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.
No matter which your department uses, it’s essential to keep messages clear when seconds count
Repeated training and breathing techniques to help lower your heart rate will help you make the mental shift
Your crewmembers are your lifeline to survival, so communicate as much as possible
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
A mayday followed by a partial roof collapse left one firefighter dead and at least four others in serious condition
Three Houston firefighters suffered serious burns when they were blocked by a heavy door during an apartment fire
Collapse
Five firefighters were trapped by a roof collapse, and a sixth during the rescue, at a fire in Fairfield
Two Southington firefighters became disoriented during a basement fire
A consultant’s review of the fatal fire criticized Sedgwick County’s 911 operations and the Wichita Fire Department’s lack of “self-reflection and accountability”
With the right training and direction, rapid intervention should never be a dull assignment
Firefighter Marcelo Garcia succumbed to injuries from a wall collapse during a warehouse fire
The Chicago Fire Department stated the firefighter lost his footing on the roof and fell down a light shaft
A firefighter is in serious but stable condition after falling out of a window during overhaul at a Harlem apartment fire
Starting with mayday basics, like when and how to call a mayday, primes them for actual emergencies and sets a foundation for more advanced training
Four firefighters were injured as “fire rapidly intensified” and led to a mayday situation in Elsmere
The Charlotte Fire Department said Rescue 10 and other companies worked for 20 minutes to free the firefighter
The Charlotte SouthPark fire report highlights improvements in several areas, including the hiring of more inspectors and enhanced firefighter survival training
Sacramento Metro Fire Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn said firefighters faced a significant amount of fire and the possibility of people inside
Corona Engine 2 firefighters were applying water to disrupt ceiling tiles and check for fire overhead moments before the collapse
Lowell Fire Chief Phil Charron said one firefighter had to bail out a window due to the intense fire conditions
Mesa firefighters escaped through a window after the roof of the burning house collapsed on them
