WHY AND HOW WE CRAWL...

AS MOST OF OUR FOLLOWERS AND READERS KNOW WE HERE AT LOOSE TOPICS ARE CONTINOUSLY TRYING TO IMPROVE THE FIRE SERVICE, ONE ARTICLE AT A TIME. SOMETIMES THIS BY VENTING ON PROBLEMS THAT OTHERS HAVE NOT SEEN OR HAVE OVERLOOKED. OTHER TIMES IT IS BY GIVING ADVICE ON HOW WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PERSONAL PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP IN OUR POSITIONS. AND SOMETIMES IT IS JUST REMINDING US OF THE VERY BASIC SKILLS WE LEARNED WHEN WE WERE IN OUR TRAINING ACADEMIES.

TODAY'S ARTICLE IS JUST THAT. WE WANT TO REMIND US WHY WE CRAWL IN STRUCTURE FIRES AND WE THINK WE HAVE FOUND A BETTER WAY TO DO IT. NOW WE DID NOT INVENT THIS NEW (TO US) WAY AND DON'T CLAIM TO, BUT  FEEL THAT WE NEED TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS THAT MIGHT NOT KNOW THIS WAY.

FIRST LET'S DISCUSS WHY WE CRAWL. THERE ARE ACTUALLY MULTIPLE REASONS WE CRAWL IN A STRUCTURE FIRE. AS WE ALL SHOULD KNOW, SOME OF US HAVE FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY, THAT IN A FIRE SITUATION SMOKE AND HEAT RISE. THESE TWO VERY DEADLY COMPONENTS WILL QUICKLY BEGIN TO FILL A ROOM FROM THE TOP DOWN. BY GETTING INTO A CRAWLING POSITION IT IS SOMETIMES POSSIBLE TO SEE THE SEAT OF THE FIRE AND GET TO IT AND EXTINGUISH IT QUICKLY WITH MINIMAL WATER DAMAGE. BUT THERE ARE OTHER REASONS AS WELL...

WHEN WE OPEN A DOOR AND INTRODUCE OXYGEN INTO A SMOLDERING FIRE IT COULD POSSIBLY CREATE A FLASHOVER OR BACKDRAFT SITUATION. BOTH OF THESE SITUATIONS ARE DEADLY TO FIREFIGHTERS IN FULL BUNKER GEAR, SO STAYING LOW IN THE CRAWLING POSITION AT LEAST GIVES US A FIGHTING CHANCE AT SURVIVAL.

LET'S ALSO SAY THAT A FIRE HAS BURNED THROUGH THE FLOOR AND THE ROOM IS FULL OF HEAT AND SMOKE. A FIREFIGHTER IN CRAWLING POSITION IS LESS LIKELY TO FALL THROUGH THAT HOLE IN THE FLOOR CAUSING INJURY.

THE NEXT REASON WE CRAWL IS THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON IN MY OPINION. THE REASON IS TO SEARCH FOR VICTIMS. A PERSON THAT IS TRAPPED INSIDE A STRUCTURE THAT IS FULL OF SMOKE, HEAT, AND FIRE WILL MOST LIKELY BE FOUND DOWN LOW ON THE FLOOR, EITHER ON THEIR OWN OR PASSED OUT THERE. BY CRAWLING WE ARE ABLE TO DO A MORE THOROUGH SEARCH FOR DOWN VICTIMS.

NOW ONTO HOW WE CRAWL. MOST FIREFIGHTERS CRAWL ON ALL FOURS USING THEIR TOOLS TO STRETCH OUT AND DO THEIR SEARCH. THIS IS DANGEROUS TO THE VICTIMS. IN THIS POSITION OUR HEAD IS DOWN AND VOICE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE FLOOR. THIS MAKES COMMUNICATION WITH CREW MEMBERS BEHIND US VERY DIFFICULT. CRAWLING IN THIS POSITION ALSO MAKES CHECKING THE CEILING AREA ABOVE QUITE DIFFICULT.

IN THE VIDEO BELOW JASON JEFFERIES DEMONSTRATES A BETTER WAY FOR US TO CRAWL AND EXPLAINS WHY. IT MAKES SEARCHING AND ADVANCING HOSE LINES A LITTLE LESS DIFFICULT. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO AND TRY THIS NEW METHOD OUT. ALSO PLEASE GO TO OUR FORUM AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS WAY OF CRAWLING...