FireNuggets 2016 November | Page 20

November 2016 FireNuggets, Inc firefighters wear a scabbard with an axe on their hip and because we have found that a Colorado Hook and a Nupla D-Handle Trash Hook are able to lock into the rung holes of a Duo-Safety ground ladder (note: this works best with Duo-Safety brand ground ladders because they have a c channel design that creates a flat surface for hand tools to be added onto the rung holes). What we have effectively done in this circumstance is maximize the efficiency of our Truck by allowing one firefighter to carry an axe, drop bag, ground ladder and two hooks while the other firefighter carries an axe, drop bag, and two chainsaws. By doing this, we have not only filled in the gray area by answering how to carry tools, but we have also put ourselves in a position to have a quick an effective operation when we arrive at the structure because regardless of ground conditions or obstacles we should be able to deploy our ground ladder from the high shoulder position. This example meets our objectives because it is a systematic approach that is repeatable and because we are utilizing one firefighter to carry the ground ladder instead of two it is fast and efficient. The moving of equipment and deploying of ground ladders is usually taught as exclusive skill sets, but with a planned systematic approach we can move from the rig to our objective with speed and efficiency. starting points and a known finishing points, we have to understand how to fill in the gray.” The gray in this circumstance is how to carry the tools that meet our end objective in an effective and efficient manner. An example of a known finish point or objective would be Sometimes the weight and height of a ground ladder requires us to deploy it with multiple firefighters. The most common example of this would be the 35’ extension ladder. This ground ladder, because of it’s bedded length and weight, is easier to carry and raise with two vertical ventilation. At Truck 11 our equipment cash, or task package, for vertical ventilation looks like this: ground ladder, two hooks, two axes, two drop bags, and two chainsaws. This operation has a known starting point, the truck; and a known finish point, the roof with all required tools. The question that we have to answer is how to fill in the gray or effectively and systematically transfer the tools from the starting point to the finish point. We are able to accomplish this on Truck 11 with two firefighters because both By Firefighters, For Firefighters ! of 34 20 !