Chapter 8 Search

A rapid but thorough search that is performed before or during fire suppresion.

• Locating victims
• Assessing fire conditions

The first arriving officer

Involve the disentanglement & removal of victims from vehicles & machinery.

Involve the removal of victims from entrapment.

• When there is fire or a danger of fire
• Explosives or other hazardous material
• If you cannot protect the accident scene
• If you cannot reach other critical Pt's
• If you need to perform CPR

• Are the size of a pass device
• Mount on harness
• 457 KHz
• Have a range of 100'
• Do not interfere with other radios

Try to establish radio contact first

• Rapid Intervention Crew
• Composed of at least two FF's ready to locate & rescue distressed FF's

• Last known location
• Unit number
• Name
• Assigment
• Resources needed to rescue you
• *Should be used with a Mayday call

• Find a wall and stay there
• Activate you PASS device
• Call for a Mayday
• Point flashlight toward the ceiling
• Maximize your air
• Tap on the floor or wall

• By straddling the windowsill
• Turning on your PASS device
• Signaling with your flashlight
• Yelling out & waving arms
• Throw objects out of window
• *If you have to jump from window remove SCBA first.

• The female coupling is on the nozzle side & the male is toward the exit.
• *Smooth, bumper, bumper, to the pumper!

Try & retrace your steps back to your original location

Try to remain calm

• Check behind the door for a victim
• Check for heat & fire

They should continually feel the floor in front of them with their hands or tool to make sure the floor is intact.

It hangs over the doorknob & prevents other rescuers from being locked out when the team inside needs help.

• Chalk/Crayons
• Duct tape
• Door markers
• Latch straps

• They turn the same direction as they entered the room (if you enter left, leave left)
• Opposite when removing a victim

They should be closed to prevent the spread of fire

• The fire floor
• The floor directly above the fire
• The topmost floor

• 10' outside of the entry
• To a fixed object
• About 3' above the door

• 20' in length
• Each knot after a ring represents 20' of line

• 200' of 3/8" rope with a kevlar sheath
• Every 20' a 2" ring is tied into the line

• When a meter reading of 50 PPM of carbon monoxide has been met.
• Anything more means it must stay on.

As close to the fire as possible & then work your way back toward the entrance.

It makes the search rope easier to find when visisbilty is obscured.

• A radio
• TIC
• Flashlight
• Forcible entry tools

Someone other than those who did the primary search.

Conducted after fire is under control & greatest hazards have been controlled.

• Most severely threatened
• Largest numbers
• Remainder of hazard zone
• Exposures