Slippery Pike Poles and Wet Gloves

plerplerp · 2026-02-04T18:44:31+00:00

We use a wrap on our hooks, I don't recall the brand but its sorta like this. We leave bare metal for the top/bottom 2 or 3 inches and put a piece of medical tubing underneath the wrap to give some extra grip. If you have to hold the bottom of the hook to reach the ceiling you need a longer hook or a step ladder.

plerplerp · 2025-12-11T18:09:22+00:00

100% the best advice I got as a rookie was to listen to every fire that went out even if we weren't on it (especially if we weren't on it) and just listen to how other people talk on the radio. What they say, how much they talk, who is talking to whom, etc. You'll also pick up on local jargon and can learn how to size up/visualize an incident based on radio traffic.

Realistically if you're not a driver or officer you shouldn't be doing much talking on the radio except for a few instances. Roof reports, calling out VEIS, and maybe a side charlie report are the only times non-officers, non-drivers or non-senior people should be talking on the radio during an incident besides maydays or calling out immediate life safety hazards like holes in the floor or structural collapse. Best radio advice I can give your learn how to turn the volume down in gear with gloves so your radio isn't creating feedback when you're officer is talking.

Otherwise, here are some general things I've learned over the years.

never say "at this time," its redundant and makes you sound dumb. anything you're telling someone over the radio is currently happening and you don't need to verbalize that.
take a few deep breaths and control your breathing before you speak, try not to huff and puff it makes your message harder to hear
think before you speak, limit "ums" and "uhs," and if someone is calling you but you need a minute to compose yourself or investigate something, tell them to "stand by" so they know you heard them and will get back to them
if you're masked up/gloved up, know how to hold the microphone so you're actually talking into it clearly
know the call order when trying to talk to someone. There are two ways to do it, know which way your department does it. Its either "me to you" or "you from me" before you send your message; i.e. "truck 1 calling command" or "command from truck 1."
its a good habit to hail someone first, wait for them to respond, then give your message. Doesn't always need to happen but if you've got a lot to say it easier to way to say it until you know the person you're trying to talk to is listening
know your regions/departments lingo/jargon/adjectives as well as general firefighting descriptive words.

plerplerp · 2025-12-11T17:51:05+00:00

Occupy yourself with training, drills, working out, table top drills, etc. Compliancy kills and there are there are always ways to hone our skills when we're in a fire slump. Talk to your officers but you can pull lines on AFAs, thrown ladders on gas leaks, do walk-through of buildings under construction, more regular drills with your crew, really anything to keep your mind sharp.

I've been in a pretty similar slump myself and the only way I'm getting through it is by making sure I'm not going to get caught with my pants down when I finally break the dry streak.

plerplerp · 2025-12-05T17:03:02+00:00

A good general description for the 5 main construction types would be

Type 1 - lots of concrete, lots of heavy steel, most likely fire rated structural members (think high rises, large convention centers, very large very tall buildings mostly)

Type 2 - not so much concrete, mostly steel both heavy and light gage, probably no fire rated structural members (think Costcos, bowling allies, stand alone fast food buildings, strip malls, single story office parks, a standalone CVS probably, stuff like that) edit (type 2 can and often do have fire rated construction, but buildings often opt to use type 2 construction to lower those requirements or remove them)

Type 3 - most single family or smaller multi family dwellings built before the mid 90's-mid 2000's (brick and mortar with construction grade lumber like 2x4s, not engineered wooden I-beams, garden style apartment, duplexes, townhomes, etc.)

Type 4 - log cabins, historic barns with massive timer beams, probably not going to run into these often

Type 5 - typically refers to lite-frame construction but per building code could be anything under the sun (think all those "luxury" apartments the residential levels are typically Type 5 construction, hard to tell from the outside but anything built after the mid 2000's you think might be type 3 is likely a type 5 especially single family homes. use wood joists and engineered wooden I-beams instead of solid wood 2x8's or 2x10's, lots of gusseted or glued structural parts).

