Firefighter Survival Awareness
Instructor Guide
Session Reference: 1
Level of Instruction:
Time Required: 3 Hours
Materials:
• Rope
• Video Tape Player And Monitor
• Tape Segments of Fires with Firefighter Fatalities
References:
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PREPARATION:
Motivation:
Instructor should make students aware of the importance of being able to take simple
measures to survive in a fire situation.
Objective (SPO):
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the importance for knowing personal
survival techniques if trapped in a fire situation.
Overview:
Firefighter Survival Awareness
• Risk management
• Activities to minimize risk
• Personal survival/evacuation
• Firefighter rescue
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Firefighter Survival And Rescue
SPO The student will demonstrate an understanding of the importance for knowing personal
survival techniques if trapped in a fire situation.
EO 1-1 Identify incidents where firefighter lives have been lost and measures that could be taken
to better manage the risk.
EO 1-2 Identify certain systems or activities which are in place to reduce or minimize risk at the
fire scene.
EO 1-3 Identify techniques which could be used to escape a fire situation in an emergency.
EO 1-4 Identify techniques which could be used to remove a firefighter who needs assistance.
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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NOTE: In order to generate additional interest in the
program, it is suggested that local policies, procedures, and
case studies be utilized, where and when appropriate.
I. Risk Management (1-1)
A. Firefighter Death and Injury Statistics
1. Approximately 100 firefighters lose
their lives in the line of duty each
year.
2. The leading cause of death is heart
attacks.
3. Of the firefighters killed from other
than heart attacks, how many could
have been prevented?
4. What are some of the common
threads involving deaths from other
than heart attacks?
B. Recent Incidents Involving Firefighter Deaths
At this point, the instructor should present
two or three case studies involving firefighter
deaths. If possible, utilize ones that the
audience can relate to. Video tape segments
from American Heat or Working Fire as well
as technical reports from the United States
Fire Administration may be helpful in the
presentation. Among the suggested fires that
could be considered for discussion are:
1. 750 Adams Avenue, High Rise
Apartment House (Memphis TN)
2. Hackensack Ford, Auto Dealership
(Hackensack NJ)
3. Brycelyn Street, Single Family
Residence (Pittsburgh PA)
4. Cold Storage Warehouse,
Commercial Building (Worcester
MA)
C. OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1910.134
1. Federal regulation involving
respiratory protection
2. Requires physical evaluation and
annual facepiece fitness testing
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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3. Minimum of two personnel available
whenever firefighting team is
operating in IDLH environment
4. Rescue team must be ready to rescue
firefighting team; should not be
performing any other duties
5. Firefighting team may begin search
and rescue for known rescue without
rescue team being in place
D. NFPA Standard 1500, Chapter 6
1. Minimum of two personnel available
whenever firefighting team is
operating in IDLH environment
2. Rescue team must be ready to rescue
firefighting crew; should not be
performing any other duties
3. Firefighting team may begin search
and rescue for known rescue without
rescue team being in place
E. Concept of Rescue Teams
1. Minimum of two personnel with
sufficient training and equipment to
perform rescue of other firefighters
2. Team should be positioned to be
readily available when needed
3. Team should not be performing any
other functions such as pump
operations or position in ICS
F. Rescue Team Equipment Requirements
1. Portable radio or radios
2. Charged hoseline
3. Forcible entry tools (hand and power)
4. Ladder to reach upper levels
5. Handlights
6. Rope bag
7. Spare SCBA for quick-fill or SCBA
swap out
8. Other equipment such as a thermal
imager as needed and available
G. Risk Management Philosophy (Alan
Brunacini)
1. Risk a lot to save a life
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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2. Risk a little to save property
3. Risk nothing to save nothing
(property already lost)
II. Activities To Minimize Risk (1-2)
A. Incident Command System
1. Five functional positions
a. Command
b. Operations
c. Planning
d. Logistics
e. Finance
2. Three staff positions
a. Safety
b. Public Information Officer
c. Liaison
3. Bring organization and command
structure to emergency scene
4. Established on all working incidents
B. Personnel Accountability System
1. Level 1 accountability - tags placed on
collection ring in cab of apparatus
2. Level 2 accountability - collection ring
taken to command post
3. Level 3 accountability - tags collects at
designated control points such as
entrance to structure (may require the
use of multiple tags for multiple
control points)
NOTE: Each firefighter should have a minimum of two
personal accountability tags--one for the collection ring and
the second for the entry control point.
C. Personal Items
1. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
2. Personal alert safety systems (PASS)
a. Should be checked
periodically to make sure it is
working
b. Operator should know how to
operate it in manual mode
c. Battery should be replaced
periodically)
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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d. Should be activated when
entering a structure or work
area
3. Self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA)
D. Buddy System
1. Always work in pairs
2. Stay in voice and visual contact with
each other
3. Share senses, e.g., hearing, seeing,
feeling (not smelling)
E. Back-up Teams/Rescue Teams
1. Should more experienced personnel
2. Must exercise restraint and not get
involved in operations unless needed
3. May want to consider rotating team
members
F. Scene Safety Zones
1. Hot zone - area of immediate danger;
may be defined by presence of toxic
gases or explosion hazard, potential
structural collapse, or area of vehicular
instability; full protective clothing
required
2. Warm zone - area adjacent to hot
zone; may be decon area on hazmat
incident; buffer zone between hot and
cold zones; protective clothing may be
required
3. Cold zone - staging area; no protective
clothing required
G. Evacuation Signals
1. Air horn blasts - 5 seconds at 15-
second intervals
2. Radio announcement - 5 consecutive
alert tones 2 seconds in duration
3. Pager activation (maybe)
NOTE: Once the evacuation signal has been activated, a
personnel accountability report (PAR) should be conducted
as quickly as possible to determine who might be missing.
