The Most "Out Of The Box" Tactic You've Ever Seen?

[x635 4,066]

Just curious if anyone has any good stories about situations where an "out of the box" resolution was applied to an emergency situation?

[MoFire390 118]

Heard one that happened a long time ago. Back when The Club in Montrose caught fire. Three members were operating a line when all of a sudden they got disorented and started yelling for help (before the time of portables). An officer at the time wearing no PPE ran in and grabbed the third guy on the line buy his air pack and pulled them out, Before the celing came down. No one was injured and all members to this day are still active.

[Guest Photounit]

OK, Here one that come to my mind........ Fairview FD (Dutches County) The fire at the HRPC on May 31,2007....... Heavy fire conditions with fire traveling through the building like it was a fuse and little success stopping it..... Decision was made to use an excavator and make a "vertical trench cut" in the building and then move all streams to this location and stop the fire here..... It worked! That was thinking outside the box to me........

[lad12derff 283]

Heard one that happened a long time ago. Back when The Club in Montrose caught fire. Three members were operating a line when all of a sudden they got disorented and started yelling for help (before the time of portables). An officer at the time wearing no PPE ran in and grabbed the third guy on the line buy his air pack and pulled them out, Before the celing came down. No one was injured and all members to this day are still active.

Why is that "out of the box"?

[5slow 9]

We caught two burglary perps on the roof top of a business. We had to scale the pipes to get to them and realized once they were in custody, we had a small problem... Thus, tone out FD with the ladder truck. FD guys took a bunch of photos of us in their bucket with two perps. It was pretty comical, even at 2 in the morning. They didn't seem to mind!

[steve shryock 0]

We caught two burglary perps on the roof top of a business. We had to scale the pipes to get to them and realized once they were in custody, we had a small problem... Thus, tone out FD with the ladder truck. FD guys took a bunch of photos of us in their bucket with two perps. It was pretty comical, even at 2 in the morning. They didn't seem to mind!

Somehow I am not surprised by this!!

[Guest]

OK, Here one that come to my mind........ Fairview FD (Dutches County) The fire at the HRPC on May 31,2007....... Heavy fire conditions with fire traveling through the building like it was a fuse and little success stopping it..... Decision was made to use an excavator and make a "vertical trench cut" in the building and then move all streams to this location and stop the fire here..... It worked! That was thinking outside the box to me........

very good idea. how long did it take to get the excavator to the scene?

[on the job 68]

Just curious if anyone has any good stories about situations where an "out of the box" resolution was applied to an emergency situation?

Got a funny one.... While working at the firehouse a few years ago, in The City Of Beacon, N.Y.Fire Dept, I had an old lady walk two blocks, and knock on the front door at fire HQ. When I answered the door the old lady asked me "can I borrow a fire extinguisher"... ( her exact works) I looked at her very confused I said why ? she replied "I have a fire in my basement". Sure enough I asked her where she lived and it turned out to be a minor working fire. I will never forget it.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Going back to using an excavator, I have heard of an excavator used to dig the burning contents of a dumpster fire out of the dumpster. I have also heard of an excavator being used to dig out the hot spots of a burned down house to put the wet stuff on the red/hot stuff

[xfirefighter484x 234]

Got a funny one.... While working at the firehouse a few years ago, in The City Of Beacon, N.Y.Fire Dept, I had an old lady walk two blocks, and knock on the front door at fire HQ. When I answered the door the old lady asked me "can I borrow a fire extinguisher"... ( her exact works) I looked at her very confused I said why ? she replied "I have a fire in my basement". Sure enough I asked her where she lived and it turned out to be a minor working fire. I will never forget it.

Stupid People = Job Security

[nwpfdjr27 39]

Although I was not in the department at the time, I remember my chief telling me a good "out of the box" story. They got called for an MVA involving a semi-truck with no trailer vs. a car. On scene, they discovered all parties were fine, but the truck engine was stuck revving at an unbelieveable RPM (like 10,000) and couldnt be shut off. Afraid to open the hood in case the truck took off, one of our members thought of using a CO2 can to spray into the air intake. Sure enough after a few minutes, the lack of air in the engine caused it to shut down and the truck was towed safely. I think thats a pretty good out of the box example to me!