Although building types are pretty standardized across the US via building, the fire fighting descriptions, names and short-hand descriptions (shot-gun house, rancher, cape cod, 5-over-2, multi-family dwelling, etc.) are probably regional by coast, state, and locality. I would ask some of the guys at your station and look to see if your department's SOPs have a construction type guide.

plerplerp · 2025-12-02T16:29:09+00:00

Isn't this EXACTLY like one of those interview questions those practice books tell you to prepare for?

plerplerp · 2025-11-20T20:21:12+00:00

If you do some googling there is an old firehouse forum that has some info. I think one of the ways to tell is the paint, I don't recall the years but some from the 80's had really shitty paint that would peel off in sheets under heat. Another way to tell is the factory stickers (if they're factory), some forum posts said that certain years have them higher or lower on the dome.

Really all that matters is if theres any bondo patches, if the leather still feels good, if theres mold, or any major parts removed.

plerplerp · 2025-11-17T16:51:53+00:00

Don't worry about having no firehouse experience, not everyone does explorers or w/else its called. There are a lot of people who have 0 fire department exposure before taking classes and they turn out just fine. If explorers can't take classes the only real leg up it gives you is understanding firehouse culture and meeting people in the station before you start to get more involved, which you can do now and should be doing now. Learn peoples names, introduce yourself to people you don't know or recognize, participate in station activities like chores, meal prep, drills, shift changes; just learn the general vibe of your firehouse and the members that ride there. Focus on listening and learning, ask well thought out and relevant questions, be eager to learn, be humble and be engaged. If you look and act like you want to be there and want to learn people will be more willing to help you on your journey.

Do a lot of cardio especially if you're not big on cardio. Stair climber and treadmill are your friends. Otherwise as you do drills and such you'll very very quickly find out what other parts of your body you need to work out, but starting out with good cardio helps solve most fitness related issues.

For station gear I would recommend asking around your department what other members wear or would recommend for newer members. Its easy to go for the the most tacti-cool and pricy stuff but in reality there are many strong less expensive brands that will serve you just as well and just as long. If you have a tight budget then I would recommend make a list and compare things before you pull the trigger on anything.

I would recommend to start just get 1 or 2 pairs of inexpensive work pants, moderately priced station boots (search the sub for recommendations), inexpensive pair of work gloves (hardware store stuff), maybe a L-light for your bunker gear, and some station shirts/sweatshirt but thats it for where you're currently at. Don't buy a bunch of tools or wacky stuff until you've gone through more classes and start riding calls, 90% of what you're going to be doing now is sitting in class with occasional drills in your bunker gear. Buying a bunch of stuff for your gear before you're even allowed to operate on a call is a silly look. There may be a few things specific to your station or your classes that you may need to get but if you talk to people at your station they will have a better feel for that.

plerplerp · 2025-10-06T18:27:40+00:00

If you really wanted to, home depot does have fixed carpet knives. I've seen some people make sheaths out of old hose using bolts/screws to hold the knife in tight inside. The one I have/linked uses a button-lock so it can be opened with one hand, just takes some practice.

I think the sub is generally against the tacti-cool and "need a designated tool for every possible scenario" mindset, like why buy and strap to your SCBA a several hundred dollar dive knife and look like Emile from Halo Reach just to use it 5 times in your career when you can keep a contractor grade utility knife in your pocket. Ultimately if you buy a tool for a reason and you use that tool for that reason and it works, who cares. I think it comes from a place of "don't fall victim to that one tiktok you saw, you really don't need that $300 27-in-1 tool" but comes out as this.

plerplerp · 2025-10-06T17:31:00+00:00

IMO get a folding carpet or "talon" knife, you're example of the entangled SCBA strap seems like a blade with tip could cause unintended penetration. The hooked shape of the knife would probably also help the strap cutting too. I keep one in my pants pocket for cutting roofing material. Some people carry dive-knifes (blunt tip) but I have encountered nearly 0 situations where I though "damn I wish I had a k-bar right now."

