The fundamentals of hoseline operations are too often forgotten at fire scenes. When basic firefighting procedures and tactics are not followed, serious injury or tragedy could follow.
It seems that a lot of the problems we encounter are water-related and lead to disasters that we did not anticipate. Sometimes we can’t correct the problem due to factors beyond our control, but we must adjust our tactics nonetheless. What happens when you encounter a frozen or out-of-service hydrant with an immediate need for water? Or worse yet, what if there’s no hydrant system at all?
Water is, of course, the most important ingredient for putting out the fire. A properly placed hoseline can save civilian lives while also protecting firefighters operating above the fire and in other parts of the building or the exposures. The hoseline can be used to protect an exposure or inhibit the spread of fire from one floor to another. The bottom line is we need to rapidly stretch the hoseline and put it into position to confine and extinguish the fire.
I was working the night of the Atlantic Avenue collapse in 1998. A number of firefighters were injured and two of them were killed, Captain Scott LaPiedra and Lieutenant James Blackmore. I was working in Rescue 4 that night. While Rescue 2 was extricating the trapped firefighters, I was placed in charge of shoring up a lean-to collapse of the second floor with a medium fire condition existing behind the area of the trapped firefighters.
There was an engine company present with a charged line and they used it to hold the fire back while the rescue operation was commencing. This allowed us to continue working without fear that the fire would extend or light up in the area of rescue operations. There is no doubt that had this properly placed hoseline not been in position, we would have lost additional firefighters that night.
Another important issue to examine is advancing the hoseline while extinguishing the fire. Sometimes, I’ll hear an officer tell the nozzleman to shut down the line before advancing farther. I do not agree with this at all; if you have visible fire in front of you, keep the line open and keep it moving. The line should only be shut down to gain control of it or until all visible fire in the area is extinguished. Hit the fire in front of you at the ceiling level while moving the nozzle in a clockwise motion. Always sweep the floor with the line to cool down any falling debris or embers to minimize the potential for burns while advancing.
I remember a fire when I was a firefighter in Squad Company 1. We were advancing through an apartment in a multiple dwelling. I was backing up the nozzleman and had little experience moving a line down the hall. I told him to keep the line open as he knocked down fire and advanced through the doorway. He made a nice move into the door and then shut the line down to adjust some of his gear. This resulted in both of us being burned because the line was shut down. My burns were not as bad as the firefighter on the nozzle, who suffered severe burns to his upper and lower body. I was lucky to walk away with some burns to my wrist and neck area.
The room we were advancing into lit up because the water was not continuing to cool down the fire when the line was shut down. So when I stress the importance of keeping the line open and moving to rapidly confine and extinguish the fire, it’s because I’ve seen personally what happens when that isn’t done.
When it comes to hoseline operations, there are three things you should always remember: 1) Get into the door of the apartment or room rapidly to avoid the natural flue created by the fire; 2) When advancing the hoseline to the main body of fire, operate the nozzle forward of your position and at the ceiling; and 3) Remember to sweep the floor in front of you to cool the path of advancement and push burning materials out of the way. This will also minimize the chance of leg and knee burns.
The bottom line with hoseline operations is confining and extinguishing the fire as intelligently and quickly as possible to avoid the potential problems that always seem to rear their ugly heads when the fundamentals are ignored.