Halligan Tuning Guide - Search and Destroy Training

Many of you probably saw this guide floating around on Facebook but this is by far one of the best tool guides I have ever seen. This piece of work does not surprise me because it came from Search and Destroy Training. S&D has been my go to for tools and questions regarding their specifics. They have graciously provided us with a pdf version of the guide for you all to use. You can find the guide below but we also wanted to provide you with several other links to get to their training resources. Search and Destroy's Website

Search and Destroy on YouTube

Search and Destroy on Facebook

Tricks of the Trade

One of the unfortunate short-comings of the U.S. fire and rescue services is the lack of central location for information and media on tools, techniques, and tactics. Standing around 1.2 million firefighters strong, much information remains in cliques, fringe groups, regionalized, or even within a select few organizations. It is almost tragic, that there is not a one-stop resource for all things under a fire-rescue related topic. In my rescue circles, I have found my “go-to” resources of information. Rope rescue for example- as big a topic as rope rescue is, at its heart- there are relatively few authors, instructors, and innovators putting out original content. From the 1980s to now, there are probably less than two dozen names of noteworthy recognition. Even a smaller group of those have a fire-rescue background. We have put together a video below discussing this very topic as well as an included trick of the trade we picked up along the way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XsFDJ0CBgQ

If I were to start with all things rope, I would first gather around six or more major texts. Then I would start sorting through periodicals at the National Emergency Training Center Learning Resource Center(LRC). The LRC at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg MD, is the closest thing to a centrally located library for the fire service. They have a host of librarians that offer research assistance and will be happy to copy or send you material on interlibrary loan. You can search the library through their website. This would yield periodicals dealing with rope rescue such as Fire Rescue Magazine, Fire Engineering, Technical Rescue Magazine, the National Speleological Society Vertical Section, and old NASAR publications.

These sources have some great authors and will show you the history of modern rescue. But if you really want to geek-out and get in the weeds- you have got to study the material coming out of the International Technical Rescue Symposium(ITRS). Here you can study many works from the O.G.s of rescue. Dill, Larson, Hudson, Frank, Thorne, Vines, Mauthner, Smith, Padgette, and more all reside here. This annual symposium is limited to 150 participants, has 15-20 presenters, and it is here that information and research gets its peer-reviewed acid test before it goes mainstream. In order to take your research beyond this level, you probably have to talk to the “original gangstas” themselves or perform original research on your own. . .

There is a huge need to capture some of this institutional knowledge before key organizational members hang up their gear for the last time. Regional barriers that prevent the spread of life-saving information must be overcome. We need platforms to share a disseminate tools, techniques, and tricks of the trade. One of these areas that seems very regionalized is heavy rescue. What is a trick that makes your life easier and no one seems to know about it, but your team? Do you have method for running a breaching tool that saves time and maintenance? Is there a new tool that you found closes a capability gap? Have you learned new tricks from an old tool- such as the Griphoist? As US&R teams immerse themselves in flood and swiftwater rescues, do you have a lesson that can save future lives? We want to collect these ideas from all walks of technical rescue and share it with the community. Fill out all the information in the Training Bulletin survey and share with others. We will take top tips and post them here on BoxalarmTraining. Additionally, we are looking for tips and trick that could be share with the National US&R System. If pertinent and valuable, your content could appear in classes or the US&R Field Operations Guide(FOG). We may contact you for more pictures or clarifications. Credit will be given and cited and intellectual property will be honored. We are looking to foster a since of sharing of rescue knowledge- especially when seconds and lives matter.

DJI and FLIR Imaging Video

As technology in the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) rapidly moves forward DJI has just released its partnership with FLIR to provide thermal imaging on board their current UAS platforms. This will be a topic for many of us performing fire and SAR operations.

Check out the video below to see the features and how this system could be used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z625R9eljIc

American Fire Apparel - December Giveaway

It's time for another American Fire Apparel giveaway. We will select one random winner by the end of today (December 7, 2015). To enter the drawing go to our Facebook Page and look for the post: www.facebook.com/boxalarmtraining

The winner will get to select any item in stock on American Fire Apparel's online store. Check it out here:

http://americanfireapparel.net

Good Luck!

Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Firefighters 2015

It's that time of year and we have released our Top 10 Christmas Gifts for Firefighters. Below you will see several different products and links to find each.

#10 - Firefighter Apparel

This is not the cringe while you look at cheesy firefighter apparel gift. I personally own apparel from the three brands below and recommend all of them as gifts. Each one produces apparel with higher end materials and you can tell by the feel and fit. My personal preference is any shirt with the 50/50 blend, very comfortable.

