WHY YOU MUST GET THE 1ST LINE RIGHT EVERY TIME

It seems like every day now a new standard, law, or regulation is created that affects the fire service. On top of that many of us have been saddled with more and more new responsibilities such as “Community Paramedic Programs” that take from our already limited time and resources. Sadly, these burdens are weighing on the fire service even as career staffing and volunteerism decline precipitously in most communities across America.

As if those external challenges weren’t enough, we are often our own worst enemy as complacency and overconfidence fester within our departments. How many of you know a Fire Chief who routinely says, “We don’t do fires anymore. We’re an EMS agency that goes to a fire every now and then.” These same Chiefs often downplay and neglect fire related training and equipment as they pitch the latest hot “Community Service” program to elected officials who view the fire department as an expensive drain on their tax dollars.

What about your company officers and firefighters? Would they rather watch football or play Xbox instead of drilling?

What does all of this mean? It means that we often fail at our most basic and important job. That job is deploying and operating the first line at a structure fire. We fail because we often don’t commit ourselves to getting our most basic and important job right every time.

So why is it so important that we get the first line right every time we stretch? Because it is a proven fact that getting water on the seat of the fire in a prompt and efficient manor saves civilian and firefighter lives. Chief Vincent Dunn of the FDNY made the following statement:

“When and where a fireground commander orders the first attack hoseline to be stretched is a critical decision at a building fire. Most structural fires are extinguished by the first hoseline. If the first hoseline stretched is sent to the right location and it extinguishes the blaze, the second hoseline will not be needed or is stretched only as a precaution.

A properly positioned first attack hoseline saves most lives at a fire, confines the fire and reduces property damage. If the hoseline goes to the right place and extinguishes the fire, every other firefighting tactic will go smoothly.”

I believe we can all agree on the importance of the first line, while also accepting the fact that we need to ensure that we get it right the first time every time. To accomplish this goal I propose that every Fire Chief, Officer, Engineer/Apparatus Operator, Firefighter, and Probie learn and be able to recite from memory the following:

The Five “Rights” of the First Line

Commit the RIGHT number of people to...

Put the RIGHT size & length line...

Flowing the RIGHT volume of water...

In the RIGHT place...

To put water RIGHT on the seat of the fire!

While these five rights may sound simple, we often fail at one or more of them on the fireground. This article breaks down each line in detail, and touch on some important things to consider at your next fire.

The RIGHT number of people:

It is critical that we commit the right number of people to the first line. Why? Because there are FIVE jobs that must get done every time you stretch on a fire. They are:

Nozzleman: Give it to your Probie. This position is the easiest & safest job for new folks because they are under the direct supervision of their Officer.

Back-Up: The hardest working person in the stretch. If the Back-Up is doing their
job right, the Nozzleman should be able toletgoofthelineandnothaveitgo anywhere. By absorbing the nozzle reaction, the Back-Up allows the Nozzleman to focus completely on directing the stream where it needs to go. The Back-Up person is often the unsung hero of a successful push on a tough fire.

Officer: In some departments, when arriving first-due on a fire with a four person engine, the Officer will stay outside with a clipboard, pen and radio and begin the ICS process. Along with the A/O they make up the “2-out” team while the two firefighters stretch a line and go inside. This has always struck me as a ridiculous idea. Let’s take our two most (hopefully) experienced members and leave them outside while our two
most junior folks go in by themselves. True safety comes from the Officer being inside, supervising and directing his/her crew, while directly monitoring the conditions around them. They should not standing out on the front lawn with a clipboard, pen and radio.

Door: A position that should be filled by an experienced and “heads up” firefighter if possible. The Door person is responsible for keeping the line moving by feeding hose to the attack team as they advance. It is very difficult for the Back-Up person to do their job if they’re also trying to yard 50 feet of charged line behind them. This person is also monitoring conditions behind the crew while opening and/or closing the door as needed to control the air track.

Line Control: This is the most important job you have probably never heard of. Sadly, it also hardly ever gets someone assigned to do it. The Line Control person ensures a smooth lay-out of the line and chases kinks as they form. What do we know? We know that KINKS KILL! The Line Control person is out on the lawn or street feeding hose to the Door position to keep that interior push going. In large or multi-story buildings, the Line Control person moves up to take the Door position if that firefighter needs to move inside to help advance the line.

So right about now you are probably saying to yourself, “Well this is all great, but I don’t run a four or five person company. This is just more ‘Big city’ stuff again.”

What I’m here to tell you is that believe it or not you are already doing this, even if you only put one firefighter on a line. How? By making one, two, or three people do the work of five. These jobs always get done, even if it’s by one person deploying their own line, chasing the kinks, absorbing all of the nozzle reaction while directing the stream, and monitoring the conditions around them. Unfortunately, when you try to have less people do the work of more, you see a decrease in efficiency while sharply increasing your level of risk.

So what do you do?

You commit the right number of people to the first line, even if this means delaying other tasks or combining companies. You may need to say, “Engine 1 & Engine 2, 1st line.... Engines 3 & 4, 2nd line”. Assign a Fire Medic unit or Truck team to assist with the line, they can always be re-assigned once additional companies arrive or the fire is knocked down. For volunteer or rural agencies, “Support” or “Exterior-only” members can fill the Door & Line Control positions in a pinch. However you do it, find a way to fill those five jobs!

