“The key to successful operations is training”

Welcome to The Training Continues page of the Adams Area Fire District website. This page is dedicated to all the brave men and women who have died in the line of duty while protecting the residents of their community. We owe it to them and their families to learn all we can and train as if our lives depend on it, because they do.

Members will be able to use this page to keep apprised of upcoming company drills and local level training. Included will be more pictures and descriptions of recent training. Additionally we will post periodic training tips to put in your toolbox. Lastly there are links to some excellent web sites that offer some solid information from brothers and sisters all over our country.

“Let no mans ghost return to say his training let him down”

About Our Instructors.

Adams Area Fire District is proud of the level and quality of training that we give our brother and sister members. This is only possible due to the commitment and dedication of each and every person involved with our department. Training, both internal and external, is coordinated by a committee of officers and members who meet monthly to set goals and establish schedule for comprehensive training. Our education is provided by several “in-house” instructors who have taught on a local and national level.

Lt. James Ellis

Jim Ellis is a “home-town” boy who has ascended the ranks of the fire service. He is currently assigned to Engine 8, of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, as its Lieutenant. Jim started with the Mars Volunteer Fire Department as a junior member in 1990. He has held many offices in the department and was instrumental in the merger that formed the Adams Area Fire District. He is an instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and provides education throughout the region. He as instructed at the F.D.I.C. as part of Fireground Ready, a professional fire-service teaching company. Jim takes a very active leadership roll in the direction of the Fire District. We are indebted to him for his guidance.

Assistant Chief Al Minjock

Al joined the Mars Volunteer Fire Company in 2005 after moving to Adams Township. He started his fire career as a junior member of the Greenock Volunteer Fire Company of Elizabeth Township in 1980. He served in various capacities throughout Elizabeth Township for 25 years eventually serving as Chief. His professional career has lead him to serve as firefighter of the City of Virginia Beach for several years. Al is an instructor for the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and has lectured nationally for several teaching organizations including at the F.D.I.C. and he has served as a professional fire service consultant in departments undergoing consolidation and mergers.

Words of Wisdom

By: Chief Billy Goldfeder

Make sure you have adequate staffing on the FIRST ALARM before you realize you need it....forget "false" pride, put enough equipment and manpower on the road IMMEDIATELY and AUTOMATICALLY even if you have to count on neighboring FD's.

You cannot properly and safely respond to a reported structural fire with 4-5 people as your first alarm assignment. NEVER get off the apparatus without at least ONE tool in your hand plus a light.

Stay low, even the best bunker gear will not protect you when you are STANDING UP in a fire.

When you hear "We have less fires today!!?? Tell'm "then we MUST have even MORE quality, realistic and aggressive training." Training is NOT handing someone an american heat video and tell'n em to watch it...those may be INTERESTING but training must be physically "doing".

Which line to pull? (gen'l rule of thumb) is Residential-1-3/4" line.
Commercial or Multi Occ-2-1/2" line with immediate following backups.

If you pull ONE LINE, you must ALWAYS pull a second line....they can always
be put away ....but it sucks when you need the "missing" 2nd line-and it's too late.

Beware of the firefighter who tells you he has survived numerous "real" flashovers and doesn't act scared.

Beware of the firefighter who "doesn't need any more training".

Train and act as if motorists are blind and want to hurt you while on the highway.

Make sure your apparatus is so visible and loud that it annoys people.

When you are told to open up a roof, make sure it is big enough to drive a small car through.

Stay out of the doorway leading to the fire-you are blocking things.

Make sure doors won't close behind you...carry wooden wedges.

Make sure garage doors don't close behind you...assign a firefighter to it.

Make sure a plier/wirecutter and knife are in your coat pocket-where you can get to it when geared and packed up.

PASS devices don't work when we have to remember to turn them on.

If UPS can track packages, why can't we track firefighters just as easily and quick?

Positive pressure works well, AFTER the fire is under control.

An automatic alarm is a FIRE until we get there and determine it's not (many will not agree with me on this one but I say if you have good enforcement over false alarms, the problem of false automatic alarms can be minimized...with today's alarm technology, there are far fewer false alarms)

EMS is important, but we can get hurt and killed alot easier at a fire.

No one determines the status of a fire except the FD (beware of "cancel'n cops)....NO ONE cancels the FD except one of our own.

Power tools need regular daily maintenance and checking...shut off Jerry Springer and go check your tools.

