With the winter months closing in it'll be time to look at what a fire department can do on those drill nights to cold to do any type of productive training. What more basic and simple then doing a "Bunker Drill." Always good fun drill to do for fire department bragging rights
Now it wasn't at the local volunteer fire department but I did have a training class where we did the "Bunker Drill, Bunker Drill" where I work at to see how quickly you could get into your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). In this case instead of the typical stander structural firefighter turnout gear I was using my ARFF firefighting/rescue protective clothing (also known as the proximity suit), better known as "silvers/silver bunker suit."
The ARFF proximity suit is a fire suit designed to protect a firefighter from high radiant fire loads, such as those produced by JP fuels or other bulk flammable fuels. They are worn for aircraft firefighting. They are currently manufactured from vacuum deposited aluminized materials that reflect the high radiant loads produced by the fire. The suits are certified to meet the National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 1976-2000, Standard on Protective Ensemble for Proximity Fire Fighting.
For the "Bunker Drill" training class I was doing the gear though it was a ARFF proximity suit it is the same in design as far as a coat and pants goes, being similar as the structural turnout gear but the uses are different in their functions. That being one is for structural fire fighting and the other for aircraft rescue fire fighting.
The PPE “basics” are those steps that place the fire fighter into the PPE properly, quickly, as well as correctly. Donning the PPE should and needs to be practice periodically to be proficient where this basic of fire fighting equipment is on the fire fighter and protects because that its purpose. There are no short cuts, all parts of the turnout gear need to be worn. Having gloves in the bunker coat pocket while working on the fire ground doesn’t mean you are wearing them. Being a Safety Office or a Chief Office on the fire ground is not an excuse for not wearing the PPE. Believe me I’ve heard and seen these examples in my fire fighting career. They don’t wash. All PPE is to be worn by the fire fighter while on the fire ground and if not then that fire fighter should not be on the fire ground.
Here is a YouTube video that every firefighter rookie, as well as every season firefighter should view from time to time to give the basics of donning one's PPE. Captain Joe Bruni shows how to properly don structural personal protective clothing.…
Now once everyone has gone over the basics of how you pretty much get dress into the bunker gear, it's time to speed it up a bit and let the games and fun begin. Either do the dressing race individually or in groups of two, three or four depending how many fire fighters you have in the class.
When I did my "Bunker Gear" run of getting my PPE on as quickly as I could my best time was 1 minute 30 second. I felt pretty good about that time and it showed I still have it in getting the gear on. Always a good thing to be able to do as a fire fighter.
Here's another YouTube showing the basic speed of getting dressed out into the bunker gear...
The fire fighter in the video dressed out in 1 minute and 49 seconds flat. A good job also!
By doing this type of group training periodically, with th stressing that ALL PPE be worn correctly, the result is a more confident firefighter. Firefighters need to drill to learn to quickly don turnout gear and SCBA. How fast can you gear up?
Now here is a very confident firefighter, to say the least, in the following YouTube that gets it done in lest then a minute...
There you have it, you can’t get more “basic” then that. If you wear & use your PPE correctly, then it will provide protection. You have to practice, practice, and practice even more. It has to be that it becomes almost a second nature. If you can get dress in full PPE, in under 2 minutes, and all items are on correctly then your getting it done.
It’s a good idea to inspect all PPE after each use and wear of your PPE, to make sure it’s in good condition and is serviceabile. At the very least check and inspected monthly. By doing the occasional “Bunker Drill” in your department you keep up proficiency. Who’s the fastest in your fire department?
Don’t get burned by not wearing fire protective equipment hap-hazardously, wear it correctly, and Be Fire Safe.
(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)
