S2.5 Search:Positions and Poise

Where We Started

• Over 25 years of fire service began with a first lesson on "search," lacking prior experience or thoughts on what it entailed
• Initial training involved crawling on all fours, clinging to a wall or a fellow firefighter's boot, and swinging a pickhead axe to feel for something
• Author was pumped about going to fires
• The textbook search method was inadequate and likely parallels the experiences of many firefighters
• Description is not a blame on trainers, who had earned respect through work and experience
• The fault was with the author's own inexperience

Search: Positions and Details

• Early search details were lost in translation due to inexperience
• Author has tried to shorten the learning curve for others
• Body positions worked on for years include standing, crouching, kneeling, lunging, crawling, and belly flopping in limited visibility situations
• The author has walked and tripped over things, crawled slowly, kneeled and scooted, poked with tools, and gotten lost
• Combining these movements, not just during fires, but also in exercise routines, helps minimize problems
• Higher fitness levels translate to being more comfortable in awkward positions and searching
• Examples of helpful exercises are included

Lunges

• Lunges are an important, basic exercise, with or without weight, involving going from standing to kneeling
• They can be difficult when tired, on uneven ground, or in poor visibility
• Strength and mobility for a lunge is mandatory
• SCBA adds weight and changes balance
• Loose SCBA versus "high and tight" fit also affects balance
• Bunker gear affects mobility based on fit
• Sagging pants can cause movement issues

Burpees

• Burpees involve the crossover physical body mechanics of going from standing, down to the belly, and back up which is a good workout
• Tweak is going from a kneeling or lunge type position, and then dropping into the "burpee" from there

Get Ups

• This position can get practiced almost anywhere and anytime
• This can be practiced with a kettlebell or any weight, or no weight
• With a weight pressed overhead, lunge to the floor, post the opposite arm to stabilize in a pseudo tripod position
• The down knee side leg comes under and then out in front of you (several variations of this) and then your arm goes to elbow and then to flat as you lower down to laying on your back, all while trying to balance the weight or kettlebell pressed up above you
• Reverse everything in order and return all the way to standing once again
• Versions of this allows one to get low to the floor to look under a bed or smoke layer without bending the neck at weird angles like belly flopping

Stay Aware

• Keep the head up and ears open to listen as much as possible
• Pausing to listen is a lost art
• Too much reliance on technology like thermal imagers and an overabundance of radio traffic has created a sensory overload problem
• Use all senses (except taste) and take advantage of pauses to get quiet and listen such as crackling fire, glass breaking, other firefighters, and victims
• Something taught by many fire instructors around the country now commonly referred to as “Life-Fire-Layout" is a great start, with some adding "Call Out" as well
• Calling out occurs during a fire and pausing to listen
• Fire department call out and listen for a response is example
• It should be standard practice inside the fire building, especially when first through a door or floor

Preparation

• If smoke is lightest at the floor, you'll want to be there when calling out, looking, and listening if possible
• Hoarding conditions can change conditions
• it might be a better idea NOT intentionally burying yourself into several feet of contents because of the risk of entanglement
• There is potential to have your facepiece pulled off by a random bicycle, clothes hanger or one of the four vacuum cleaners trying to grab you
• These types of conditions will test your balance in a multitude of body positions as well
• Slow down, communicate and be cautious of throwing things "out of your way" only to have them be in your way again a minute from now
• An empty suitcase at a fire with poor visibility and hoarding conditions led to embrassment

Maintaining Composure

• Consider what to do with the hand tool that you are carrying
• Maintaining composure during search irrespective of location, smoke, or hoarding
• Responsibility to know limits and pay attention to where you are, what you've searched, and where you're headed next when not operating with hoseline
• Stopped for a second, took a breath, got low and listened to make the best decision on how to proceed.
• Hands on training, repetitive basic drills, and conversations over coffee with the crew, can all play in to staying sharp between fires
• May even want to grab a beer with a trusted retiree off duty and ask them to share some of that senior man wisdom
• It's easier than ever to get started in the right direction with search techniques, but fires can grow fast so its easier to move too fast, become disoriented and end up needing someone to search for you
• Practice and plan as much as possible ahead of time, and to put in the physical work required to get the most out of your next search opportunity