This document presents a series of firefighting photos and asks readers to identify safety issues or things that could be improved in each picture. Others have provided comments on each photo pointing out lack of proper protective equipment, inadequate fire attack tactics, unsafe positioning, and other concerns. The goal is for firefighters to learn from analyzing real photos and consider how to apply lessons to stay safe in emergency response.

1. TEST YOUR FIREFIGHTING
KNOWLEDGE
BY: GARY EDWARDS

2. Before we begin
• This presentation is not to be used as a
means of finding fault or insult our fellow
brethren, but to be used as a tool to
recognize where we can improve our own
skills and abilities in order to
•STAY SAFE…

3. WHAT DO YOU SEE WRONG WITH
THIS PICTURE ?

4. Here is what others had to say
• Day 1 Stuff, Bell goes off jacket goes on i bet he shat his pants Is this
guy an idiot? How about that stupid ass Chief watching him .Do I hear
the circus coming? Must be some yahoo department. goes against what
we're taught hey people, OMG U HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME... IS THAT
THEIR POLICY TO FIGHT STRUCTURE FIRES WITH RED SUSPENDERS?
CAN WE SAY HEY GUBBER COME DOWN FROM THERE! FOUR
FIREFIGHTERS ONE SCBA...NO MASKS..WHERE IS IC? Personal
protective gear is extremely important, and in a situation like that it is
not something to joke about. Where is the safety officer? just like a
chief to sit there and watch. Hey Chief think you should say something?
Two other Nimrods, one without a helmet or gloves and the other
without a jacket, helmet or BA. Okay, maybe one explanation is this:
The guy on top of the ladder and the one below (w/o the helmet with
scba) were fighting the fire from INSIDE when it simply became too hot
to stand... and at that moment they had to bail out. On the porch or on
his way down the first one loses his helmet, the second one can't stand
the heat anymore and throws off his BA, helmet and vest on the porch
because they are burning hot... Then he jumps onto the ladder to get
out of there (you can see his feet aren't even ON it)... I don't see
anything coming out of the roof and I don't think it would be rolling like
that if the roof was vented. These guys give redneck fire departments a
bad name.. So i guess the helmet is optional in his department...

5. What could be done differently?

6. What others think
• It would behoove him to make himself a loop for support...would be
easier on him, at least his balls
• There should be more than one person on that line and like others
have said there should be more than one line in service
• The FF is probably tired and knows he isn't moving for a while. A
keely coil would be helpful, but when you get your chance to do
what he's doing, you'll understand why he's like that. There's
probably a bunch of other streams in service, coming from tower
buckets, aerial ladders, or other master stream sources. Lastly, the
rest of the crew is probably catching a break for a moment, or like
most FDs, doesn't have enough personnel to get all the jobs done.
• Believe it or not, sitting on the hose like that does not hurt, it is
awkward and uncomfortable but it definitely don't hurt and would
not throw you around. Its general physics, even looping it once then
sitting on it would reduce enough pressure to be comfortable to sit
on, without feeling like being lifted up...

7. What could be done differently?

8. What others think
• GOT AIRPACKS (SCBA) ?
• A HOSELINE READY WOULD BE NICE
• A SAFETY HARNESS OFF THE PLATFORM
MAY SAVE HIS LIFE IF ROOF COLLAPSES

9. What could be done differently?

10. What others have to say
• BIG FIRE = BIG WATER
• Lets think about this... Fully involved to
you left, Surround and Drown, protect the
buildings to either side(s) with a large
diameter hose/appliance
• Dangerous to straddle the line, both
should be on same side.

11. What’s wrong with this picture?

12. What others have to say
• WHERE'S THE SCBA C'MON GUYS THIS IS
WHY WE GET HURT!!
• 2 fog lines would work better
• Are those jeans?

13. What’s wrong with this picture?

14. What others have to say
• How about that trickle coming out of that
Blitzfire?
• The problem could have been the hydrant
was bad, an the truck had too many lines
off of it...that could add up to a trickle out
of the blitz gun
• It’s a goner, protect surroundings

15. What could be changed here?

16. What others had to say
• it looks like someone needs to grab a
hoseline
• no helmet, no SCBA and back turned to
the fire...either a probie or a chief

17. What’s wrong here,
and its not the obvious

18. Here is what others didn’t see
• Hose man, where are your gloves
• Backup person, interesting way to hold
the hose, but if it works???

19. What do you think?

20. Here is what others had to say
• WHY ARE THERE 5 GUYS ON THAT ROOF
C'MON GUYS..THIS IS WHY WE GET
HURT!!!
• Well a couple were making entry and two
were going to the peak and another was
holding the ladder for the men on the
peak doing ventilation

21. Take a guess what needs change

22. Others say
• if i was that guy i would have a pack on .
(SCBA)
• at least pull your shield down
• don't know if its lack of experience but if
that were me I would have an air pack
and mask on, and be a little farther away
from the tank
• I agree with you guys about the safety
items but maybe he just wanted to light a
smoke?

23. The truth is
• That was an LP training
burn, the camera man is
making it look like he’s a
lot closer than he really
is, the tank has a huge
hole in the bottom with a
LP pipe going up through
it, also notice the fog
pattern behind him, this
firefighter is fine and in
no danger at all

24. What could help here?

25. Some say
• A hose line in case something goes wrong would
be a definite asset
• Roof ladders, they're not just for traction any
more. They distribute your weight to help keep
you from going through the roof. The FF doing
the cutting may be on one and you can't see it.
The other FF is on the peak of the roof which is
generally a little more solid

26. Remember learn and live
•THE END
and
•STAY SAFE