A few new things:
1: I've started a consulting business called The McDevitt Group that provides emergency preparedness consultling for people with disabilities. Feel free to check it out.
2: If you're a deaf firefighter, EMT or first responder, please check out www.deaffirefighters.us
and contribute to the discussions. Even if you're not any of the above, join anyway: we'd love to hear from various perspectives.
-N
Friday, December 23, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Finally... some fire!
Yes, it's been almost 5 months since my last post. Yes, it's been that long since we had REAL action.
I know, I know.. I shouldn't equate "fires/rescues" with lack of activity; after all we're always training and learning new things.
First things first:
4:15 pm on 12/16, FDMT was toned out for a dumpster fire in a residential area. I jumped on the Squad along withFF. Mogenson in the back. Since Paul just graduated from Jr. Firefighter, he asked if he could take the knob (nozzle) while I backed him up. The Chief advised that the dumpster was 15 feet from a house and well-involved.
Upon arrival, we began to put water on the fire which darkened it down considerably.
However, keep in mind, the dumpster was half-full and the fire was likely burning under the trash so we had to move a good amount of trash around in order to find the seat of the fire.
Pictures to come soon.
-N
I know, I know.. I shouldn't equate "fires/rescues" with lack of activity; after all we're always training and learning new things.
First things first:
4:15 pm on 12/16, FDMT was toned out for a dumpster fire in a residential area. I jumped on the Squad along withFF. Mogenson in the back. Since Paul just graduated from Jr. Firefighter, he asked if he could take the knob (nozzle) while I backed him up. The Chief advised that the dumpster was 15 feet from a house and well-involved.
Upon arrival, we began to put water on the fire which darkened it down considerably.
However, keep in mind, the dumpster was half-full and the fire was likely burning under the trash so we had to move a good amount of trash around in order to find the seat of the fire.
Pictures to come soon.
-N
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Lots of work lately..
picture from PhillyFireNews.com
We've done quite a bit of work lately with the fire department. It's now 0030 hours on August 14th and I've just showered after a fire. I'm not asleep because I still have that adrenaline rush.
At 9pm, I headed to the firehouse to shoot the bull and try to fix my ailing laptop computer. No sooner had I cracked the laptop's case did the tones drop for a building fire in the next town. Ladder 18 headed to a single family dwelling and found fire from ground to roof on the back of the structure. FF Conicelli had the knob and I was carrying the irons (forcible entry tools). While Conicelli extinguished the fire outside, I tried to force the door and FF Fuchs assisted by breaking the glass on the door.
No one was in the house at the time (only occupant was outside) and we checked for extension.
We also had a good van on fire last week and I opened up the engine compartment so FF Conicelli could get water in it.
Some lessons learned from these two jobs:
1: (from the van fire) ALways bring your tools with you. I'd forgotten the halligan bar and wasted some time before I'd went back to get them.
2: (also from the van) Get that hood on. I'd whacked myself on the ear fumbling with the halligan and gave myself a nice cut on the ear.
3: (from the house fire) Stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay aware of your body. WIth the high temperatures, it gets pretty easy to get knocked out..
UPDATE: In the middle of completing this post, I got called out for a mulch fire.. it never ends. :-)
Friday, August 12, 2005
Checking in...
Haven't had much time lately to post.. A lot of new things going on. I'll have a more detailed post later..
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Aloha!
Just a shout-out to a bunch of kids in Hawaii (HCDB). Thanks for reading the blog!
Today aws the first half of my structural collapse class. It was a fascinating experience learning how to shore up weakened buildings. I'm not a carpenter but it was fun working with my hands!
Today aws the first half of my structural collapse class. It was a fascinating experience learning how to shore up weakened buildings. I'm not a carpenter but it was fun working with my hands!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
First interior work in a HOUSE FIRE:
At 8:23pm on 4/9/05, just as I'd settled into the couch to watch Spider Man 2 on DVD and armed with some of Orville's finest (Redenbacher, that is); the pager went off.
Figuring it was one particular store we've been going to almost daily for a malfunctioning pullstation, I 'harumphed' and pulled out the pager.
It read: TANGENT ST - COWCHIP RD; 47-21; NAT: FBN-BUILDING FIRE - NON COMMERCIAL; TRUCKS: 18E, 18E1, 14SD, 18L, 12SD; NOTES: BASEMENT FIRE, FLAMES AND SMOKE FROM BASEMENT; UNK IF ANYONE IN HOUSE - FDMT ALL CALL (details obviously changed)
Getting in the car and driving to the station, I reflected on the fact that I've been here going on 2 years and this is only the third job that I've run on. The first was fan inside a manufacturing facility. I was the backup on this call. The second was during the the past holiday season where a heater triggered a fire in a garage attached to a residence. For this one, I helped on the fireground as it was knocked down as my truck arrived.
