Search and Rescue

[greapr]

I am just wondering how some diffrent department do search and rescue. Up until recently our departments policy was to do sar with a charged 1.75 hose line. We went in with a team of three. Two of the members did most of the search while the other member pulled the hose. We recently change to an uncharged line, but we are still having some of the problems of getting the hose cought on doorway and slowing us down. I am a relativly inexperince fire fighter. I have only been doing this for a little over four years, but I think we should be getting our search done faster. I would like to see our guys go in without a line and do a complete search without the hose line slowing us down. This is how I was trained when I went through the firefighter class. A lot of the guys say that they want us to have the hose so that we can us it to find our way out if we get turned around. I then suggested using a rope or something that will be more flexible. The arguments that I have received about this is that the rope may burn through. (Like a uncharged hose would not)

What way do you guys think is best, or do you have any other suggestions.

Thanks you,

dan

[DonnellyFire]

Darley sells a R.I.T. Line (a high heat resistant rope) It decomposes at 900 F. I recently purchased 2 of them for search and rescue ops for our department. As long as you have a fire knock down, or an attack team with control of the fire, then searching off of a rope isn't a problem. I wouldn't do one with out one though. If anything else, people will be able to find you off of it.

[ADSNWFLD]

A lot depends on the experience of the crew, the type of search and the location and extent of the fire. If you practice VES then the line would slow you to the point of not being effective. Fire in a balloon frame, searching above the fire, a line may not be a bad idea. Doesn't your crew protect the stairs?
In large buildings a search line can be helpful and even a necessity.
Good search tactics can reduce disorientation and make for a relativly safe search.

A hose line with the search team should be the exception rather then the rule. Drill and see what level your firefighters are at.

[mcaldwell]

We generally only use a hoseline on SAR for the team searching the immediate fire area/performing knockdown. Other teams use a hose strap when the visibility is poor.

Your officers have to asses the hazards, and make a decision based on the circumstances, but a flat rule of always searching with a hoseline seems like you may just be wasting time.

As for charged vs uncharged, if you need the hoseline due to a hot or hazardous fire, would you really want to wait for it to be charged in the event of a flashover/rollover? And what happens if your radio fails? An uncharged hoseline is useless in my opinion. If your charged line is making your search difficult, try using more hosehandlers.

Just my two cents.