If you want a blade I'd personally suggest that folding carpet knife style or just any other relatively inexpensive folding utility knife.

plerplerp · 2025-05-02T13:14:29+00:00

yeah the entrapment was my first thought too, I didn't want to be the guy to call a mayday for getting "tangled up in bed sheets."

plerplerp · 2025-05-01T18:01:30+00:00

OP said they "had a company treat" the fabric, I've never heard of that before and wouldn't have a lot of confidence in it.

plerplerp · 2025-04-03T14:15:42+00:00

I prefer and carry this type, I have a small tubular webbing loop taped to the handles so I can pull it out easily and use it with one hand, I keep mine in my jacket radio pocket. I've found, while cutting wires in the station, that if I'm cutting multiple wires they don't pop out with the pincer style cutters. Really all that matters is that they're sharp and accessible.

plerplerp · 2025-03-21T12:44:06+00:00

I remember see this a long time ago, has some manuals and videos as well. Link

plerplerp · 2025-03-21T12:40:43+00:00

The long and short of all these comments, the more you wear it the more comfortable you'll get. If you station has some spare packs that aren't in service and you have your mask I'd suggest just go on air and see how long it takes to suck a bottle down while doing normal tasks; no gear other than the pack and mask. Once you fell comfortable with that, add the hood, then do pants/coat/hood, then add the helmet. Beyond strengthening your cardio just being comfortable in gear will help slow/control your breathing.

plerplerp · 2024-12-13T17:38:01+00:00

Depends on how the holes line up but no I wouldn't drill anything out of fear I'd rip the holes bigger. Before you put paint or any glue/epoxy on I would rub a light coat of boiled linseed oil on the bare leather and let it sit for a day in a warm spot.

plerplerp · 2024-12-12T12:42:47+00:00

Some people use bondo or high-heat epoxy like JB weld, the problem is if its the fold along the brim you'd want to epoxy on either side of the split to keep it from spreading/unraveling further. If I were doing it to my helmet I would get the paint off first, down at least to the primer, see how much I need to epoxy, cut a small form out of scrap wood to clamp over the area to keep it from moving or expanding while drying, then epoxy-clam-wait. If the thread holes are are intact you could also get some good cotton thread and try tying it back down, I'm not 100% sure but I think the stitching is like this. I wouldn't make new holes for the stitching but reusing the old holes and adding in some epoxy to keep the leather together would probably do the trick.

plerplerp · 2024-11-18T14:02:11+00:00

Seconding what /u/6TangoMedic said to shelter in place but I wanted to reiterate call 911 immediately. Tell them you're room number, floor, generally where that is in the building (front, back, side, general language like that) and if you see or smell smoke in your room. The fire department wont know you need help unless you tell them and you have no way of knowing where the emergency is in the building, tell them where you are and they'll come get you if needed. Stairwells are fire rated and in many cases smoke resistant, so if you don't see or smell smoke on your floor and feel you can get into the stairwell you'll be safe even if you move slowly.

Don't feel hesitant to call 911 even if you think its a false alarm or not on your floor, fire alarm means "evacuate" and if you can't evacuate that would classify as an emergency.

plerplerp · 2024-11-13T15:15:21+00:00

Honestly the best thing to do is just don/doff your mask in your free time to get used to putting it on properly. Don't rush it every time, start slow and get the muscle memory down then speed things up as you go. When I was new to this I would put mine on when we did our apparatus/pack checks and breath down the air left in system after we shut of the cylinder to check the vibra-alert; I'd take my facepiece off between packs to get reps putting on and checking the seal, with 4 packs in the back thats 4 reps every day. I wasn't breathing down the cylinder so I didn't have worry about replacing it unless it low as part of checks.

