Gainsville Fire Dept.

[kdmill_1]

I'm sure we all send our deepest regrets to those who lost lives and property in N. Texas in the past few days. However, in watching KHOU TV in Houston this morning I saw a video clip that really concerned me. It showed three young Gainsville Fire and Rescue personnel going door-to-door, I assume checking on folks in one of the previously flooded neighborhoods. None of the homes "looked" damaged, with clean yards and such, and flood waters receded very quickly after the rain stopped. At one home, they peered in through the window, then kicked in the front door!
Scenario: you're taking a nap in the back bedroom and are awakened by the sound of your front door being kicked in. You grab your sidearm and flashlight, and just as you round the corner you see two or three large males entering your dark living room, silouhetted against the light coming in the window (note:NO fireman helmets visible). What happens next?
Watching the video instantly brought back images of police and National Guardsmen in New Orleans!

[longtooth]

Bad thigs happen when doors are kicked in no matter which side of the door one might happen to be on.
Your scenario is very plausable.
No one could pay me, order me, or intimidate me into doing that.

[phddan]

What ever happened to knocking???

Dan

[txinvestigator]

I'm sure we all send our deepest regrets to those who lost lives and property in N. Texas in the past few days. However, in watching KHOU TV in Houston this morning I saw a video clip that really concerned me. It showed three young Gainsville Fire and Rescue personnel going door-to-door, I assume checking on folks in one of the previously flooded neighborhoods. None of the homes "looked" damaged, with clean yards and such, and flood waters receded very quickly after the rain stopped. At one home, they peered in through the window, then kicked in the front door!
Scenario: you're taking a nap in the back bedroom and are awakened by the sound of your front door being kicked in. You grab your sidearm and flashlight, and just as you round the corner you see two or three large males entering your dark living room, silouhetted against the light coming in the window (note:NO fireman helmets visible). What happens next?
Watching the video instantly brought back images of police and National Guardsmen in New Orleans!

Perhaps they saw a person in distress then they peered through the window.

[stevie_d_64]

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...

[jimlongley]

I've kicked in two doors.

One was a house where there was a great deal of smoke evident and there was nobody home. The smoke was from a TV which had burned up due to a lightning strike and there was no other damage to the house besides a massive amount of smoke damage and some water damage from dragging a hose inside. One plastic TV can put out an amazing amount of smoke.

The other was a raging fire and why I kicked the door in I'll never be able to explain, the wall adjacent to the door had already burned away and there was obviously nobody inside to save. One does strange things on adrenalin overload.

I haven 't seen that clip, but like TXI I wonder if there was some obvious reason that they saw.

As for what would I do? It would depend on my situational awareness, if my home was high and dry and I wasn't anticipating rescue, I might assume that someone breaking in meant me harm . . .

Edited to add:

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

[Liberty]

I've kicked in two doors.

One was a house where there was a great deal of smoke evident and there was nobody home. The smoke was from a TV which had burned up due to a lightning strike and there was no other damage to the house besides a massive amount of smoke damage and some water damage from dragging a hose inside. One plastic TV can put out an amazing amount of smoke.

The other was a raging fire and why I kicked the door in I'll never be able to explain, the wall adjacent to the door had already burned away and there was obviously nobody inside to save. One does strange things on adrenalin overload.

I haven 't seen that clip, but like TXI I wonder if there was some obvious reason that they saw.

As for what would I do? It would depend on my situational awareness, if my home was high and dry and I wasn't anticipating rescue, I might assume that someone breaking in meant me harm . . .

Edited to add:

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

Me 2
I kicked in one door as a firefigher.. It was a comercial/industrial building with some smoke .. a ratty metal door that wasn't all that secure anyway. The truth is I did it mostly cause the squad I was with didn't think it could be done.

[stevie_d_64]

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..."

[pbandjelly]

< never kicked in a door

*hangs head in shame*

[kdmill_1]

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.

[stevie_d_64]

< 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...

[stevie_d_64]

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...

[fire128]

Over 20 yrs in the fire service, and I have kicked in more doors than I can remember. Each and every time it was warrented, but as I have aged, so has my body. I now stress to my crews to use a tool, save your knees, you will need em later in life. But as for the other....no way would I allow anyone under my command to kick in a door just for a look see. Look through the windows, knock, holler real loud, if it aint burning and/or no one is lying hurt on the floor pass it off to the cops.

[Fourman]

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.

[stevie_d_64]

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???