Forever remembering 9/11
Our department is a small, suburban part-paid on-call group located about 15 miles southwest of Chicago. Saturday, 9/11/04, was a bright, warm, and sunny day-not unlike 9/11/01. Some of the officers and members of our department had been to New York for funerals and memorials, so 9/11 has a special meaning for us.
At 8:46 a.m., the on-duty and some of the off-duty members assembled in front of the station. The apparatus was pulled out. Signal 5-5-5-5 was struck on an apparatus bell, and the assembled members lowered our flag to half-staff. We then followed with a moment of silence.
Significantly, students and parents of the school across the street were holding a “car wash.” They all assembled behind us to observe. You could hear a pin drop. The important thing is not “how many” or “where” but the fact that we do remember and we will NEVER FORGET!
Jim Regan
Firefighter/Photographer
Western Springs (IL) Fire Department
The Boise Fire Department has taken the position that we will never forget. Our Fire Chief Renn M. Ross made it clear that we will have a department ceremony and remembrance every 9/11. This is a simple ceremony; flags are lowered to half-staff. At 10:29 a.m., there is a bell ceremony followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of our fallen brothers of the Fire Department of New York.
This year, however, included a public ceremony with our mayor participating. He announced that a State Fallen Fire Fighter Monument will be established in a Boise city park.
All of our apparatus have a large white and black Maltese cross with the words, “In Memory Sept. 11, 2001, FDNY,” so we will never forget and every citizen who sees our rigs will hopefully remember.
Tracy J. Raynor
Division Chief
Training/Safety Division
Boise (ID) Fire Department
In early 2002, Tom Hennessy, chief of Southern Manatee (FL) Fire Rescue, spoke to me about an idea he had for always remembering 9/11. It involved building a memorial to all emergency responders, raising money for a fund to build the memorial that would be perpetual and help the families of emergency responders who pass away locally, and organizing a march/parade each year on 9/11.
Hennessy got together with Dave Quaderer, division chief at Cedar Hammock (FL) Fire Rescue, and the planning began. I was assigned to put together a committee (the Manatee County Emergency Services Memorial Committee) to design, find a location for, fund, and build a memorial to those lost on 9/11/01 and to all local firefighters, police officers, and EMS workers. This was completed and dedicated on 09/11/03 (see photo).
 |
Hennessy and Quaderer cochaired the “umbrella” Tribute To Heroes committee, which established a group of about 20 or so local police/fire/EMS/city public works/government officials to plan the remembrance events to be held each 9/11. This was our third year.
Here’s how we REMEMBER and NEVER FORGET. We gather all the local retired Fire Department of New York (FDNY) guys (about eight) and have a “brotherhood” gathering at a beach house provided by the mayor. We have a luncheon that raises money for the memorial fund. Several local emergency services-related speakers give a short speech. There is a guest FDNY speaker, for whom we pay the air travel costs and provide a gulf-front apartment. This year’s theme was “Have You Forgotten?”
We have a short service at the memorial with uniformed personnel and members of the public present. During the service, there is a military “flyover” up the Manatee River (the memorial is in a park on the river). Local aerial apparatus with a huge American flag draped between their elevated ladders are on the river bridge.
There is a “march” of uniformed personnel (fire/police/EMS/military) through downtown Bradenton. This is a very solemn march, not a celebratory parade. Only uniformed personnel are allowed to march. Emergency/military vehicles may join in. Several thousand residents line the route, waving flags provided by local businesses.
After the march, we close off Main Street and have a “share the brotherhood” gathering to which the public is invited. Patriotic and country music is played, and we all have a great time.
Unfortunately, this year Hurricane Ivan had its sights set on Manatee County at the time we had our final “planning meeting” on 9/8. We decided to proceed with the luncheon on 9/10; we had to cancel all the other events, which were scheduled for 9/11.
In the spirit of the day, the brotherhood shone through on 9/11. Our FDNY guest Nick Giordano, retired FDNY Battalion Chief John Hughes, Hennessy, and I spent the day boarding up our houses in anticipation of Ivan (which ended up going north).
The night of 9/1104, the retired FDNY guys, Giordano, and a few close fire department friends went to the local pub to remember the fallen brothers. No one wanted to sit at home alone.