[LTNRFD 266]

Got a funny one.... While working at the firehouse a few years ago, in The City Of Beacon, N.Y.Fire Dept, I had an old lady walk two blocks, and knock on the front door at fire HQ. When I answered the door the old lady asked me "can I borrow a fire extinguisher"... ( her exact works) I looked at her very confused I said why ? she replied "I have a fire in my basement". Sure enough I asked her where she lived and it turned out to be a minor working fire. I will never forget it.

Well did you give her the fire extinguisher?????

[Monty 35]

Don't know if it counts as 'out of the box' particularly but ... some years ago there was a trailer (as in tractor trailer semi) fire on I-787. It was going pretty good and was a supermarket truck full of general groceries. After trying to hack the trailer open from the roof, the sides, trying K-12's, piercing nozzles aA local wrecker was called. The winch was then used to pull out all the pallets on to the roadway.

Then I think the DPW front loaders were used to clear the road once we were done. That was a fun call

[Dondestro 9]

Heard one that happened a long time ago. Back when The Club in Montrose caught fire. Three members were operating a line when all of a sudden they got disorented and started yelling for help (before the time of portables). An officer at the time wearing no PPE ran in and grabbed the third guy on the line buy his air pack and pulled them out, Before the celing came down. No one was injured and all members to this day are still active.

Was this the club at the old salty dog marina? If so my uncle and two cousins had to be rescued off the tug at the end of the docks...I was a memeber of that club!

[antiquefirelt 994]

Chimney fire tactic: we routinely use a cast iron pot filled with water to put out the chimney fire. They're often found atop wood stoves for humidifying the air, though it works well enough we should get one. You just stick it in the stove on the coals, close up the stove and let the steam do the work. Of course you have to be confident the fire hasn't escaped the chimney.

[firemoose827 324]

Chimney fire tactic: we routinely use a cast iron pot filled with water to put out the chimney fire. They're often found atop wood stoves for humidifying the air, though it works well enough we should get one. You just stick it in the stove on the coals, close up the stove and let the steam do the work. Of course you have to be confident the fire hasn't escaped the chimney.

Excellent idea. Does that crack the flue of the chimney like a water spray would? We just always use the "Chimney Bombs" but that is a great idea.

These are great stories...unfortunately I have none to add. Anyone have anymore?!!

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I think I have one. Very large male poss CVA. No way he could be carried because of icy narrow stairs. I suggested to the Amb Crew that we back up the Amb and slide the Pt down on the reeves into the back of the amb. Because of Icy driveway we couldn't do that but we did slide the Pt down the stairs onto the stretcher. About a 3-4ft drop. Worked out well. Pretty sure we would still be there if that didn't happen.

JJB, you remember the 500+ DOA a few years back? You releived me but I think they took him out with a TL.

There was also the story in Mt Vernon where they cut a hole in the side of the house to get out a rather large person.

[ny10570 745]

trying to load a fairly large lady into the bus had to take the stretcher out and put her on the floor, but the steel hook the stretcher catches on at the lip of the floor was still in the way. None of us carry a hex wrench, but luckily the truck boss had the K-12 spun up. Had it gone in a matter of seconds.

[Future Fireman 4]

How about the concrete pumper used as a defensive attack master stream? I believe someone posted it here. I'll see what a search brings up.

Found it!

http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopi...Concrete+Pumper

from www.firenews.net

HOT SHOTS

Fire Destroys Family Dollar Store

FRI FEB 22

SUBMITTED BY DAVID MILLER

WALLACE - On Tuesday February,19,2008 at 08:45 hours, Duplin County Communications dispatched Wallace, Teachey, Rose Hill and Duplin County EMS Medic 7 to 114 East Southerland Street in Wallace for a commercial structure fire at the Family Dollar Store. Wallac Car 1 arrived and upgraded the call to a working fire with heavy smoke from the front of the store and requested Northeast, Penderlea, and Burgaw to be dispatched for manpower and ladder from Burgaw.

