Tricks of the trade

[6739264]

What tricks have you picked up along the way? You know, the little things that solve those unsolvable problems and make the new guys go wow!

Halligans and Axes make great door stops

Got a thermal detector that won't reset? Purge a BA cylinder up towards the detector - Hey presto!

Need to look busy? Grab an expenisve piece of equipment and walk around with purpose.

Security Guards are useless and any words they utter should be ignored, without question.

[RescueHazmat]

LOL @ the last one...

Prime example.. "Yeah mate, nothing here, stupid alarm just keeps going off.."  - Fire burning in the roof space..

5" piece of rubber with a hole in each end to put over door handles, stop doors locking behind..

Irons / Halligan and axe.. - As numbers has said, great door stops, and the simplest tools for P/E.

And another needing to look busy.. - UBD/ gregories directory, no one ever questions you when you are peering into one of those..

(nice thread mate! )

[6739264]

Jam a tennis ball under the door handle of a car when you're popping it - it can make a world of difference.

Need to cut some glass with the recipro saw? Squirt a line of shaving cream along the cut and ta-da! No glass shavings everywhere!

5" piece of rubber with a hole in each end to put over door handles, stop doors locking behind..

(nice thread mate! )

Ah.. I like the old door handle trick! And isn't it great to see the huge response we get to an actual firefighting topic!

[Robert-Robert34]

Need to look busy? Grab an expenisve piece of equipment and walk around with purpose.

Only do that if theres a news crew or local newspaper photographer on scene 

[RescueHazmat]

Jam a tennis ball under the door handle of a car when you're popping it - it can make a world of difference.

Need to cut some glass with the recipro saw? Squirt a line of shaving cream along the cut and ta-da! No glass shavings everywhere!

5" piece of rubber with a hole in each end to put over door handles, stop doors locking behind..

(nice thread mate! )

Ah.. I like the old door handle trick! And isn't it great to see the huge response we get to an actual firefighting topic!

Yeah, throw something political or abusive about and we will have 50 replies in a day..

[SA Firey]

Keep a set of alarm panel keys in your turnout gear.....

Drink water enroute to the job....saves dehydration so early

[bittenyakka]

hang you PPE on the hook in the order you get dressed.

[6739264]

hang you PPE on the hook in the order you get dressed.

I love watching people get dressed when they hang their gear like this:

Pants - Coat - Helmet.

[Alan J]

hang you PPE on the hook in the order you get dressed.

Same if you keep your gear in a bag - pack the bag in reverse order of dressing.

Get a small bag & keep "off-season" PPE such as liner/s & goggles, plus odd
useful sundries such as spare socks, jocks, regular medications & playing cards
in it, and -always- take it with you.  To every job.  You never know when a
grassie will turn into a structure job, nor when a quick MVA will turn into
something much longer.

[Darius]

keep a pair of explorer socks at the station with your PPE for when you turn up for a callout when you're in thongs

[Firefrog]

Socks ! Learnt that the hard way all those years ago....

[Zippy]

i rocked up to go to the williamstown fire, got on the truck, found i only had Sports socks on,  and geez, thankful that i found my smelly last pair of socks on the back of 34 from the gumeracha fire while en-route lol



Dont pick on the young one when they gone for a walk and you get called to chase up a flare up by driving off and leaving him behind...Did that to a burnsider on KI   sorry mate

[Mike]

thankful that i found my smelly last pair of socks on the back of 34 from the gumeracha fire while en-route lol

Remember to wash said socks every now and then to avoid 'gassing' everyone else on the appliance....

Always carry a bandana or triangular bandage. Handy for so many reasons.

[RescueHazmat]

Socks ! Learnt that the hard way all those years ago....

Im with you there mate!!... Now have 2 sets of explorers, strategically placed for that exact reason!

[JC]

A tennis ball under the door handle, what are we going to play cricket with....
Shaving cream i like it.

Ive got a good one, make the newbies do all the work....

[Zippy]

for all the noobs out there, Make sure the Red Hats wear PPE...

