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Fourman wrote:Maul is the real tool

I have used one to blow open doors a few times including large steel firedoors. Truck Company Ops taught many nice uses of a good 8lb maul.

Tain't nothing like Brayton Field at A&M in the middle of the summer for training...

Woo Hoo!!!

So you liked that Truck Ops project didn't ya???

kdmill_1 wrote:From what they showed in the video (which I can't find), the 3 fire fighters' body language didn't indicate an emergency. They were walking calmly from house to house. When they got to the one in question, 2 stood calmly on the patio while the 3rd kicked the door and stuck his head inside.

Says a lot doesn't it...

pbandjelly wrote:< never kicked in a door

*hangs head in shame*

Its not that big a deal...And if you screw it up, you hurt your foot...

But if your smart...Try a window first...And second, we have this tool called a Halligan Tool...Works wonders on a lot of different things...Doors are nothing to that tool...Better than a fire axe...IMO...

jimlongley wrote:I could probably swap war stories about being a fireman with Steve for a couple of weeks, and every one of them true . . .

All three of us could...

And they'd start out like...

"Yer not going to believe this, but..."

I've only "kicked" in one door in 15 years of doing the volunteer stuff...

And that was with the permission and knowledge of the owner...They happened to forget to give me the keys to the door (in time) to rescue their dog from the structure that was fully involved...The access was from a common hallway in an apartment building down in Nassau Bay...It all worked out well for everyone...I hated to do it, because I just don't like causing more damage than I have to if I can help it...

Over time, In the capacity that I operate under, I have found that its actually easier, and cheaper to secure afterwards, to fix a window, than to do a door...

I've gone to HD or Lowes after a scene and with my own money bought plywood and other things I need to board up a window to help secure a home or business after we get done doing our thing...

You can always gain good access this way, and yelling "fire department" while you're doing so is the only thing I can think of to reduce the risk of getting shot in a worse case senario...You can always unlock and open the door better from the inside...

Enthusiasm is a good thing as a firefighter, and over time you learn ways of doing things that help temper enthusiasm, yet make you more effective in saving lives and property...

I won't fault what they guys did here, not at all...But there are half a dozen ways to skin a cat in the performance of one's duty...And work just as fast to get it done...

It's sad what happened up their yesterday...And what happened in South Carolina is pretty much the worse thing that can happen as well...

I think this is a great off topic thread...It illustrates again how all of us are good citizens and are aware of the potential dangers we face every day we walk out the door...