC lighter
candle
canteen
flashlight with extra bulb and batteries or backup flashlight
complete rain suit/poncho
snacks
extra socks
duct tape
flagging
pen, pencil, marker, paper
knife
emergency blanket
watch
toilet paper
bug dope

For prolonged Missions

extra clothing appropriate for weather
eye protection
cooking pot, tea , coffee
foam pad
extra canteen

After the fire in the Minnewaska Park (for those not from this area, there was a 3,000 acre wildland fire on the top of one of the local mountains. Fortunately there were no serious injuries and no homes were lost….30+ departments took part in suppression and control over a 7-10 day period), and the newspaper article that followed, I am NOT going to get into the discussion of who did what to whom, finger pointing, etc. There will be a time and place for that. What I’d rather look at is what we, as a department, should have learned, or re-learned, from the call.

Purely from the perspective of our department’s response and experience at the call, the overriding lesson that strikes me is that first and foremost, we have to look out for ourselves and our team. Whether ICS or NIMS or whatever, was used or used correctly is irrelevant to this fact. There is no one who is more responsible for the team than the team leader, be it the chief, assistant chief, or the ranking person on that assignment. (And as an aside, as I have tried to stress over and over, there HAS TO be someone in charge. If there is no officer there, someone has to step up and fill the void. “No person in charge” equals a disaster waiting to happen.) No matter who is “at the top” and what orders come down from the command post, all those orders do not change the fact that the actions of the team must be judged from the point of view of safety of the team first and foremost. Of course if commands cannot be carried out, the command post has to be notified of this fact as quickly as possible, but there is NO piece of wildland worth dying for or risking a team member for.

As a corollary to this, the team leader should keep his team together. If volunteers are called for, either the team goes or no one goes. If there are sufficient members there to split up into 2 teams, then one team goes with its own team leader or no one goes. Splitting a team is leaving some member on his/her own, and that is not allowed.

There is a list of standard wildland fire orders…this is not original, but is passed on as a good set of rules:

FIRE BEHAVIOR

1) Keep informed on weather conditions and forecasts

2) Know what the fire is doing at all times

3) Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire

FIRELINE SAFETY

4) Identify escape routes and make them known

5) Post lookouts when there is possible danger

6) Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTROL

7) Main communications with your forces (team), supervisor and adjoining forces.

8)Give clear instructions and insure they are understood.

9) Maintain control of your forces at all times.

IF 1 THROUGH 9 ARE CONSIDERED, THEN

10) Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

Next, some ideas about personal protection

Doc

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Thanks

The webmaster