Wallace FD Engine 6 arrived and placed two 2.5-inch attack lines in service to the front of the structure. When units from Teachey, Rose Hill, and Northeast arrived deck monitors were placed in service for defensive operations. After Burgaw arrived with their ladder truck a special call was placed to Coastal Carolina Concrete Pumping for a large concrete pumper

.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Future Fireman

[antiquefirelt 994]

Excellent idea. Does that crack the flue of the chimney like a water spray would? We just always use the "Chimney Bombs" but that is a great idea.

These are great stories...unfortunately I have none to add. Anyone have anymore?!!

I don't believe so, but I'm not certain we'd ever be able to tell whether as the fire itself often damages the liner. We also use snowballs when the weather is cooperative. And we also carry dry chem bombs in ziplock baggies. Another trick we've used with the baggies is to effect a good draft then let it suck the chem up the chimney from the cleanout. Of course we're doing less chimeny fires than ever though with fuel process up and dry wood scarce maybe next year they'll be up. For one I hope not as they are alot of miserable work with no excitement!

[Cutty630 37]

Back a bunch of years back we were called to Bedford Village for a working fire. It was in the middle of a winter storm that had already dropped more then 7 inches, and the driveway was the driveway from hell. One of the chiefs had attempted to make the driveway with his four wheel drive truck. He made it half way up the driveway before he had to leave it off to the side stuck in the snow. We arrived and were unable to go up the driveway as well due to all the snow. We had to walk up the driveway with all our tools and the two water cans that were on the rig. As of that time there was no fire apparatus up the driveway so there was no water. It seemed like it took for ever but we finally made it to the house. The fire was in the basement and confined to a large bedroom but was fully involved, we kept control of the door while trying to knock the fire down with the cans. "Here is where it gets to the most out of the box tactic you've ever seen?" Two cans empty and the fire still going pretty good in the room we tried to find other ways to extinguish the fire. We went into the kitchen and filled up pots of water but none of them were big enough to do the job. All of the sudden the Chief and myself found a bunch of large moving boxes in the basement , and with that we both ran out the rear basement door and started scooping up boxes of snow. After a couple trips back and forth the snow had managed to smother the flames and we started to overhaul the room. Sorry for the rambling I'm sure I could have shortened the story, but I got carried away.

[Guest]

One of our fireman used rocks to ventilate a window at a structure fire involving a bowling alley. The incident becamse known as "Rescue Rocks"

Edited April 29, 2008 by xfirefighter484x
Added Photo from Link Provided

[RWC130 594]

I got one...

Back a few years ago I was in an Ambulance with my partner

responding to a person struck by a vehicle. While responding all of a sudden the siren

cuts out after hitting a bump. No Yelp, Wail, Nothing but... the PA worked.

As my partner drove I grabbed the mic for the PA and began to make verbal "Siren Sounds"

All the cars pulled over and we made it to the call.

Person who was struck was OK, RMA. As for our Siren it was fixed

a couple hours later. Shhhhh don't tell DOH. LOL!

[Guest]

One of our fireman used rocks to ventilate a window at a structure fire involving a bowling alley. The incident becamse known as "Rescue Rocks"

The site wont let me upload the photo link from our website so here is the link.

http://iafflocal998.org/Gallery/TFBowlingA...cueRocks?full=1

I've seen softballs on trucks for this exact same purpose. Or was it because they lost so many at practice they needed extra...

[MoFire390 118]

Was this the club at the old salty dog marina? If so my uncle and two cousins had to be rescued off the tug at the end of the docks...I was a memeber of that club!

no it was not. the old Pramiere.