Searches
There is a high degree of variability when it comes to searching for potential victims. Prima fascia that seems an outrageous statement. Make no mistake if there is someone inside a burning structure we stop at nothing to get them out. There’s no variable there at all; that’s very true. Now seriously consider the dynamics of your own department including policies and SOPs relative to searches.
Are all members of your department (and on that particular call) trained to search? Do you use a hose line in conjunction with a search? How is “two in - two out” defined in your department? These are just a few items that should either already been defined by policy and through trained drills well in advance or need to be quickly addressed by the first the arriving company.
How do you know there are victims to search for? Some departmental SOPs require at least a primary search regardless of the situation whereas others may rely more on dispatched information and other factors such as day of the week, time of day, toys on the lawn, cars in the driveway, perhaps first-hand information from neighbors/witnesses and of course direct observations of the fire and smoke conditions before making that split-second decision to search.
This article will not debate the specifics of any given department’s policies etc.. due mainly to the fact that policies and procedures are shaped on department resources including average number of responders per call. For example, some departments even use their pump operator to conduct a 360 to free up the officer for a search. If firefighters/officers come across a better way that works for your department then by all means change it up and train better/smarter. Changes in policy and procedure shouldn’t wait for a firefighter or civilian to die in order to put into effect.
A primary search (aptly named) is the first search of a structure. Full well knowing how fast a fire can develop firefighters move fast during this search. The idea is to find as many potential victims as possible and get those victims and themselves out safely. A secondary search in most cases takes place after a fire has been knocked down. Its slower, more methodical and detailed. Regardless of the search type there are some details and tips that can be applied to both. Here’s a quick list:
1) Each search team should have at a minimum two firefighters.
2) Each team member should have a tool to assist in a variety of tasks such as locating victims, increasing access and rescue operations. Although tool selection is variable at a minimum firefighters should have a Halligan, axe and a thermal imaging camera (TIC).
3) Although most firefighters are trained to stay low and crawl due to heat and visibility conditions if the situation presents itself with light smoke/heat combined with good visibility duck-walking through a structure may increase the chances of finding victims and getting them to safety.
4) Always have at least three ways to contact your partner - visual, hearing (use your outside voice) and touch.
5) Don’t use the working end of a tool to search for victims – its likely they are having a bad day already and don’t need an axe bit in their chest.
6) Identify and call out all possible escape routes such as windows, doors and additional openings to other rooms.
While you are searching make sure you check EVERYTHING! Behind and under beds (including top bunks), in closets and bathtubs. Think about where scared people (especially kids) are going to hide. Think about how you are going to search a room – if you start with a right-handed search then continue in that fashion and don’t switch up as that can throw off your orientation. In addition to using hand searches to guide, firefighters can also put their feet against the wall stretching out with a tool. The downfall to this method is it doesn’t necessarily allow for egress identification however it can allow covering a standard 12x12 bedroom in a matter of seconds.
Two items to discuss when searching a specific room. The first is that it doesn’t necessarily take two firefighters to enter a room to search when one can do so efficiently. Try leaving one firefighter at the door with a light to orientate the searching firefighter. Secondly, is it necessary to mark the door once the search is done? Many departments have markers or use chalk (down low) but how often is a secondary team able to see any markings on the door – especially if conditions worsen. That doesn’t mean don’t do it – by all means do so especially in nursing homes or hotels where there are dozens of similar looking doors. What it does mean is that in a typical residential structure fire any advantage probably won’t be worth the effort.
When conducting a primary search should you have a hose line with you? Some SOPs specify that as a requirement but remember a primary search is designed to be quick and dirty and so hauling a charged hose line may slow that process down. Consider then just taking a 2.5-gallon water can in that at the very least will buy you enough time to search and get out and let the hose team go in and do their job.
Vent, Enter, Isolate and Search (VEIS) is another kind of search that hinges on firefighters isolating themselves from the fire that serves a dual purpose of not feeding the fire with oxygen while providing time to search. Once the isolation part is done which usually is just a matter of closing a bedroom door then a search can be completed quickly and/or victims removed through a window using a ladder. With any search, VEIS included while firefighters are searching any exterior firefighters are putting up as many ladders as possible. As a general rule there should be at least two means of egress from a second story/roof.
Lastly is the concept of “Two-in, Two Out”. The most common definition is when two firefighters go in to conduct a search those same two firefighters come out as a pair. So, if one firefighter goes low on air or finds a victim then both firefighters exit at the same time (with the victim of course). A second concept is that while two firefighters are in conducting a search a second team of two is outside the door with a hose line covering the search team should it be necessary. Still one other definition I’ve come across is that while two firefighters conduct a primary search there are two others waiting for them to come out before proceeding in to conduct a search in another part of the structure.
To conclude, remember that searching a structure is highly variable. In fact, according to Chief Rick Manocchi of the Glenville Hill FD all answers to questions about searching start with the same two words “It depends.” On that note, there’s no reason only one team of two firefighters should be sent to conduct a search. If you have the available resources by all means multiple teams can be sent in simultaneously. New search policies may not be all they are cracked up to be and may not fit your department so while being pro-active don’t be so ambitious where you overstep the capabilities of your department.
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