Engine Company Apparel, American Fire Apparel and Hook and Irons Clothing

#9 - FD Leatherworks

Any custom products from FD Leatherworks will be sure to please. They offer a wide range of products in several price ranges to choose from: Chinstraps, Belts, Radio Straps, etc. If you are unable to get the order in on time just make it a gift certificate.

#8 - Black Smoke Shields

A custom leather front from Black Smoke Shields makes a great gift. This gift seems to work better if given as a "gift certificate". That will allow the firefighter to choose their own custom style.

#8 - The Rescue Wedge

The Rescue Wedge is a great personal tool for a firefighter. Great for one man forcible entry operations and works really well on heavy commercial doors. The wedge is made of aluminum and features the "Frederick Notch" made famous by Andy Fredericks.

#7 - Glove Crafters Fire Armor Gloves

Gloves make great gifts. There are many different brands but I tend to lean toward the Glove Crafters Fire Armor Glove. The gloves are made in Arkansas and are very well made. They are a great blend of dexterity and durability.

#6 - Frame a Picture

I never really looked at the importance of these small personal gifts until I had several years in the fire service. Every firefighter shares a common bond and pride in what we do is at the top of the list. Having a framed picture to show your kids or grandkids in the future will be invaluable. As the son of a professional photographer I have learned to stay away from "action" shots and look for personal shots. Pictures that show firefighters being firefighters or pictures with friends who share the job.

#5 - Majestic Fire Apparel Hood

Majestic Fire Apparel manufactures really good hoods and they have a massive selection. With the introduction of their new Moisture Membrane Hoods I would look at the MM2. I would also choose a good C6 fabric hood in the PAC II design. Lastly, you may be interested in the SVZ (Strategic Vent Zone) Hoods. You will want to check out their website to see all the available options: http://www.majhoods.com

#4 - Firefighter Tools

These can become a little pricey but you get what you pay for. I highly recommend these three tools as the go to tools for forcible entry and truck work: The Pig, Fire Hooks Unlimited Maxximus Rex Halligan, and the Iron Fox Axe. If you are interested in purchasing tools I encourage you to go to Search and Destroy Tools and Equipment or First In Last Out Fire and Safety Equipment.

#3 - NFFF Brick

If you have ever been to the National Fire Academy you have seen the Walk of Honor. The park features a brick Walk of Honor® that connects the monument, the historic Fallen Firefighters Memorial Chapel, and memorial plazas. Each brick on the walkway bears a personal inscription. Proceeds from the sale of these bricks help to finance construction of the Memorial Park. You can find the link to the bricks by Clicking Here.

#2 - Fire Cam

I have owned a Fire Cam product for several years and just recently received the new Fire Cam 1080 WIFI. Fire Cam makes great products and also brings even better customer service with each purchase. I would check out the 1080 Wifi edition if you are looking for a helmet cam.

#1 - A Trip to FDIC

For those of you that have attended FDIC before you know how valuable the training and experience will be. FDIC is a must attend event on the bucket list for any firefighter. You will be surrounded by thousands of brothers who are truly passionate about the fire service and will have days of new products to check out. The classes are delivered by the best in the world and you will go home with the batteries charged to get back to work.

We also carry a few items in our online store you might enjoy. Every purchase helps us fund our mission of providing free training resources to firefighters across the United States. You can check out our store by Clicking Here.

Black Friday Sale

Black Friday Sale!

Check out our online store for the deals we are offering on Black Friday.

10% OFF ALL SHIRTS

10% OFF ALL STICKERS

To check out our online store and shop the Black Friday Sales CLICK HERE. 

UL - Air Entrainment Research

UL's Firefighter Safety Research Institute has conducted an extensive Air Entrainment Study to evaluate the influence of nozzles and their ability to influence the flow path during a fire. I personally have been conducting my own back yard testing for more than a year on this very topic. From the moment "You can't push fire" was quoted I began to evaluate the entrainment of air using various nozzles and application techniques. I am looking forward to seeing the results UL publishes so we can have a better understanding of this dynamic environment. I will release several training videos in the near future about this very topic but until then check out UL's video about the study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7pMy_bl2Vs

You can read below to see what UL has to say about this valuable research project:

As part of the 2013 DHS Grant to study the “Impact of Fire Attack utilizing Interior and Exterior Streams on Firefighter Safety and Occupant Survival” testing was conducted at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center in Sharon Hill, PA to measure the amount of air being entrained into the structure by Fire Attack operations. Each test was designed to evaluate differences in entrainment, if any, by looking at different nozzle types, stream types, application patterns, as well as different compartment and ventilation configurations. These tests were conducted over a four day period where more than 150 tests were performed resulting in tens of thousands of data points as well as hours of video and hundreds of still images.