As the Ladder arrived, Engine 18-1 was already there and stretching lines into the house as they're based nearby in the north end of town. The smell of smoke was pervasive and you could see smoke pouring out of the front door. The house was a typical suburban ranch house.
The officer of the Ladder ordered Joe S. and myself to search the main floor for any possible victims.
We conducted a primary search of the rooms up front in the house mostly standing up because the temperatures on the main floor weren't high and visibility was signifcantly reduced but you could see the floor.
However, when you got to the back of the house, the visibility dropped quite a bit and we basically went closer to the ground. In the kitchen, I was thrown by a breakfast nook that looked like a set of stairs. Knowing it was a ranch house, I knew it couldn't be stairs but after I took a step back and realized that it was a seat made me realize the importance of getting the big picture instead of focusing of just the image outside the airmask.
Continuing along, we searched the rest of the house and found nothing. Exited the building for fresh air and change the cylinders for the SCBAs.
Turned out the fire knocked itself out. The fire melted a support for a water pipe which caused the pipe to bend and snap, creating an accidental sprinkler.
After the fire was out, we assisted with overhaul and cleanup. There was some fire spread into the walls in the first floor which meant a lot of drywall was ripped out on the first floor in the vicinity of the fire room.
Ladder 18 was on scene until approximately 1am providing support for fire marshal investigation.
Some important lessons from this:
Figuring it was one particular store we've been going to almost daily for a malfunctioning pullstation, I 'harumphed' and pulled out the pager.
It read: TANGENT ST - COWCHIP RD; 47-21; NAT: FBN-BUILDING FIRE - NON COMMERCIAL; TRUCKS: 18E, 18E1, 14SD, 18L, 12SD; NOTES: BASEMENT FIRE, FLAMES AND SMOKE FROM BASEMENT; UNK IF ANYONE IN HOUSE - FDMT ALL CALL (details obviously changed)
Getting in the car and driving to the station, I reflected on the fact that I've been here going on 2 years and this is only the third job that I've run on. The first was fan inside a manufacturing facility. I was the backup on this call. The second was during the the past holiday season where a heater triggered a fire in a garage attached to a residence. For this one, I helped on the fireground as it was knocked down as my truck arrived.
As the Ladder arrived, Engine 18-1 was already there and stretching lines into the house as they're based nearby in the north end of town. The smell of smoke was pervasive and you could see smoke pouring out of the front door. The house was a typical suburban ranch house.
The officer of the Ladder ordered Joe S. and myself to search the main floor for any possible victims.
We conducted a primary search of the rooms up front in the house mostly standing up because the temperatures on the main floor weren't high and visibility was signifcantly reduced but you could see the floor.
However, when you got to the back of the house, the visibility dropped quite a bit and we basically went closer to the ground. In the kitchen, I was thrown by a breakfast nook that looked like a set of stairs. Knowing it was a ranch house, I knew it couldn't be stairs but after I took a step back and realized that it was a seat made me realize the importance of getting the big picture instead of focusing of just the image outside the airmask.
Continuing along, we searched the rest of the house and found nothing. Exited the building for fresh air and change the cylinders for the SCBAs.
Turned out the fire knocked itself out. The fire melted a support for a water pipe which caused the pipe to bend and snap, creating an accidental sprinkler.
After the fire was out, we assisted with overhaul and cleanup. There was some fire spread into the walls in the first floor which meant a lot of drywall was ripped out on the first floor in the vicinity of the fire room.
Ladder 18 was on scene until approximately 1am providing support for fire marshal investigation.
Some important lessons from this:
- Always look at the big picture AND the small picture.
- Discuss evolutions with your partner immediately after the incident (during rehab or bottle changes) . Work out any issues and recognize good work at that time.
- I had to remind my partners to use hand gestures as they get caught up in the moment and forgot.
All in all, it was good work.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Am off this week..
My first vacation to Nags Head, NC... checked out Cape Hatteras lighthouse today... that thing is huge. There are long stretches of road between towns. Being the firefighter I am today, I wondered how long it takes rescue apparatus to respond to calls in that area.
hmmm.. better slow down. :-)
hmmm.. better slow down. :-)
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