Lay a supply line on EVERY reported fire, you can always put it back.

As Brannigan says "The Building is your Enemy"--KNOW your ememy before the battle. There is NO excuse for not having every structure (except single family dwellings) pre-planned in your "first due" area...and, there is nothing BETTER than having it when you have a working fire.

Big fire? Big Water! Sometimes a handline is NOT the answer! How fast can your FD deploy a ground monitor?

We cannot use single family dwelling tactics on a commercial or large area building fire. Plan, train and practice for those fires too.

Beware of firefighters who have 6 months on the job with a mouth of "22 years experience". (we refer to the as "6-22's).

There are essentially 2 ways to protect firefighters from a flashover...1-Vent, 2-Cool with water.....it takes adeqaute staffing to do both.

We must remember to VENT early, VENT often and VENT in coordination with the other crews.

Career Firefighters? Volunteer Firefighters? Paid-On-Call Firefighters? We have all seen great ones and clueless ones on all sides of this business. The labels mean nothing...it's all performance based.

Firefighters..you joined to serve...so don't try to "customize" the FD to meet YOUR personal needs...respond quickly everytime the tones go off and participate in training regularly...and remember "Ask NOT what your fire department can do for you...ask what YOU can do for your fire department"....(with apologies to JFK)

Officers: Your primary job (when riding the front seat) is proper size up, quick report and appropriate initial leadership/tactics....it is NOT just to blow the sirens, horns and scream on the radio....the safety of your crew is #1...take "the front seat" seriously.

Officers-Your absolute primary job is to send your crew home in one piece after the run...can your crew and their family trust you to do that? Do you have the experience, training and knowledge required to do that?

Chiefs-Yes, you are absolutely right-It is NOT easy being a Chief today ...actually, it has never been more challenging or difficult.

Ex-Chiefs (see above item).

Commissioners/Presidents: Your challenges have never been more obvious...but don't forget that the firefighters are your customers too.

Officers -Doing accountability AFTER we realize that someone is missing, sucks. Firefighters...sometimes you DON'T have a say or input on all decisions....a FD is not always a democracy.

A C.O. alarm going off is not a red light and siren run.

Officers should generally be trusted by the Chiefs but Chiefs should ALWAYS look after the Officers.

Beware of the Chief who doesn't go to fires because he "totally" trusts the officers...sorta like a football coach who doesn't go to the game.

Beware of the Chief who says "we are an EMS department that also, occasionally goes to a fire"

A Chief CANNOT be on the fireground and NOT be responsible....yeah, I know all about ICS but I still maintain that if a Senior Chief is there, he IS responsible. Be careful, be safe and don't forget - we are STILL in the business of going to FIRES - Be prepared before ya have to be.

Politicians generally DO NOT have firefighters interests in mind. History has proven that. Once in a while, a good one comes along.

If you have to explain THE BROTHERHOOD, they won't get it.

Tower Ladder Operations

The Tower Ladder is the most versatile type of aerial apparatus. It is especially useful in employing aggressive firefighting operations. Not only can more be done from the tower ladder vs. straight stick, but it also can be done safer! The purchase of the tower ladder and its long life after refurbishment are a true investment in operational capabilities and firefighter safety. Here are 10 tips in regards to Tower Ladder Operations.

