What we see on the news is always the impressive fire scene with multiple aerials up operating master streams with fire 30 feet above the roofline and an impressive column of smoke visible for miles or the dramatic rescue of a civilian in the fourth-floor window over an aerial ladder.
That’s the impressive, dramatic, and attention-getting part of what we do. But, let’s look at what it took to get those aerials in position for the rescue or the master stream operation. What goes into that is the convergence of knowledge, experience, and skill set to get the impressive results seen on television.
We all know the initial part of any incident is the response to the fire scene. The radio traffic, the additional information that we know about the building, initial reports from other companies, the safe arrival at the scene, all that. This is the normal everyday stuff we do on every run. So, where does the application of the aforementioned abilities come in? Well, the first part of any such operation hinges on two critical steps.
The first critical step is when we arrive on scene and the process of determining where we will position our rig for the most benefit. Whether an aerial ladder or a ladder tower, proper positioning is critical to being able to achieve the tactical objectives necessary for success. It may be for an obvious rescue from a window or balcony, putting your crew on the roof for ventilation, or setting up for aerial master streams. The key is being close enough to be useful. This may require jockeying between earlier arriving companies, backing into position, going off the road’s surface onto the yard, or straddling a curb. We must be open-minded to all these possibilities but, more importantly, be able to quickly and fluidly achieve the next critical step.
The second critical step is apparatus setup, which is where we convert the previously mentioned knowledge, experience, and skill set into action. While not oversimplifying the standard full throw setup of outriggers and stabilizers onto concrete, we must be willing to admit this should be our default and second nature. But, how about the abnormal situations where the wide-open concrete parking lot with no obstructions or challenges is not what we have to work with?
DOUBLE-PARKED CARS
When double-parked cars are where you need to be, the fix is to be able to short jack or alley jack. While both terms are used interchangeably, they are in fact two different techniques. Short jacking is where the side of the rig facing the fire is set up with full horizontal and vertical throw of the outriggers while the opposite side is only partially extended horizontally, if at all, with full vertical extension to achieve stabilization. Conversely, as the name implies, alley jacking is when you simply throw all outriggers vertically with no horizontal extension at all like, you guessed it, would be required in a narrow alley. Both have limitations that should be known and accounted for.
With short jacking, you will be rotation-limited to the short-jacked side of the rig. Depending on the rig manufacturer, this can be up to 15 degrees, and others none to that side. With alley jacking, the ability to rotate the aerial will also be limited with varying degrees, again depending on manufacturer, making positioning extremely important. With limited to no rotation possible, remember that when alley-jacked, the aerial will only be able to deploy in the direction it sits in the cradle—forward with a rear-mount and to the rear with a midmount or tiller (photo 1).
CURB OBSTACLE
When a curb presents the obstacle, if you can’t short jack or alley jack around it, one answer is to build a box crib. Hopefully every aerial apparatus is carrying cribbing. This task is relatively easy to complete but not something that should be learned on the firegroun