To have that “pick me up” you ask about, I recommend the following, and especially so if you were born in the 80’s:

“The District of Columbia Firefighter’s Project” Robert McCarl
Probably the most sought after DCFD book (I’ve been offered old leather helmets and coats for the copy I have), but you can find a PDF version online. This is a Smithsonian Institute folklife study about how the workplace shares information, on the job training, focusing on DCFD in the late ’60’s early 70’s.It isn’t filled with tales of fires and I know some have seen it as a bit boring, but it gives any firefighter and officer a great deal of material to learn from about how it is we pass things down and teach the new guys. I refer to it quite a bit at work.

“Braving the Flames” Peter Micheels
I believe it is in its second printing, this book is a brief look at the careers of some notable and unknown FDNY members. Particularly Vincent Dunn, Lee Ielpi and John Vigiano (I’ll read anything that talks about Capt. Vigiano – a great officer). Written by a FDNY staff psychologist, don’t let that throw you. Micheels simply relates his interviews; how the guys got started, probie experiences and at the time, their current work. It gives a great insight into how it was Vincent Dunn became so knowledgeable about collapse and safety. I’d rank this as good as “Report From Engine Co.82″. You’ll finish it before your tour is over, if you’re in a slow house.

“Collapse of Burning Buildings – A Guide to Fireground Safety” Vincent Dunn
Nowadays some of the younger generation can’t tell the working end of a hammer. Dunn teaches building construction terms and features in a style of writing that is similar to some of the well known firefighting novels of the past, already mentioned above. This style makes it easy to teach building construction and keep up the interest.

“Thirty Years On The Line” Leo Stapleton
Same as Vigiano, I’ll read most anything about Boston. A very, very good read about “old school” firefighting. Not to mention this classic is the catalyst of all his other well known works. Likewise, even after retirement, it is hard to find a chief that is still liked by his department these days. A definite pick me up.

“Black Hawk Down – A Story of Modern War” Mark Bowden
“In the Company of Heroes” Michael Durrant

Each book is about the tragic events in Mogadishu, Somalia on 3, 4 October 1993. Durrant’s is especially well written, as he was the pilot taken prisoner, the one that Shugart and Gordon were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor (posthumously) for trying to protect Durrant against an increasingly overwhelming force. In each, especially Bowden’s you can learn how complacency invades and corrupts even an elite fighting force. Likewise, you’ll read about certain individuals who stayed on top of their game, didn’t cut corners or take short cuts. Valuable insight that you won’t find if you only watch the movie.

“Little Drops of Water: 50 Years Later, Part 1″
Andrew Fredericks, Fire Engineering, February 2000
Little Drops of Water: 50 Years Later, Part 2″
Andrew Fredericks, Fire Engineering, March 2000
Andrew Fredericks. It’s rare to find a firefighter who would study a certain part of the job with as much detail as he did.

“The World’s Busiest Firehouse” Harry Davis, Fire Nuggets, May June 2007
Retired from the FDNY (SQ.18) I meet him at the Fredericks Memorial ceremony. I have great deal of respect for Mr. Davis and I wish he’d share more; a very smart guy. In this he talks about whenn he came on in ‘73 and the things his and other companies did. Some of what is thought of as new, today, was done years and years ago.

“Triumph and Tradition – Firefighting in Prince George’s County, Maryland, 1887-1990″ Ed Bosanko
Last time I saw, I think that Fire Service Publications was selling this. A good look at the history of a famous – or infamous -county. A pick me up sometimes, a depressant at other times. Still a good read for history sake.

I agree with Dan Shaw, 20,000 alarms is another great book. it’s just unbelievable the amount of work back then! I didn’t know Pete very well but I knew about him, what he stood for, his teachings, etc. And they seem to have gone along with anyone else I knew from that period of men. Andy Fredericks, I believe, was another one of those men. He has a quote that I use often and try to explain to the younger guys in my firehouse as to why we operate the way we do, “If you put the fire out, you don’t have to jump out te windows”.

Not to down play firefighter survival techniques or the RIT Group at fires but it seems more often then not the younger generation of firefighters worry about RIT Tactics instead of firefighting tactics.

It’s a great feeling to able to come here and find other firemen that have the same thought process and feelings.Thanks for a great place to come and share your thoughts.

Stay Safe

Goody

Pass these books on to your up and coming successors so they will understand what true courage and sacrafice is about. We are a fading breed now labeled as ‘Hyper-Aggressive Firefighters’. Pullezzz…

FIREMAN LANGE (KMG365)

A nice deviation from our normal topics but important nonetheless. I would add, what I believe Ricky and I will agree on, the Bible of why we do what we do.

“20,000 Alarms” by Lt. Richard Hamilton.

This book will regale you with tales that wished you were part of a fire service when it was not uncommon to drop hose in the street 20 times in one night! While it is out of print, you can still grab paperbook copies on Amazon for fairly cheap. Gotta love a book that ends with a comment by the author in which he talks highly of a probie he worked with on a job. The probie was Ray Downey…..

I think of basement access, read hoseline access, in three ways. Interior stairway access only, Interior and exterior stairway access, and interior stairway and same level walk out opening. Each has their obvious challenges, but I need to know what the options are as soon as possible in a fire origonating in the basement.

Our training tells us to protect the interior stairway and attack from the unburned side towards the seat of the fire. This commonly gets interpeted to mean the first line must go into the building, down the interior stairway to confine and extinguish the basement fire. This action places our people briefly on the floor platform that is being consume by the fire below, and we know the possible outcomes. Even placing a line at the top of the interior stairway in a holding action endangers that crew.

Young officers are conditioned to respond to these situations as they do intraining, when the platform above the basement fire will never be weak, and may act in a pavlovian way without realizing the consequences of the action. Those who have had a foot/leg plunge through a floor above the basement fire or crawled up to an area burned through and withdrawn, know the caution that needs to exercised.

Stress the point that the risk of placing crews in the position above the basement fire, or above any fire for that matter, needs to be equal to the benefit or impact on the fire outcome to justify the order.

Greg

The Usual – by John Finucane (FDNY) True tales from a retired FDNY lieutenant who worked the South Bronx during the “War Years”

Glitter & Ash – Dennis Smith (FDNY)

It Takes a Man to Cry – Steve Whalen (FDNY)

First In Last Out – Battalion Chief John Salka (FDNY)

Sadly you are right on target in regards to the increasing amount of firefighter injuries and deaths as a result of weak floors. This is only going to continue with the use of engineered floor systems. Traditional framing of floor joists allowed for burn through rates of approximately 1/2 inch every 10 minutes with both sides exposed. This burn rate allowed for us to have a margin of error that we got too fond of and frankly just lucky, most of the time. Todays engineered flooring systems leave us no room for error, failure can be as early as 5 minutes without direct flame impingement, just heat. As for those of you thinking “well all our buildings are old frame”, don’t forget that our fire load has changed. Today’s plastic fuel load brings with it a heat temperature and release rate that your father didnt have to contend with. Nick, yourself and DCFD are doing the brothers a tremendous service by making the check and teaching it to others. Good Job,
Here is a short list of some other basement dangers.
No Windows or Bars on Windows
Bad Interior Steps
Long hose stretches basement stairs in rear of house that strech back to the front
Basement Apartments (even single family, SRO’s)
Illegal basement storage
Drop ceilings (wires)
Open electrical panels
and something we see often, and contributed to losing three of our own, multiple floors below the street entrance.

Once again great article, take care

Jim