These experiments were conducted in a two-story residential structure with concrete walls and drywall constructing the first floor, and normal wood framing with drywall constructing the second floor. The building size was 20ft. wide, 36ft. long with 8ft. high ceilings. The building had multiple ventilation openings varying in size which allowed tests to be done utilizing different variables to replicate the most realistic conditions firefighters would face in the field. Additionally, the interior geometry of the structure was varied dependent on the type of test being conducted.

Instrumentation was used to measure air flow into the structure caused by the type of hose stream and how it was applied. These devices included bi-directional probes and associated pressure transducers to measure air flow in addition to in-line pressure and flow gauges to ensure the hose streams were applied at the desired pressure and flow per the manufacturer.

The tests covered a range of hose line sizes including 1-3/4” and 2-1/2” as well as different nozzle types: combination/fog and smoothbore. Portable monitor and master stream devices were examined as well. The hose streams varied between smoothbore, straight stream, and narrow fog in addition to the nozzle patterns including fixed, “Z,” “O,” and the Inverted “U.” The first round of experiments was aimed at determining the amount of air entrained by the different nozzles at different hose line sizes and application patterns irrespective of building configuration. The next series of tests examined the impact of varying the ventilation openings both behind and ahead of the nozzle. The final series of experiments focused on a more realistic interior geometry layout involving flowing water while moving down a hallway towards a room. Once again, ventilation openings were varied ahead of the nozzle. During each of these series of experiments, hose streams were applied from both the interior and exterior of the structure to determine the differences in overall entrainment into the structure.

The Rescue Wedge

It has been said many times before, that having single firefighter forcible entry skills becomes a force multiplier on the fireground. This wedge was developed by Jared Ford and Wesley Porter and made in the U.S.A. Using a machined wedge can help tremendously when trying to gap a door by yourself. We have been testing out the Rescue Wedge and will be producing a product review video in the near future. Until then you can get more info off of their Website and their Facebook Page. Check out this video and see what you think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr-goxahRok

Product Giveaway - American Fire Apparel

American Fire Apparel has decided to support our training mission and will be giving away a free item on our Facebook page today! The winner will get a chance to select any item from American Fire Apparel and they will send it straight to you. To enter the contest make sure you go over to our Facebook page and look for the post with the giveaway. Like or comment on the post and we will select a random winner by the end of today, November 9, 2015.  

You can check out a few of the products in our video below:

https://youtu.be/KALlE4z39c0

Movember is Here!

As many of you know firefighters are at an increased risk of developing many forms of cancer. November has become the month for men to raise cancer awareness and this movement has been largely credited to Movember. The Movember Foundation is a global charity committed to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising $650 million and funding over 1,000 programs focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.

Box Alarm Training has created the Firefighter Mustache shirt to help raise cancer awareness for firefighters. We will be donating the proceeds of the sales of this shirt to Movember. To get your own shirt you can click here.

Firefighter Combat Challenge Video

We had a great time filming the Firefighter Combat Challenge Video over the weekend. Thanks to Dr. Paul Davis and Mike Word (The Voice of the Combat Challenge) for arranging a video for us to shoot. My brother Josh Hinkle and I were able to shoot all weekend and we are working on producing a few videos from the event. Here is the first one, The Highlight Reel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmgQoxm87uE

New Shirts are Here!

The new shirts are here! We now have 3 shirts in our online store and each purchase helps support our mission of providing free training resources to firefighters. We even have one shirt created to help fund men's cancer research and awareness. To see more info about the new shirts you can check them out by clicking here. You can also see the shirts below with a short description:

Tactics on Tap!

The first Mississippi Tactics on Tap is coming up this Saturday, July 25th! We will be there discussing the latest fire attack research and tactical recommendations. If you are interested in joining us you can RSVP for the event on the North Mississippi Emerald Society Facebook page. We will start at 5:00pm at the Blind Pig Pub in Oxford, MS. Hope to see you there!

Firefighter Combat Challenge - Mississippi

If you are nearby come join us on July 31st for the Firefighter Combat Challenge in Brandon, MS. We have produced a promo video for the event and you can check it out below. For more info you can click here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AktYvlr46r4

FD Leatherworks Review

I recently purchased an FD Leatherworks chinstrap and decided to shoot a quick review of it. FD Leatherworks makes a ton of different leather products for firefighters like: Radio Straps, Suspenders, Truckman's Belts and Chinstraps. You can check out the review below and you can also visit their website at www.fdleatherworks.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GleY6fXVI14

Why are we here?