Information should be gathered to determine where the
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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missing personnel were last seen or operating. This
information will assist the rescue team.
H. Rehab Areas and Procedures
1. Have areas designated for rehab and
make them known
2. Have procedures in place to establish
rehab on working incidents
3. Stress importance of rehab
4. Identify rehab requirements
I. Fireground Communications
1. Adequate radios
2. Direct communications through
Command Post
3. Determine channel for rescue team (if
separate from fireground operations)
4. Avoid unnecessary radio traffic
during firefighter rescue
J. Negative Activities
1. Complacency
2. Overconfidence
3. Tunnel vision
4. Freelancing
5. Disregard for basic skills and
knowledge
III. Personal Survival/Evacuation (1-3)
Some of the practical material in Sections III and IV
of this Instructor Guide is based on a training
program delivered in Frederick, Maryland, on March
27-28, 1999, by members of the training staffs of the
Anne Arundel County (MD) Fire Department and the
Howard County (MD) Department of Fire and
Rescue Services.
NOTE: The instructor should review each of these items in
the classroom before moving to the practical area for
demonstration and student practice.
A. Personal Survival Tips
1. Communicate "mayday"
2. Activate emergency button on radio
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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3. Shine light on ceiling
4. Turn PASS device on manual
5. Consider personal survival techniques
B. Interior Wall Breaching
NOTE: This activity involves making an opening in a wall
constructed of drywall and wood studding so that the
firefighting can crawl into an adjoining room.
1. Locate wall studding
2. Locate space between studs
3. Remove panel with heel of foot or
entry tool
4. Enlarge area as needed (may be able
to kick out stud at base)
C. Low Profile Wall Passage
NOTE: This activity involves being able to go through the
normal framing in a structure by maneuvering the body and
the SCBA to fit between the studs while standing. Every
effort should be made to complete this activity without
removing the SCBA backpack.
1. Size up area to pass through
2. May require removal of airpack from
back (must be done without
dislodging facepiece)
3. Once pass-through is completed,
return airpack to back
4. Remember wires and other
obstructions in walls
NOTE: There are some additional techniques such as the
ladder slide, hose slide, and personal rope slide that can be
utilized to evacuate a fire area in an emergency. These
techniques should only be taught and practiced under the
guidance of instructors qualified in those areas.
IV. Firefighter Rescue (1-4)
A. Stair Drag
1. One rescuer grabs victim's SCBA
shoulder straps
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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2. Second rescuer slides hands up
victim's turnout pants and makes fist
3. One rescuer pulls while other rescuer
pushes victim up or down stairs
B. Drag Drill
1. One person drag using SCBA straps
a. Place victim face up with
dummy SCBA (old SCBA no
longer in use; may want to use
pieces of carpet on concrete
surfaces to protect SCBA)
b. Rescuer grabs both of victim's
SCBA shoulder straps
c. Rescuer walks backwards
dragging victim
2. Two person drag using SCBA straps
a. Place victim face up with
dummy SCBA
b. Each rescuer grabs one of
victim's SCBA shoulder straps
c. Rescuers walk backwards
dragging victim
3. One person handcuff drag
a. Demonstrate tying handcuff
knot
1) Form a clove hitch
2) Pull the outer loop on
the left side back
through the middle
3) Pull the inner loop on
the right side out
through the middle
4) Pull on the two loops
that were moved
5) A loop should have
been formed for each
hand which are
adjustable by pulling
on the ends
b. Demonstrate placement of
handcuff knot on forearms
just below elbow
c. Place victim face up with
dummy SCBA
d. Tie handcuff knot and place
Instructor Guide Instructor Notes
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on victim's arms
e. Rescuer drags victim with
rope
4. Two person push pull drag
a. Place victim face up with
dummy SCBA
b. One rescuer grabs victim's
SCBA shoulder straps
c. Other rescuer slides hands up
victim's turnout pants legs as
far as possible and makes a
fist
d. Rescuers move victim in
coordinated fashion
NOTE: There are some additional techniques such as the
tight space rescue (Denver Drill), below floor rescue (Nance
Drill), and the ladder rescue that can be utilized to remove a
trapped firefighter from a fire area in an emergency. These
techniques should only be taught and practiced under the
guidance of instructors qualified in those areas.
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SUMMARY:
Review:
Firefighter Survival Awareness
• Risk management
• Activities to minimize risk
• Personal survival/evacuation
• Firefighter rescue
Remotivation:
Stress the importance of being able to think clearly and remain calm so that the techniques
practiced can be performed in an emergency situation. Part of the process of surviving is
the ability to perform under stress.
Assignment:
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EVALUATION:
Student performance should be evaluated by visual performance of practical skills during
the practical activities and evolutions.