Truck / Support Company Functions

[e33]

How do departments handle ventilation, search, utility control, forcible enrty salvage and laddering without the presense of a true truck co? How do you handle it with a truck co?

What im interested in most is what company takes what roles on the fireground in what order.

[morriss]

My company is a volunteer company which normally mans the truck with 6 persons and responds the truck second. Each member of the company has an pre-determined task. The driver sets the aerial, if necessary, the officer takes his required equipment(SCBA,handlight,K-tool pack, portable radio, etc.) and directs hid team. The person riding behind the officer has the responsibility of ventilation and gas his tools staged in his area. the person behind the officer's responsibility is forcible entry with the irons and saws staged. We also run with two additional members that either assist setting the aerial or don SCBA and provide a second truck company team. This strategy is flexible and can be adapted for search conditions that don't require forcible entry.

We are the only truck in our county, so on county areas where we have longer response times, the second due engine company assumes the truck company functions with its driver working with water supply for the first engine.

Our way may not be optimal for everyone. We all have different manning, equipment responses, etc. but this seems to work in our rural area.

[resqcapt]

I also would like info. on how dept. without a dedicated truck company arrange to have these functions taken care of on the fireground.

My district runs 5 engine companies, 3 of which are quints. With our quint companies the guys mindset is strictly engine company, they just happen to have this big metal thing on top of their truck. 2 years ago we put a heavy rescue truck in service. This company runs with 1 officer and 3 firefighters. We have taken it upon ourselves to assume truck company operations on fire scenes. Our crew splits when arriving on the scene, one member goes with interior attack team to search and open up with them. Two members are assigned search and rescue of fire floor, floor above, etc. Engineer is assigned as Outside Vent position or if a commercial occupancy, rear entry.

We also recently adopted structure fire s.o.p.'s. These state that the third-arriving engine company is responsible for truck company operations. If rescue is already on scene third engine will assume vertical ventilation. If they arrive before rescue does they assume search and rescue and outside vent (horizontal).

If anyone else has ideas on how to accomplish truck company operations without a true truck company, let us know. We are trying to refine our s.o.p.'s.

Thanks,

Steve
Stay safe out there, the life you save may be your own!

[Ledbelly]

We don't have a truck company and this is the way we've been "covering" those ops...
First-in engine is attack team, when 2 man Rsq arrives they are usually sent to utilities and then to start venting.(almost always horizontal) Lots of times the first-in driver will have the PPV out and ready, if not running. Second-in (after making lay) pulls another line or starts search, depending on nature and severity of fire. We have always had to delay primary search due to manpower considerations, unless we get a report of people inside when 1st crew would "search" with their hoseline. We very (very!) seldom do any vertical venting. None of this is covered by SOP/SOG...conditions and arrival of units dictate what happens when...sometimes 2nd crew does venting, Rsq may pull another line for back-up, etc. Everyone here is familiar with this "scheme" and so remains flexible to do whatever needs doing at the moment. (As the IC sees fit...)

As an aside, our Chief is wanting to start our 1st truck co, probably before the year is out. I'm anxious to have it and see how we can make it work...if nothing else it will get us 4 more men at structure fires.

[Dalmation90]

Our department basically assigns roles out of a manpower pool.

Members can either respond to the station or directly to the scene. Those who respond to the scene carry their gear with them, and will mask up when they arrive on scene. Only two of our pieces have room for more than a driver and shotgun, those being our first due Engine-Tank and Ladder -- and they'll usually have a driver and 3 passengers onboard.

The OIC will go down a mental checklist of the jobs to accomplish, and assign them to another officer, or senior firefighter. Members without an assignment already will go to the back of our engine that's making the attack to stage themselves.

Typical tasks and order of assignment for a typical small residence would be:

-- Interior Attack - 1 officer, 2 firefighters (usually crew on 1st in Engine-Tank)
-- Backup line - 1 Sr. FF + 2 FF
-- Interior Search - 1 officer, 2 FF
-- Outside Vent - 1 officer, 2 FF
-- PPV Fan - 2 FFs (typically newer or non-interior firefighters)
-- Salvage - 1 Sr. FF + 4 FF
-- Water Supply - 1 Officer & Manpower as needed

Additional teams would be assigned to these functions as needed, such as additional search teams for a multi-family residence; or taking the Outside Vent Team function and assigning Horizontal Vent and Roof Vent Teams instead.

One other note, the "backup line" function isn't a second attack line. If they go inside, then another handline is pulled and another backup crew assigned. The Backup Line is a ready team the OIC has to assign as needed where needed when needed -- kinda the forward reserves in case things are going to hell in a hurry. And this has been a typical part of our operations since long before 2in/2out and RITs http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/smile.gif If things are getting real dicey, a second Engine-Tank will be assigned to provide an independent water supply to the backup line crew, and their size can be expanded to a full blown RIT.

When they're done with an assignment, members report back to the officer who gave them the task, or to the manpower pool.

Matt

[Halligan84]

Usually 2 to 3 truck companies assigned to a structure fire. On all structure fires, one of the trucks is running first out, so it generally arrives with the first engine. They are responsible for forcible entry, search and horizontal vent. 2nd truck generally reponsible for additional ladders and vertical vent if necessary and initial FAST company.

[Hollywood]

My department's lucky to have all the manpower. All of this happens in the intial stages:

1st Truck:
Front of Building
Driver and Roof man on Ventilation
Officer and Truckman through front door with the 1st Engine
Truckman to open the rear for 2nd Engine

2nd Truck:
Rear of Building
Ground ladder to the rear for secondary escape route for Roof Team
Driver joins Roof Team
Rest of Truck performs search above and around fire floor.
And any other support functions.

Dave