Long Attack Lines

A common weakness made by engine companies is reliance on the 150’ to 200’ pre-connected hose line for every stretch.  What happens when the fire is out of the reach of that largely relied upon pre-connect?  Do you have an attack line dedicated for a long stretch?  Do you at a minimum have a plan to quickly configure a long attack line?  The development of a long attack line is essential to the arsenal for every engine company.  The long attack line comes in many different configurations and is given many different names.  For example most fire departments in the DC Metro area run a 400’ or longer pre-connected 1 ½” or 1 ¾” as a dedicated long attack line.

DC Metro Style 400' Pre-Connect 

When I started with my current agency, we did not have a dedicated or consistent plan for deploying a long attack line.  We relied on the creativity of the company officers and firefighters on the street to execute a plan when faced with a long stretch.  After a bit of trial, error, education and convincing of the powers, our“engine nerds” developed a load that would serve as a dedicated long attack line. We coined it the “Apartment Load.“  The line consisted of 500’ of 2 1/2” hose flat loaded with a gated wye attached to a 100’ of 1 ¾” hose bundled in a coil configuration.  This configuration has served us well but  provided some operational drawbacks.  We experienced consistent issues with the gated wye becoming lodged inside the hose bed during deployment. During operation we frequently dealt with the valves becoming inadvertently open or shut. On a recent commercial structure fire a valve was shut off while crews were operating.  This configuration also does not lend itself to quickly shoulder any hose past the 100’ of bundled 1 3/4”. 

Original Apartment Load

Original Apartment Load with manual shoulder loading

After some mindful evaluation of the original set up our motivated “engine nerds” proposed some upgrades to our “Apartment Load.”  The first upgrade is to eliminate the gated wye and replace it with a bell reducer.  The elimination of the wye eliminates the mechanical issues we were experiencing. The removal of the wye also eliminates hydraulic issues that were occurring when attempting to operate two lines off that appliance. We learned about the issues with gated wyes and as it relates to hydraulics after reading information provided by Dennis LeGear from LeGear Engineering FD Consulting.  (LeGear Engineering has a wealth of information regarding hose, nozzles and water delivery They can be found on Facebook or at hydrant2nozzle.com).  The next upgrade was configuring the last 100’ of 2 ½” hose in a minuteman shoulder load along with the 100’ bundle of 1 ¾” attack.  This provides us with 200’ of line that can be quickly shouldered and deployed.

The Upgraded Apartment Load

The evolution and development of our long attack line is not the answer for every fire department. Develop a line that suits the needs of your staffing model and jurisdiction. It is also important to have more than one method for running a long attack lines off your engine.  Think outside the box. You will surprise yourself with the options that your engine can provide you. Regardless of the configuration of your long attack line it is important that you drill with your companies on how to effectively and efficiently deploy your configuration.  Take a look at your engine and see if your current line and/or plan for a long attack line is meeting your needs.  I hope this sparks some conversation.  Please respond on Facebook tell us about your method for a long attack line.

As always BE SMART!

Mission First-Troops Always

When I was a newly promoted to Lieutenant, a fellow firefighter and good friend of mine told me remember “Mission First-Troops Always.” I said Ok said thanks, and went about my day.  After getting some down time I reflected on the message my good friend was attempting to convey to me.  I had what many people call an “Ah Ha” moment. Reflecting on this simple principle has been a guiding light for me as a Company Officer.  It often puts things into perspective on what it takes to accomplish the mission.

Most of us out there have a mission statement that basically says we are here to serve, protect, and keep people safe.  The word smiths of our departments create a fancy phrase, frame it, and then put it on the wall in every firehouse.  Sound familiar?  In general all the messages are the same.

What most mission statements lack is an accounting for people behind the mission statement.  Keeping our troops always in our decision making will help us accomplish our mission.  I know what you are saying easier said than done.  You are correct the job of the leader is not easy.  It does not matter if you are the designated leader or the informal leader we need to account for those we are leading. 

As organizations we must make it a priority to build relationships with our troops.  This allows us to obtain knowledge of who they are, what makes them tick, what their fears are, what motivates them.  This is all valuable intelligence in allowing us to execute our missions.  On my engine company we have a diverse group from all walks of life. One member lives on a farm and also has extensive experience operating all types of heavy equipment.  Another member is a skilled finish carpenter.  Yet another member had a successful career coaching high school sports.  This is just a small sampling of what exists in our organizations.   Without getting to know our troops we may fail to know something that can help us accomplish the mission.

The execution of our mission does not just happen by hanging a fancy sign on the wall.  It requires time, effort, work, and patience in the development of our troops.  Put in the time on the front end with developing the troops.   Next time some asks you to recite your mission statement tell them “Mission First-Troops Always.”  The rest will fall into place. 

Be Smart!

Lead

Leaders are present at all levels of the fire service.  I preach this constantly to our fellow fire service members.

Many of the best ideas, concepts, and methods have been developed and lead, by members who are not the"designated leaders" of their organizations.  This occurs because those individuals  have the COURAGE to to expose themselves and share their idea or vision.  These individuals are also able to lead, because someone along the way has told them it is OK to lead.  

As the "designated leaders" in our organizations it is our responsibility to to EMPOWER and TRUST those individuals who are willing to stick their neck out and lead the charge. As the designated leaders we must to make it a priority to coach, teach, and pass-on all the information possible that you may have picked up throughout your career.  A leader is not judged by what he/she has done while they are present, but what takes place after they are gone.

Create a legacy.  Trust your team, provide an environment for learning, leading and growing.  All our days are numbered in this great career leave your mark by serving those around you!