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.
Done right, safety briefings are a critical window to teach fire behavior, strategy and lessons from the field — not just rehearse risks
The Campton-Thornton Fire Rescue firefighter fell waist-deep through a second-floor collapse, was freed by nearby crews
Deputy Chief John Russell likened the reason to “a salmon swimming upstream” as dozens of firefighters were moving in, and the injured firefighter was trying to get out
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Firefighter Mike Altman suffered second- and third-degree burns in a floor collapse while battling a fast-moving apartment fire
Three people were killed and nine others, including five firefighters, were injured in a four-alarm fire in Queens
Video posted to social media showed three firefighters bailing out from the second floor at the Falls of Point West Apartments
Kansas City firefighters rescued three residents from a burning apartment in the Independence Plaza neighborhood
The report urges departments to match tactics to conditions, identify isolation points, reinforce survival training and strengthen command, communication and risk management on the fireground
Firefighters issued a mayday call when part of a burning home collapsed during a two-alarm blaze in Philadelphia’s Wynnefield neighborhood
After rescuing residents from upper-floor windows, crews faced another crisis when a firefighter issued a mayday amid heavy smoke and later fell from a ladder
State police said a propane line was damaged when the Abundant Life Fellowship Church shifted under heavy snow, allowing gas to build up before a furnace ignited a catastrophic blast
Wallingford firefighters faced heavy fire on the second floor of a home, pulled a dog to safety, and cleared a mayday after a firefighter rapidly exited via ladder
The Omaha Fire Department said authorities have repeatedly removed unauthorized people from the home
Nine McKinney firefighters were injured, including two seriously, during search operations at a 2025 McMansion fire, underscoring air management, size-up and interior coordination
Three Nashua firefighters were hurt when a reported gas odor led to an explosion and fire at the Greater Nashua Mental Health facility
Roof failures, floor collapses and basement fires are the moments that test your training
Firefighters from six departments knocked down a two-alarm fire in Hull, with one firefighter narrowly avoiding injury after falling into a basement
Elite smoke diver programs push firefighters to master air management, survival and decision-making when visibility is zero and conditions are at their worst
A Newport News firefighter fell partially through the roof at a Phoebus fire, where crews rescued one person still inside
Collapse during RIT operations highlights the need for improved pre-incident planning and collapse zone awareness at vacant structures
A U.S. Coast Guard investigation found Newark firefighters searching for two missing colleagues aboard a burning cargo ship in 2023 never deployed available Pak-Tracker devices that could have helped locate them
With the right training and direction, rapid intervention should never be a dull assignment
A USFA report details how an undetected basement fire, a modified support system and a sudden floor collapse led to one of the deadliest incidents in department history
One firefighter was injured by a falling air conditioner during the Queens fire
Four Alpha Fire Company firefighters were honored for a swift mayday rescue after a floor collapse injured a captain during a second-alarm fire at the Woodward Inn
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FDNY crews battled heavy fire, a partial collapse and nearly nine hours of operations during a five-alarm matzo factory fire in Brooklyn
Eleven Salisbury firefighters were injured when a roof collapsed during an offensive attack on a house fire after a gas line explosion
Keene firefighters were briefly trapped during a house fire and suffered burns
A firefighter suffered minor burns after falling through a hole created by a crawl space fire
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