Tonight we had a good practice session on how to deploy hose from our engine on the main floor up a staircase and down a hall to a room. Not all fires and hose deployments are simple so this was good practice for all in how to work around corners and up stairwells.
Last night RVFC participated in ice rescue training with companies 31, 50 and Gamber’s dive unit. A 30 minute in-station powerpoint was presented first describing how to secure the scene and methods of rescue. Then all companies (including E412, E413, S414, SU418, U419 and M415 from 41) went to the Department of Natural Resources game farm off of Gwynnbrook Road in Owings Mills for practical ice rescue training. A whole was cut in the 8″ thick ice and volunteers in wet suits went into the water and then were rescued.
This morning we did ladder training with Glyndon and T404. This was done to give some of our newer members experience climbing a 100′ ladder to climb up to a building on the ladder.
Photos courtesy of C Hewitt.
After having a reasonably quiet November we are ending the month with a very busy Tuesday night. Tonight we were alerted for a house fire in 56’s area just south of us. E412 and S414 were both on the road but then canceled upon E56’s arrival.
Then shortly after that around 9pm tonight Station 41 was alerted for a rescue box with a patient trapped north of us on Route 30. S414 arrived and took command and then E412, T404, E422, M505 and several other apparatus arrived. One patient was trapped in the vehicle and S414 and T404 worked to extricate the person. After about 15 minutes with the spreaders and cutters on the car the person was extricated. A helicopter was requested for transport but was not able to fly due to the poor weather so the patient was transported by ambulance to the hospital.
E412 arrived back in station and within 10 minutes were alerted, along with S414 and several other stations for another person trapped in their vehicle. The location was not clear and it took several minutes to find the vehicle which, again, was on Route 30. One patient was trapped in a vehicle off the side of the road and T404, E412 and S414 worked to extricate the person from their vehicle. The patient was transported to a local hospital by ambulance.
Our members are continually taking classes to advance themselves. Several are in the Firefighter II class that is currently being held. Below are some pictures of the class when E413 went out down to the Fire Rescue Academy.
Pictures are courtesy of M Teller.
Last night E412 and S414 went out in Reisterstown and did some foam and hose training. E412 is one of the few engines in the county that has a Compressed Air Foam System. We use CAFS as part of our standard operating procedures as it has many advantages over plain water. It performs a faster knock down and absorbs more heat with less water. This will limit property damage and increase firefighter safety.
The foam is essentially dish soap and the picnic table was washed off before we left.
Truck 18 from the Randallstown Fire Station came to Reisterstown for rescue training this morning. Training covered the Rescue Jack struts carried on the county ladder trucks. Truck 18 also got to train on our Holmatro Rescue tool system.
Tonight the Reisterstown crew did rope rescue training (z-rig, pig rig, packaging the patient, etc).
Tuesday night is training night for the juniors. Tonight’s training was donning gear. The goal is to have the gear on in one minute and to have the breathing apparatus on in another minute. For now the goal is to get it on properly, first, and then work on speed.
Tonight Chief Murray led the crews through vent, enter, search (VES) and RIT training. Three stations were setup and the crew was split up through each of the stations. This training is some of the most basic and most important for rescuing people or firefighters that are trapped.
