Saving Lives
by Mike Pruski, Fire Science Instructor
I asked the students at the
beginning of the year why they wanted to be firefighters. A lot of
them really didn’t have answers but some would say “I want to save
lives.” One of the highest priorities at a fire scene is to save
lives, and it is the mission of fire departments.
What is
search? Search is the task of locating
victims who need assistance in a dangerous area.
Rescue is the physical removal of a person or persons
from the danger area to a safe place. Search and rescue are
extremely important at any fire. Search and rescue must be
conducted quickly.
There are two types of
searches performed at building fires. The primary
search and the secondary search. The
primary search is conducted in hostile environments
and under extreme heat and limited visibility. This search is
started close to the fire area and then firefighters work away from
that area. Firefighters should use their senses; sight, sound and
touch. At this time, firefighters should report to the incident
commander if the fire has extended to any other areas. The
secondary search is a thorough search after the fire
is under control or extinguished. This search should be completed
by other firefighters and not the ones that did the primary search.
During this search, firefighters are required to look at every
location to make sure that no one is in the building or
outside.