The RIGHT size & length line:

Does your department “Pre-connect for everything”, or do you have multiple line options available including a stretch bed? What about fires that are beyond the reach of your pre-connects? Do you have
a standard “long line evolution” and drill with it regularly? These are all questions that your department should already have answers to.

What about your 2 1⁄2” lines? Do you train with your 2 1⁄2” & stretch bed as much as your pre-connects? Ideally your people should be as comfortable and proficient with them as with a 1 1⁄2” or 1 3⁄4”. If you are answering ‘sometimes’ or ‘no’ to any or all of these questions, they you are setting yourself up for failure.

If your community is anything like mine, new construction and renovations can result in a gradually changing hazard profile. A neighborhood of 800 sq/ft houses built on slabs in the 1950’s, may now connect to a street of new multi-story homes or garden apartments. Is the 150’ 1 1⁄2” line with a 95 gpm fog nozzle that always worked for those small houses still the right tool for
the new construction popping up down the block?

Ultimately, ask yourself this: “Are our hose & nozzle options set up to be right for our current 1st due hazards, or because we’ve always done it this way?”

The RIGHT volume of water:

While we’re on the topic of new construction, let’s talk about volume. Think about those little houses from the 1950’s. Generally most have bedrooms that are 10’x10’, or 10’x15’, with 8’ ceilings. They are highly compartmentalized, and as such are often easily dealt with by a single line flowing 95-125 gpm while operating off of tank water.

Now think about those new houses being built in the high-end development down the street. Not only are they much larger in overall volume, in some cases pushing 5,000 sq/ft or more, but they are also designed with ‘Open Architecture’ floor plans. What does that mean? It means ‘Great Rooms’ that can have 15’-20’ ceilings, and in some cases be over 1,000 sq/ft themselves! Some large homes are completely open, with the only doors being found on bathrooms and closets. The conditions found at a well-established fire in these “Houses” can be comparable to those in a commercial occupancy, with the corresponding increases in required flow and water supply.

Be sure that not only can your people recognize when a high volume of water is needed, but can also deliver it quickly and effectively. Whether it is with a deck gun, Blitz or ‘Step gun’, or a 2 1⁄2” line you must be able to flow the right volume of water to overcome the amount of heat being produced.

While we’re on the topic of 2 1⁄2” lines, allow me a moment to make a bold statement. With the nozzles that are available today, there is no reason to have a 100 psi fog nozzle on your 2 1⁄2.

Nope, nada, none.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a fog nozzle, even though many would argue that a smooth-bore is the best tool for the job. I’m saying that with 50 and 75 psi low- pressure nozzles readily available from all the major manufacturers there is no reason to fight the horrible reaction created by 100 psi tips. In addition to shockingly reduced back pressure, low pressure and smooth- bore tips make the line much more supple and flexible. Does a softer line run a higher risk of kinks? Yes it does, but not as much as some would have you believe.

Besides, you now assign the right number of people to address that.

The RIGHT place to put water RIGHT on the seat of the fire:

Man, if you want to roll a hand grenade into a room of firefighters mention SLICE-RS.

In the 26 years that I’ve been in the Fire Service, I’ve never seen anything like the interior/exterior attack debate that’s rocking our profession. It seems like everyone is picking sides and saying, “You need to go aggressively inside EVERY time!” or “You need to start off with exterior water application EVERY time!”

And you know what... BOTH SIDES ARE WRONG!

Your goal should be to do a good 360 and size-up, followed by an attack that puts water right on the seat of the fire as quickly as possible. Just because fire is venting out of a window does not mean that applying water into said window will reach the seat of the fire. While you may stop the process of combustion at that vent point, pyrolysis may still be occurring at the seat of the fire producing more fuel for the inferno.

On the same token, if you have a fire seated in the front room of a house and can give it a good hit through the front window while your crew masks-up then by all means go for it. The idea here is to THINK, and follow that up with an attack that best accomplishes our goal of putting the brakes on the fire as quickly as possible while making conditions inside better for anyone who may still be in there.

Oh and if you want to talk about ‘Safety’, Andy Fredricks of the FDNY made a great statement once. Andy said, “If you put out the fire, you won’t have to bail out a window!” Rapidly extinguishing the fire is the best way to ensure safety for us AND anyone trapped inside. When in doubt always fall back to one of our basic rules, “Water makes everything better!”

Still swear that you are “An EMS agency that occasionally does fire”, well guess what? You have EMTs and Paramedics that have had the “Rights of Medication Administration” drilled into them from the first day of class. Why? Because it has been proven to reduce the incidences of pre-hospital medication errors. It is time for the fire service to take a page of out the EMT handbooks and adapt it to our unique line of work. Now WE have something to reduce errors, increase efficiency, and save lives. It is simply:

The Five “Rights” of the First Line

Commit the RIGHT number of people to...

Put the RIGHT size & length line...

Flowing the RIGHT volume of water...

In the RIGHT place...

To put water RIGHT on the seat of the fire!

If you look back at the history of your organization, chances are pretty good that your department started out with, “A hose cart, 10 lengths of 2 1⁄2” hose, and a playpipe nozzle”.

The first line has been the foundation of a successful fire attack since the days of Benjamin Franklin and hand-pumped engines.

By committing to following “The Five RIGHTS of the First Line” every time you stretch, you are guaranteeing a safer fireground for your members and the citizens your swore to protect.