Leigh Hollins
Battalion Chief
Cedar Hammock (FL) Fire Rescue
Plastic-reinforced gypsum board “cause for concern”
I’m the proud owner of all three editions of Frank Brannigan’s Building Construction for the Fire Service (two of them autographed) and refer to them often as a New York State fire instructor. I was most interested in the information on plastic-reinforced gypsum board (Hi-Impact 8000 brand Fire Shield , National Gypsum Company) in The Ol’ Professor, February and October 2004. I took Brannigan’s advice and contacted Assistant Chief E. Murphy of the Roberts Park (IL) Fire Protection District. He immediately sent the results of his test and offered a video of the test. His test was most impressive and a cause for concern for “thinking people” in the fire service. Thanks to Frank Brannigan for a timely article.
Norm Pearson
Fire Instructor
Niagara County, New York
On firefighter safety and arson
Frank Montagna’s “Why Do We Do That?” (Fire Engineering, June 2004) would make a good brush-up course.
Also in that issue, regarding “A Case for an Integrated Rescue Device in Turnouts,” by Scott Somers, I agree that many fire departments are understaffed. There is always a budget crisis. I pray for the safety of firefighters every day and would like to see the government help fire departments to hire more firefighters.
Every one of the articles in the June 2004 issue is worth reading, but I would like to comment on “Interstate Arson: Catching the Traveling Serial Arsonist,” by Brett M. Martinez. I am sick of arson. Arsonists should visit a burn unit at hospitals. I don’t think anyone can imagine the agonizing pain of burns. Nor can many imagine the quick decisions top-notch fire chiefs must make.
There should be tougher laws concerning arson. All states should get together and implement and enforce one law.
Carolyn Joan Ragno
Fire Marshal
Millburn, New Jersey
Need for driver training/recertification reaffirmed
William C. Peters’ excellent article “Driving Practices” (June 2004, “Apparatus: After the Purchase” supplement to Fire Engineering) should be required reading for all drivers. Better yet, it should be the outline for a driver-training program. An observation I have made over the years (42 in the fire service) is that, to my horror, many departments allow their drivers (encourage in some) to drive to emergencies with partial or full bunker gear on! Talk about restricting movements to turn the steering wheel or hit the brakes. Maybe it should be addressed in a training program.
Rich Shinske
Fire Service Instructor (Ret.)
Detroit (MI) Fire Department
Iread with great interest William C. Peters’ article “Driving Practices.” I was pleased to see that the article touched on so many key points and did so in an easy-to-read format.
I “certified” six new apparatus operators in “behind the wheel” driving techniques in October. Our department budgets 16 hours of didactic and practical closed-course training for these classes. The skills are to be revisited every two years. Earlier this year, I administered this program to all 180 members in our organization, from A1 to most junior firefighters not on probation. The six in October had just gotten off probation, which makes them eligible to drive within a few months. They will participate in a mini-driver academy after my class is delivered.
I am giving the article as a reading assignment for our entry-level drivers. In fact, I will use it in all future training sessions I conduct. Thanks to Chief Peters for writing an excellent condensed guide for safely operating fire apparatus.
Mike Ryan
Captain, Training Division
Santa Clara (CA) Fire Department
Firefighting: The new specialty team
I am starting a new specialty team called “Firefighting.” Its objectives would be to present basic information that has either been forgotten or pushed to the side and to instill a sense of respect, pride, and history back into this great calling. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are a big deal these days, and everyone is writing grants, having fund-raisers, and so on, trying to raise money for equipment and training for such incidents. Hazardous materials is another specialty that has everyone scrambling for government money and training, which are needed, but shouldn’t be our only focus.
What happened to the art of firefighting? We are getting away from our roots and the basics we were taught at the beginning of our careers. True, there are fewer fires today than 10 years ago. Does this give us a right not to train and prepare for when there is a fire? Of course not. It’s more of a reason to train.
WMD has everyone running around scared and wondering when someone will set off a bomb or use something we take for granted daily against us. I understand that to a point, but who is going to be there first, and what are we going to do when it happens? True, it depends on the situation. We are going to first save lives, starting with our own. This is where the basics you learned at the beginning of your career should kick in.
Knowing potential hazards such as smoke, color, fire behavior, and building construction are just a few from a long list of important pieces that make up the puzzle to help get us back to the station and our families safely.
I don’t believe there is enough emphasis on the basics these days. I have met firefighters who have been on the line for at least five years who don’t have a clue as to what hose management is or how to do it. The hoseline is your lifeline in a fire. It is vital that you know how to deploy it, move it, and use it so you and your brothers don’t lose your lives.
