Good Will Members Participate in Firefighter Survival Drill
 
By Cadet Fire Fighter Francis Smiley Jr.
April 19, 2010
 

On the evening of April 19, 2010 the Good Will members participated in their weekly drill which was Firefighter Survival. Members practiced bailing out by use of a ladder, bailing out by use of a rope, calling a Mayday on the radio with and air pack on, and learned when to call a Mayday and how to tell when you need to get out.

Lieutenant Gerry DiNunzio taught the ladder bailout, this is a technique firefighters use when they need to get out of a burning building quicker then normal. Firefighters are taught to climb down the ladder head first until they reach about 3 or 4 rungs from they bottom. Once they get here they flip around and land on their feet. Lt. DiNunzio also taught firefighters how to pass on a ladder. This is a technique used commonly at a fire scene. It is used to allow firefighters to pass one another easily and quickly.

Lieutenant Chris Good taught the bailout by use of a rope, this is used in a worse case scenario situation. It requires the firefighter who is bailing out to hold tightly to a rope, which is secured to a haligan bar, and fall freely out of a window before sliding down the rope.

Captain Jon Stafford taught when firefighters should know to get out. He discussed when to call a Mayday and what signs of a flashover (explosion) to look for. He also discussed a technique of fighting a fire on the siding of a house.

Assistant Chief Paul Haring taught the calling a mayday part of the drill. He taught firefighters to use the ancronym LUNAR when calling a mayday. L stands for location of which the firefighter is. U stands for the Unit of which the firefighter belongs. N stands for the name of the trapped firefighter. A stands for the assignment of which the firefighter holds. R stands for the resources the firefighter will need. Assistant Chief Haring also taught when to call a maday much like Captain Stafford.

 
Units: Engine 52-1, Engine 52-2, Air 52, Tanker 52, Assistant 52