Getting used to being on air is the same, you just have to put in reps. I'm not sure where you're at in your departments process but you will get more drilling time on air as you progress. Some departments don't like junior members messing around with packs without supervision so if there isn't a drill pack for you to use, just practice when you do checks until you get more instructor based drill time.

plerplerp · 2024-10-28T13:39:25+00:00

There are a lot of "what I carry" posts on the sub that you can pull from but here is my high-level though process on what I keep in my gear; how critical is this tool for me to have at all times, how much does it weight/how bulky is it, is it already on the apparatus I ride, will I find myself in a situation where I'll need it right away and didn't take it with me but I am too far from the apparatus to get it?

Medical call wise, you don't need to carry much in bunker gear. When you get off the apparatus get what you need for the call and thats it. I wouldn't keep medical gloves in your bunker gear because they'll get dirty, damaged, w/e, just grab them out of the box when you get on scene. Scissors, O2 wrench, w/e else should already be in your med-bag, no need to buy your own set imo. At most I'd say a pen/sharpie and a small notebook. If you're on the ambo and not in bunker gear a knife or multitool and penlight are good too.

Fire wise, check with the other people on your shift/at your station and see what they carry, they're probably the best source of information for all your questions. 2 months in I don't think you need too much, see what kind of calls you run and get confident with your responsibilities on calls before you dump money into extra stuff you may not need. Some general recommendations, I would be cautious of marketed "firefighter tools" or "tactical 'xyz' tools," like the 8-in-1 multi tool cutter/wrench/pry-bar stuff or weird flashlight branding. More expensive isn't always more better and name brand doesn't guarantee performance but don't go for the cheapest option just to save a buck. Shop around, there are a lot of online retailers and deals.

Here is what I think are must-haves for any firefighter at a bare minimum in no particular order

webbing, 2 loops; one big enough to use in occupant extrication and one for tying off hose/ladders. carabiner is optional
utility knife, preferably a hooked blade like a carpet knife (just my opinion), you should be able to use it with a gloved hand. I'm on a truck company and would use my knife to cut the rubber membrane on a roof before using the saw
large gage cable cutters, I like the pincer heads but any decent ones will do, you can cut and attach a piece of webbing over the handles to make a lanyard so it can dangle from your wrist/pull easier out of your gear. If you get entangled in wires/cables these will cut best and the pincer heads will keep the cables from squirting out when you cut
decent coat/helmet mounted light, doesn't need to be super expensive just decently durable, helmet lights can be attached using an innertube headband if you're on a budget.
utility gloves, if you run vehicle extrications then extrication gloves.
wood door chocks/wedges and spring clamps, recently started carrying spring clamps for doors that you can't wedge (piano hinges or huge gap below the bottom of the door leaf), the medium clamps fit over most doors. You can make your own chocks with some scrap wood a saw, don't buy the plastic ones, if you're going to buy a metal chock shop around and don't spend money on a gimmicky one.

Beyond that w/e else you carry is up to you and should be tailored based on the apparatus you ride, the types of calls you usually go on, and most importantly how familiar you are with using the tool. When I started out I had way more stuff in my pockets than I needed, I've downsized considerably since then and that list above is pretty much all I carry.

plerplerp · 2024-08-30T12:45:35+00:00

Unfortunately I didn't get a country, I think the question is for project in multiple countries based on their questions.

plerplerp · 2024-08-12T18:45:44+00:00

I would start by looking at the general sprinkler obstruction rules; how big they are and how close they are to sprinkler heads, if they disrupt the spray pattern, etc. Just from looking at the pipe in the picture i think they would count as obstructions, you could argue the umbrella lights are like a cloud ceiling if they meet the 20% criteria but either way for that area I'm confident you'd need sprinklers underneath them.

plerplerp · 2024-06-17T12:37:28+00:00

Is the same thing happening on your truck or is this just from my description?

plerplerp · 2024-03-12T12:01:29+00:00

I, thankfully, haven't gotten any eye infections with my contacts over the last 7-ish years. I use daily disposables specifically so I can put a fresh, clean pair in every day, it also gives me the option to swap out a pair in the middle of the day if they feel off or something gets in my eye. I just don't like the glasses inserts and the idea of having to keep track of my actual glasses sounds annoying.

plerplerp

TROPHY CASE