Mayday
Mayday events can stop an incident in its tracks, as the team refocuses efforts on locating a downed, trapped or disoriented firefighter. Firefighters are encouraged to call a mayday whenever they feel they need help from fellow crewmembers and not wait until it is too late to be reached. The FireRescue1 Mayday resource page provides essential information on how to train for mayday events, video on how to prevent mayday events, details of the rapid-intervention team, plus news of mayday events and Rapid Response analysis of mayday incidents.
It’s important to underscore the danger of the situation while not instilling an unproductive level of fear
From prevention to data-driven decision-making, department leaders must set the tone for mayday-minded training
Your crewmembers are your lifeline to survival, so communicate as much as possible
A driver struck gas lines at the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, leading to an explosion as Wilmington firefighters searched for occupants
State and Buffalo Fire Department reports cite accountability lapses, interior ops failures, an untrained acting officer and delays in defensive ops in death of Firefighter Jason Arno
Done right, safety briefings are a critical window to teach fire behavior, strategy and lessons from the field — not just rehearse risks
We must create an environment that preserves the incident commander’s cognitive bandwidth
A Maryland fire captain died after falling into a basement during a 2021 house fire, with investigators citing gaps in size-up, crew integrity, and rapid intervention readiness
Training proved critical when a Castle Rock firefighter fell through the floor at a house fire
A fire fueled by broken gas lines escalated to a third alarm after a Fort Worth firefighter fell through an elevator shaft, prompting a mayday call
Following a four-year investigation into the death of New Haven firefighter Ricardo Torres Jr., federal officials say missed communication and command inexperience contributed to his death
The May 31, 2013, motel structure collapse resulted in the five LODDs, four at the time of the incident, one years later
A firefighter battling the Saratoga Street fire suffered a medical emergency while on an aerial ladder
One firefighter is in critical condition and another stable after a fire on West Saratoga Street
One of 13 NIOSH recommendations highlights the department’s proactive mental health response, including mandatory check-ins and peer-led crisis support
Firefighters from eight fire departments battled a blaze in Lehigh County
One firefighter is in serious condition after being injured during a fire on Staten Island where an elderly person was trapped
Captain David Meyer joined the department in 1996 and was assigned to Truck 29
Body-worn camera footage shows fire erupting from a second-story window just before the roof gives way, briefly trapping a Christopher firefighter
Allentown firefighters rescued a trapped resident during a three-alarm rowhome fire that extended into other homes
A firefighter battling a fire in Brooklyn suffered a medical emergency while working on the roof of a four-story building
A Miami firefighter was hospitalized in stable condition after falling through a floor while another firefighter sustained second-degree burns
A firefighter became disoriented and transmitted a mayday while in the basement of a burning commercial structure
Binghamton Firefighter John “JR” Gaudet was known as “the kind of firefighter you could always count on”
Firefighters Jonathan Guzman and Darren Jones, along with Captain Edward Escamilla, were burned after becoming trapped during an apartment fire
Ibrahim details his own mayday experience and shares his take on proactive vs. reactive RIT
Houston Firefighter Angel Gaitan recounts the apartment fire that trapped three firefighters during a flashover
Four Colorado Springs firefighters were injured while fighting a house fire in below-freezing weather
Jan. 23, 2005, marked the first time since 1918 that FDNY members had died in separate calls on the same day