[CFS_Firey]

When getting the bonnet open at an MVA, if the casualty isn't getting in the way always try the bonnet release latch first, you'd be surprise how often they still work, even with masses of damage.

Also, carry a bottle of drinking water in your turnout gear.

[RescueHazmat]

When getting the bonnet open at an MVA, if the casualty isn't getting in the way always try the bonnet release latch first, you'd be surprise how often they still work, even with masses of damage.

Also, carry a bottle of drinking water in your turnout gear.

Maybe in a bushfire.. It would do nothing but get in the way and be an annoyance at most other things..

[Zippy]

"Also, carry a bottle of drinking water in your turnout gear."

Still got 2006 Vintage there..i keep forgetting about it

[CFS_Firey]

Maybe in a bushfire.. It would do nothing but get in the way and be an annoyance at most other things..

I find it more useful at MVAs, where drinking water isn't being thrown around quite so much.  I've never had a problem with it getting in the way though, although I can see how it might do.

[OMGWTF]

Grassies arent the only jobs you'll need a drink at, and as we all know. Its not always easy to get one delivered or return to the appliance to source one... Mind you if theyre thanking you at the job with a slab of coldies thats another thing...

Always carry a sharp knife! [Leatherman is a better option and more versatile, but also more expensive]


CFS_Firey - your not wrong re; the bonnet trick. Also make sure you know which way the bonnet swings

[6739264]

If 'lectricity is not causing problems at an MVA, maybe its best to leave it alone...

Always carry a sharp knife! [Leatherman is a better option and more versatile, but also more expensive]

Big fan of knives. I carry both a leatherman and a knife - for two different purposes. Leatherman for rescue/technical issues, big knife for extricating myself from ropes/BA Entanglement. The leatherman is happily in a pocket, the Knife is in easy reach with either hand on the outside of my tunic.

A roll of duck tape or electricity tape is always handy...for anything.

A short ~4-5m length of 8mm rope is great for all kinds of uses. Keep them doors shut for CFBT, lash ladders to buildings, support vertical hose lays... the sky is the limit.

[misterteddy]

Maybe in a bushfire.. It would do nothing but get in the way and be an annoyance at most other things..

I find it more useful at MVAs, where drinking water isn't being thrown around quite so much.  I've never had a problem with it getting in the way though, although I can see how it might do.

guess theres not much else to get in the way doing traffic control

[Pixie]

If 'lectricity is not causing problems at an MVA, maybe its best to leave it alone...

Big fan of knives. I carry both a leatherman and a knife - for two different purposes. Leatherman for rescue/technical issues, big knife for extricating myself from ropes/BA Entanglement. The leatherman is happily in a pocket, the Knife is in easy reach with either hand on the outside of my tunic.

Can you please define problem?
ie. no casualties in car?
no airbags?
no fuel leak?
Retarded tow truck driver where it would be doing the world a favor if an airbag went off in his face?

do you have pics of knife on outside of turnout gear. been trying to find something suitable, but to no avail (keep loosing them), thinking dive knife as possibility.

[6739264]

Can you please define problem?
ie. no casualties in car?
no airbags?
no fuel leak?
Retarded tow truck driver where it would be doing the world a favor if an airbag went off in his face?

do you have pics of knife on outside of turnout gear. been trying to find something suitable, but to no avail (keep loosing them), thinking dive knife as possibility.

If theres no immeaditate problem, such as sparking, an inability to turn the ignition off, or a large fuel leak, it seems that with both the advent Hybrid Cars and the large number of electronically controlled interal vehicle systems it can be easier to leave the battery connected. This still allows you to operate everything inside the cabin, such as seat positioning controls, making casualty removal that little bit easier in certian circumstances.

My knife is clipped to the outside of the right pocket. It stays there nicely and hasnt fallen off yet. The outside of most of the pockets will work as well. I use an Eickhorn Solingen 'Pocket Rescue Tool'

http://www.traser.com.au/index.html?target=dept_3.html&lang=en-us

It comes with a clip at the rear of the knife - holds it in nice and firm.