By Mark van der Feyst
There are three main power saws used by firefighters: ventilation saw, rotary saw and a concrete chain saw. Each is gas powered and must be started by a pull chord.
There are different ways to start a chainsaw in the forestry service, but in the fire service there is one suggested safe way.
Place the saw on the ground or a surface for stability. Place one foot on the footplate by the handle to keep the saw from moving when pulling the chord Follow the appropriate process for preparing the saw before pulling the chord. This may involve pulling out the choke and then pulling the pull chord once or twice allowing the engine to turn over but stall. Then the choke would be pushed back in, the pull chord pulled again with the engine starting and running smoothly.