As “one of those firefighter Social Media pages” I feel like I should share with all of you why Box Alarm Training even exists. It is pretty amazing to see the sheer volume of Facebook pages now dedicated to firefighting, training, and overall firemanship. I know things can become very cloudy and hard to sort through with this infinitely larger network of firefighter social media. Let me start by saying I believe the vast majority of the members in this network are doing amazing things. They are creating so many opportunities and opening the line of communication to share ideas, research and tradition. So, why are we here? I know it sounds cliche but I grew up with a desire to become a firefighter. You can ask anyone that knew me when I was a kid, my dream never grew out of me. When I graduated high school I knew I wanted to join a volunteer department and I found an incredible department in Oxford, MS while attending Ole Miss “THE University of Mississippi”. I was a member of the Ole Miss Rebel football team and had some incredible opportunities to meet with amazing athletes and leaders including; Eli Manning, David Cutcliffe, Hugh Freeze, Robert Kayat, Jason Cook, Mike Espy, Michael Oher and many more. I learned a lot of life lessons while at Ole Miss and one simple phrase that Head Coach David Cutcliffe used to say on a daily basis was “leave this place better than you found it”. I continue to believe that our mission in the fire service is to leave this place better than we found it.

In 2010 I created a YouTube channel with the idea of shooting some simple training videos to help out some local volunteer departments that needed more training resources and couldn’t afford some $1,000 dvd package… So, I shot a few videos and before I knew it I was receiving messages from all over the world asking for more. It completely blew my mind and to this day I am amazed at the ability for some form of technology to change the way generations learn about firemanship. The absolute number one goal of Box Alarm Training is to provide training resources to all firefighters regardless of their budget, level of experience, or whether they are career or volunteer. After running the YouTube channel for awhile I decided to expand the channel to an actual training company so that we could grow. We have added a new website with more resources, a Facebook Page, and have several guys that have helped contribute on the site. In no way, shape or form do we claim to be the experts in all things fire and rescue. However, I firmly believe we can find the guys that are. I have been working hard at finding some other guys to contribute with more material and I believe I have some really good ones lined up. I thank you for all of the support you have given us. Every time you like, share or comment not only gives us confirmation that we are doing the right things but also allows us to reach more firefighters and that makes a difference. I thank you for the support and feel free to shoot us a message or recommend a new training video. We are always open to new ideas. Let’s leave this place better than we found it.

The FF Wedge™

Many firefighters have asked us about the FF Wedge™ and where to find them. We have put together a short video below and have also provided Dale Pekel's in depth video of the wedges. If you are looking for them you can find them in our website store just Click Here. Check them out below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CU2GNrFf-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h5f24dbq9g

Nozzle Series - Automatic Nozzles

We are continuing our Nozzle Series with Automatic Nozzles. The Automatic Nozzle was originally designed on a napkin and since then has been widely used throughout the country. The goal of the automatic nozzle is to provide relatively consistent nozzle pressure throughout a wide range of flows. So, you will see automatic nozzles used in many different applications including foam operations and standpipe operations. You need to thoroughly evaluate the use of an automatic nozzle in certain applications prior to using them. While the nozzle can offer several advantages like the ability to provide the pump operator with an in-line pressure regulator it can also conceal hidden flow issues because of the nozzles abilities to maintain good nozzle pressure. Adequate nozzle pressure does not necessarily equate to adequate nozzle flow. When a hose line is kinked or something happens to inhibit the amount of water moving through the line you will see no major indications on the nozzle except for a drop in nozzle reaction. You need to get out and flow these nozzles to feel the difference in adequate flow and poor flow. Check out the video below for an overview of the Automatic Nozzle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzYmWeUPruk

Black Smoke Shields - Product Review

I just recently received my new helmet shield from Black Smoke Shields. I was very pleased with the results! These shields are hand made in Georgia and you can tell they take pride in their product. In the past I have purchased custom shields and it seems like you always have to wait an eternity to find a good one. Right now Black Smoke Shields is around a 6-8 week turn around on orders. That is really quick for a custom shield. Check out our product review video below:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehE1lcXitf0

For more information you can visit their website and Facebook Page:

www.blacksmokeshields.com

www.facebook.com/blacksmokeshields

Sutphen at FDIC 2015

You cannot help but stop when you walk by a nice low hose bed at FDIC 2015. Sutphen has worked with Columbus Ohio and put together a very functional spec for a pumper that is built to work. You will also see a gallery below of several of their other trucks seen at FDIC 2015 including a pair of aerials that have incredibly low hose beds and carry 500 gallons of water. Take a look at the gallery below: [flagallery gid=11]