While listening to Fit to Fight Fire (John Spera and Tom Johnson)
podcast a few months back, their guest retired FDNY Firemen Kevin Shea said
something that resonated with me. “I believe to this day that an engine company
lives and dies by its stretches.”
Fast forward to a few days ago and I see a picture on John Spera’s Facebook
page. The statement got me thinking on how much truth exists in this statement. The basis of engine company work is on moving hose and delivering water. If we cannot do this then why do we even show up? In the words of my good friend Kevin Maloney "If you are not showing up and doing your job then you are nothing more than a well dressed spectator."
What does that statement mean to you? How well do you stretch on your most common
occupancy types? How about the occupancy types that are not so common do you
train for those? The process stretching and advancing hose is built on the
concept of segmenting the stretch and advance into three separate parts.
This was a concept that was taught to me several years ago
and has been the foundation of my approach to training and operating as an
engine company. The beauty of this
concept is that as a firefighter you look for a win in each of the
segments. If you break this process down
in your head and take a tactical pause even if its’ for one second. It will allow you to logically move to the
next segment.
Engine
to Door
Door
to Fire Area
As with anything we do we must prepare, prepare, prepare,
and prepare some more. Sitting down
around the kitchen table and talking about this is only the start. Get out and move hose and flow some water. You may be the one only person training, but that's OK, peer pressure can be a great thing.
Here is an example of “Doing it Right” courtesy of Stockton
California Fire Department enjoy!
