Before you can fight a high rise fire, you have to make it there first. That is the adage that Battalion Chief Stallfort is instilling in his firefighters on C Platoon. Over the past month the Engine and Ladder Companies have been arriving at 1900 Frontage Road, The Grand Apartments, for what is a simulated high rise fire on the 18th floor. The catch... the elevators are not usable and the firefighters must carry all of their equipment up the stairs with them. After adding up the added weight of a firefighter's protective gear, SCBA, hand tools and hose, the average firefighter was carrying at least an additional 100 lbs.
This has become a weekly exercise and times have continued to improve across the board as firefighters train on hoofing it to the top floors. Many companies practice daily in the surrounding buildings of their local.
Getting there is only half the battle. In a real high rise fire, firefighters will be required to deploy their equipment and hose to actively fight the fire. That however may be saved for the next training evolution. The important lesson here is how physical fitness correlates with our job performance.