1. The Stang Gun which is “fix mounted” in the basket provides a truly “portable” appliance capable of being rapidly deployed and moved based on the needs of the incident commander. Whether deployed above grade or below the ability of the master stream to be relocated at a moments notice is in valuable.
2. When positioning on private dwellings place the turntable at a corner of the building. This will allow you to scrub two sides of the building and reach the bedroom windows to the front and one side. The stabilization system of the aerialscope allow for it to operate “off road”, in a much easier fashion than traditional aerial devices. Care must be taken when the truck is “beached” no to allow for the vehicle to become trapped or even sink. Going off the paved surface should be limited to those situations where there exists a defined need to use the platform for extended firefighting or rescue situations. 
3. Position outside the collapse area and directly in front for commercial storefronts or strip malls. This will allow you to use the Stang Gun as a portable master stream. The tower can reach and hit more angles than the Deck Gun or Portable Monitor.
4. The tower basket provides a stationary base of operations that can be relied upon when uncertainty exists as to the stability of roof. Members are afforded to opportunity to limit the amount of weight applied to an impaired structure and still perform tasks necessary to improve conditions for those firefighters operating within a structure.
5. The tower ladder platform can support incredible amounts of weight while still flowing at maximum capacity of 1500 g.p.m. The “box-boom” construction of the tower sections provides superior strength to weight rations when compared to traditional ladder based tower options.
6. Although it may seem like a straight stick can be put in service faster, keep these things in mind. As the straight stick is being positioned, firefighters must wait to ascend the aerial, with a tower they are in the bucket ready to go. With the aerial ladder firefighters must carry saws and tools up to the roof slowing down their climb. On the tower firefighters will have these tools on floor and will not have to carry them, allowing them to be rested as they arrive at their workplace.
7. When attempting to pull box gutters, siding, or clear windows at low angles on the aerial ladder the firefighter must balance himself on the rungs while swinging tools. Additionally when repositioning to another window or area he or she must pause their work and be extremely careful as the ladder is extended or retracted to reach the target. A towers platform allows you to stand firmly with rails enclosing you and a belt and repositioning is right at your fingertips while you continue to work.
8. The aerial ladder provides a continuous path of egress? This is often said, however if you have one old grandma that you need to bring down an aerial ladder you will create a rush hour traffic jam! Additionally if too many people attempt to exit onto the aerial ladder and someone slows the decent halfway down this will overload a 500lbs tip very quickly! So this statement may be true for getting trained firefighters down but not victims. The tower ladder will remove fire victims faster under most circumstances.
9. How do you remove the unconscious or injured victim after they are at the turntable of an aerial ladder? The tower can be positioned at ground level!!!
10. The Tower Ladder offers an excellent elevated purchase point for both above and below grade rescue applications. Its uses are only limited by the imagination of the responding crew and incident commander. With its extraordinary tip load and ability to execute very fine movements, the tower ladder’s abilities show why it is a superior choice.

In closing we wanted to give the readers an opportunity to see some of the benefits of this truly versatile device. In future articles we will explore many of these tips in detail.

The 30% Club 
By Jake Rixner 

There is a little known club in the fire service; I call it the 30% club. The members of this club have what it takes to get the job done no matter what the circumstances.
I first noticed this club when assigned to 5 Engine in Richmond, Virginia. 5 Engine was the busiest Engine Company in Richmond, for the entire 8 years I was assigned there. It was a wonderful place for a young fireman to learn his trade.

In the early 1980’s all three shifts at the nickel were taking in about 80 to 100 working fires a year, most of which were in the first due. To really learn how to be a good fireman, one has to go to fires. And the action didn’t get any better than 5 Engine.

Some of the best Officers, and firemen were assigned to the busy house on Leigh Street. Lessons of previous battles were passed down from the senior members. Friendships were forged that will be taken to the grave. We also worked with 18 other men assigned to 1 Truck that shared the cramped quarters. Many of them, were also members of the 30% club.

What is the 30% club? 

Have you ever noticed that when first arriving at a working fire, its always the same guys who step-up and take the fight to the fire? Now far be it for me to point fingers at the rest of the members, but it seems that some guys have a strong urge for self-preservation. Another important point is that someone has to take the hydrant. 
In my early days as a Richmond Fireman, it was always the same guys you bumped into inside a fire building. 

Pitch black smoke, the sound of crackling fire, a campfire noise amplified 100 times by being confined inside a building. Who is that? It’s Buzzy, It’s Pinky, It’s Radar, it’s Mikey, It’s Bryan, It’s Grayson, and the list goes on. Richmond has always been blessed with great firemen; it has been passed down from generation to generation. It always felt good to be crawling down that long dark, hot hallway with these men. 

Upon finding the fire, the pipe is opened and the steam seams to find every opening in your clothing, making and uncomfortable situation even worse. Thru clenched jaws you “stick it out” that extra 30 seconds that it takes to turn a second alarm fire into just another all-hands job.

The members of the 30% club know that their work will not be featured on the news, the public will never see what they do. That small burns to the ears, & neck are part of the trade. They know that many second and third alarm fires (which can generate intense media coverage) would have been put out for want of a thirty percenter on the pipe. Members of the club also know that once the fire is knocked down, there will be a wave of firemen on scene wanting to help pull ceilings and walls, making sure the rub a little soot on themselves. At times it gets so tight you can’t move.