Rookie firefighters have no business knowing more about hazardous materials than topics such as how to vent a roof with an ax in case the saw breaks. Our main goal is firefighting; if we don’t keep our job skills sharp and our minds focused, there will be more deaths than ever before. We are firefighters, not ambulance attendants, nuclear chemists, or bomb experts. We belong to the greatest brotherhood in the world. We must stay focused on what our job is: to save life and property and to conserve the environment.
Let’s get back to the basics. Share your knowledge with the new recruits. Keep them focused and their skills sharpened so that one day when you need them, there will be no doubt in your mind that they will be there for you.
Wayne Sutherland
High Point (NC) Fire Department
Saws and roof ventilation
In his article “Ventilation Tactics for Pitched Wood Roofs” (Training Notebook, July 2004), although author Mark Waters gives excellent information and tips for size-up, laddering, and safety considerations, he misses the mark when talking about the dangers of power saws. His concerns for working in awkward positions, cutting through roof supports, starting difficulties, and stalling in smoke have not been issues since the early 1990s, when Cutters Edge developed the first dedicated fire rescue chain saws.
First, let’s distinguish between the two major categories of power saws used in ventilation, the chain saw and the rotary saw. His opinions do apply to the dangers of using a rotary saw for peaked roof ventilation; however, even the rotary saw has been made safer recently when Cutters Edge introduced a rotary saw with a spring-loaded guard that automatically covers the portion of the rotary blade that is not in the roof during the cut. But, even with the new spring-loaded guard, I agree with Waters that the rotary saw is not the best choice for ventilating peaked roofs.
However, when a dedicated fire rescue chain saw is used, I must disagree with Waters regarding the safety of chain saws for ventilating peaked roofs. During a fire, the possibility of limited to no visibility is always a consideration; on a pitched roof, the firefighter’s position is going to be awkward regardless of which ventilating tool is used. In 1992, Cutters Edge developed and patented the first guard/depth gauge for a chain saw. It covers all of the cutting chain, protecting the operator. It allows the depth of cut to be set so no roof supports can be cut, and it relieves some of the awkwardness on the peaked roof not only with this added safety but also by extending the operator’s reach. It also can help the operator maintain his balance by being capable of supporting the operator’s weight, like a cane or crutch, on the roof if necessary.
As for difficulty starting power saws on the roof, all brands of saws currently being manufactured are equipped with virtually failsafe electronic ignitions; compression release valves; and, in the case of Cutters Edge, a momentary contact switch for one-step starting. But even more than that, with a guard/depth gauge-equipped saw, the saw can be started on the ground and safely carried up to the roof while running because all the chain is completely covered by the guard.
Regarding saws’ stalling in smoke, internal combustion engines will not run unless at least 17 percent oxygen is present in the ambient air, but it is usually not the lack of oxygen in the smoke that causes stalling of power saws. It is usually the products of combustion, unburned gases, tars, and creosotes present in the smoke that physically clog up the air filter. Cutters Edge deals with this by increasing the size and effectiveness of the filters. Our four-stage filters have 211.4 square inches of filtration surface and filter contaminants less than 1 micron in size. We also use centrifugal-force air injection to pressurize the carburetor compartment to prevent vapor lock.
In my 25 years as a firefighter and 20 years of manufacturing dedicated fire rescue chain saws, ideas for ventilation tools from reciprocating saws to routers on a stick have been brought to me. I have considered and tested all these ideas with safety, ease of use, effectiveness, and speed of cut as my main criteria; the results have been the same.
Waters sums up my argument for venting peaked roofs with power saws nicely when he says, “Exit immediately. Get off the roof as soon as ventilation is completed.” A dedicated fire rescue chain saw is the safest and fastest way to ventilate a pitched wood roof.
Thomas J. Ruzich
President
Cutters Edge
Julian, California
EDITOR’S NOTE
Strip Mall Fires, Part 2 (October 2004), page 26, column 3, paragraph 3, line 5: William Carey has given the following explanation for the truck’s being allowed to pull in ahead of the engine at this particular scenario. The truck is a 100-foot rear-mount ladder truck; it “does not own” the front of the building at this type of strip mall fire. The tower ladder would own the front of this strip mall fire building; this would provide sufficient room for the bucket to be lowered so the master stream could be used if exterior operations were needed. Ladder trucks are better used when positioned near the corners of the fire building, thereby minimizing the risk of being within the collapse zone. The ground ladders are placed in the approximate areas of the exposed occupancies, where they will be needed most.
On page 28, column 1, Line 7 should read as follows: “the third-due company not to operate its.”
