This week a special announcement and request for our Christmas episode, and some serious talk about SCBA basics and training techniques using the Scott breathing apparatus.
Our guest this week is Christopher Naum from the website buildings on fire. Chris is an internationally known expert on the subject and he is carrying on from his mentor Frank Brannigan.
This week we take an overview look of the five types of building construction as defined by NFPA 220, we look at wood frame buildings, and some of the things to be considered.
We also begin a discussion on engineered structural members and how the change the dynamics of what we are currently doing with suppression tactics and discuss how that might have changed from years past. The increase in the ability of these engineered systems allow for increase in the compartment spaces, meaning size and area of the fire compartment and how that has a direct impact on rate of flow.
This week we interview Deputy Chief William Goldfeder from firefighterclosecalls.com.
We get into a general discussion about the site, his work, his background and things for the future. At the end of the episode some real quick and simple tips for staying safe in your own department and protecting your members.
Here are some useful links to supplement this episode.
This week some considerations for handling a hazardous material incident. We will approach this from the perspective of firefighters responding to an incident rather than a specialized trained hazardous materials team.
We talk about some very basic material such as how to determine which of the hazardous material incident classifications your department is capable of handling, how to identify the product involved by multiple sources (3-5) and the hazardous material zone system. We also direct you to load the WISER software and app for your smartphone or desktop and learn about that as well.
We discuss that the size, scope, and magnitude of the problem may also dictate your department’s capabilities.
Recognize and identify the situation, isolate and deny entry (to civilians as well as firefighters) eliminate all sources of ignition, call for additional resources and develop a mitigation plan.
Please feel free to contact us at pete@petelamb.com by email or by voicemail at 774-987-9414 for information about online hazardous materials training for your department.
This week we discuss using the NFPA 1410 Standard to evaluate a variety of water supply and initial attack line deployment. The discussion will review hydrant systems as well as drafting and portable water sources.
We all believe we are doing it correctly but how do we measure that and test ourselves against the minimum standard.
Even if you do not meet the standard the first time you try it, you should use it as an operational goal.
This week a look at some information on problem solving and conflict resolution that is not only good in the firehouse but also good in life in general.
The problems and conflict resolution we see in the firehouse are often greater than the challenges we face on the fireground.
One of our greatest commodities is our people but they also bring us some of our greatest challenges in leading an organization and keeping it focused.
This week a discussion about communication. We discuss analog and digital, frequency and spectrum, communication flow, and some priority of communications