So what is it that drives these guys? Thirty percenters love the challenge of taking on a force of nature, and living to tell about it. They know that the true reward working in this business is what you give back to the community, the life you helped save, the building you helped save, the little boys baseball card collection. A little girl’s American girl doll collection. The family photo album. Things that can never be replaced are some of the things that drive the “thirty percenter”. There is also a bond, a brotherhood that is formed by shared hardships, and shared danger. Respect, the respect you get from Officers and co-workers. I can remember what it meant to me. The many times of “Good job” or the eye contact from officers who know what you just went through, and what you’ve accomplished. The respect your company receives from the Battalion Chiefs. The respect you receive in the firehouse kitchen, etc. It feels good to be in the thirty percent club.

How do you join?

You join the club by taking all available training classes. Learn your business so you are not a danger to yourself or those around you. Then you must figure out who in your department is trustworthy, and stick with him at the next fire. Like any trade, you need a mentor to show you the ropes. 

Be careful, the loudest talker at the kitchen table may not be the best fireman on the fireground; its often that quiet guy sitting at the table taking it all in, who just might surprise you at the next worker. One sure way to tell is to push the line in at the next fire and see who you bump into………I can promise you that it is right then that you will have become a candidate for the thirty percent club. And you may even be seen with a slight grin on your face when one of the pretenders rubs a dirty glove across his face… 

About the author 

Jake Rixner is a fire Lieutenant with 20 years service in the Richmond, Virginia Fire Department. He previously worked as a firefighter in Washington DC. His fire service career started as a volunteer in Monroeville, Pennsylvania in 1978 at Company #5 (the busiest in Alleghany County). 

He has had articles featured in Fire Engineering Magazine and has instructed at the FDIC. He is an instructor in Virginia. Lt. Rixner holds an associate's degree in Fire Science. Lt. Rixner still volunteers in Kentland in Prince Georges County, MD.

1. Ensure that some piece of apparatus responding is carrying the proper truck company tools and is assigned only to dedicated truck operations. This does not mean it has to be an aerial, but the rig should have the right tools. The size up will be better if the crew coming in knows they will be operating as the truck company.

2. Ladders, Ladders, Ladders!!! Are they ready? Are you ready? Is your company ready? Design apparatus to carry the ladders you need, not what a manufacturer says they can put on. Have ladders ready for rescue. Get the ladders off of the rig and use them, and inspect them constantly. Practice looking at buildings and thinking about what ladders would work and where you would position them. Know how to carry, raise, and extend every ladder in your inventory. Get your whole company on the same page on how you will carry, raise, and extend your ladders as a team. Last but not least, ladders mean life; get the ladders and plenty of them in place at every fire.

3. Search smart. Look at the building before entering, visualize the layout, look at conditions, and check for your egress points. Don’t Get Tunnel Vision. Ensure you communicate with the engine guys and that they are aware of your search and protecting you while you search. Use oriented search techniques for speed, ropes for low visibility, and always take a tool and a light.

4. Forcing entry will get you into the hazard area. Forcing exits lets you get out. Make sure we don’t stop at getting the front door. Get the building opened up so that our brothers and sisters don’t have to fight to get out.

5. Seating assignments affix accountability, reduce duplication of effort, ensure tasks are completed, provide purpose to train, and increase our efficiency on the fire ground. Give them a try.

6. Know the enemy!!! Get out and pre-plan your buildings. Find out what roof construction exists and write it down somewhere. Look for hazards that may present themselves and see if it can be added to the dispatch information. When preplanning take a look at the building and think only about truck company operations. When you narrow down your views to a specific operational perspective, you will catch a lot of things you might normally pass over if you were looking at the big picture. Take turns preplanning, take pictures and post them in and around the station so others can see what you found out, don’t just put the info in books.

7. Practice like we play. Build props that will be as close as possible to the real thing. Breathe air on every search drill. Try to find safe but available buildings to get into and get a real feel for tools operations. Buy the heavy rescue dummy, pulling a victim out is that tough!!!

8. Don’t let firefighters enter burning buildings without properly ventilating the structure. Besides putting out the fire, venting is the most valuable tactic performed to save victim’s lives and firefighters lives. It makes the enclosed building environment safer.

9. If you had to remember 3 things to accomplish as a truck company at a fire, perform these tactics in this order.
1. Ventilate the building.
2. Force entry and provide egress.
3. Search the building.

10. Lastly, do your best, always work to be better and remember your goal is to go home to your family at the end of every shift, or every response. Make sure that everyone in your company operates safely to meet that same goal.