There are few tasks during the first moments of a structure fire that are as important as selecting and operating the first line. This critical decision has to be made by the first-due officer and can make or break the attack on a fire. They say as the first line goes, so goes the fire, and I believe this to be true. If the first line selected is the wrong size, positioned in the wrong place, or not operating in a quick manner, conditions can deteriorate and create an environment that is worse for potential victims and firefighters. The first line can be put in place as a protection line for search crews, protecting egress pathways and confining the fire from lateral spread, or to extinguish the main body of fire. There are times when those operating the first line enter the structure, locate the fire, confine it and then extinguish the fire while simultaneously protecting search crews.
Loading the attack line
The first step to ensuring that the first line is ready for operation is loading it in the correct manner on the apparatus. It is paramount that the firefighters in your department understand what hose load the department is using, how to load it, and how to pull it. There are different complements to each of the various loads used by fire departments nationwide. While most can be effective, some are better than others when it comes to navigating obstacles and lending the firefighter pulling the line more options than others. Whichever hose load your department has adopted for use, ensure that the firefighters understand how to load it so when it is being pulled it pulls in the quickest and most efficient manner. It is also good for every firefighter to know what nozzle is on the attack line. Is it a smoothbore, fixed gallonage, selectable gallonage or automatic nozzle? What are the flow capabilities of the nozzles on your handlines? The more a firefighter knows about the tool they will go to battle with, the better off they will be.
Estimating the stretch
The first decision to be made by the officer or nozzle operator is how much hose is needed to reach the seat of the fire, or what is better known as estimating the stretch. If the firefighters pull too much hose, this can create problems with kinking and flaking the line, and if the firefighters do not have enough hose (short stretch), they cannot make the seat of the fire for full extinguishment. This can become a problem with a one-size-fits-all pre-connected hoseline length.
If your department is using a static hosebed, the firefighters can stretch the hose to their drop point and the driver can break the hose and connect it to the apparatus, giving the crews a more exact length. The pump operator would now calculate their pump discharge pressures by the amount of hose stretched for that particular structure and fire.
The best time to figure out how much hose is needed for a building is measuring distances during pre-fire plans and training with a measuring wheel or hose estimation rope, but we may not have that luxury before the tones drop for a fire at a structure where you haven’t had time to train.
There is a formula that can be used on scene to get a quick estimation of how much hose is needed, but remember, all structures are different and this formula is a quick rough estimation. You will need several things to get this calculation, including the setback from the apparatus to the entrance of the structure, the distance between the entrance of the structure and the fire room, and one more length of hose for the fire floor or room being entered. We cannot measure the distance from the entrance to the fire room through the building from the street, so a quick way to gather this information is adding the length and width of the building together.
Example: Let’s say you arrive on scene to a two-story single-family dwelling that you estimate measures 30 feet wide and 60 feet long. The setback from the apparatus to the front door is 45 feet and the fire is on the second floor in the Bravo-Charlie corner.
- Setback 45 Feet
- Width 30 Feet
- Length 60 Feet
- Fire Floor 50 Feet
Adding these measurement together (45 + 30 + 60 + 50) reveals that 185 feet of hose is needed. This means the standard length of 200 feet for a pre-connected handline would reach this fire room and ensure there’s enough hose to reach every corner of the structure if needed. If we took the same example, but made it a single-story dwelling, we would drop the additional 50-foot length for second-story fire floor and the total estimation would be 135 feet, meaning the additional 65 foot of hose would be flaked out and left in the yard or if stretching from a static bed, the line could be broken at the 150-foot mark.
Pulling the line
You’ve arrived on scene, sized up the fire, and estimated the stretch. You must now determine what size line will be used and how you will get it in position. The size of the first line will determine your extinguishment effectiveness. It is in my opinion that residential tactics and line sizes should not be applied to commercial structure fires, but that conversation is for another day.
Now that the decisions have been made, the line must be pulled and positioned. This is where loading the line in the proper manner makes things smooth and efficient. You should select your drop point and pull the line, using the various splits to flake the hose out and make sure it will charge and be kink free. The forward split is my preferred method, but reverse splits work as well.
There are many options to stretching handlines. In most single-family dwellings, the stretch will be through the yard and stop at the entrance. Then there are options of stretching vertical through well holes, over balconies, or use of windows from elevated floors, but these techniques require equipment such as rope or webbing for bottle stretches and simple hoisting, and these techniques must be practiced on and, in some cases, can use bundle loads. If stretching up and around stairs (barber stretch) across multiple floors, it will take several firefighters to manage the corners and prepare the hose before being charged. The overall goal, regardless of how and where you’re stretching the line, is to get the first coupling and nozzle to the drop point and keep the hose as in line with the entry point as possible to reduce turns and friction points. This gives the nozzle operator the nozzle and one section of hose for entry into the fire area. This section is known as the working length. The nozzle operator is responsible for this section of hose and flowing water; they shouldn’t have to focus on anything but fire attack.
Determining the drop point
The drop point is the area you will be staging the nozzle and first coupling for charging the line and making entry to begin your attack. This is also the area where you will be masking up. In most single-family dwelling fires, this will be just outside the front door in the front yard. If you’re selecting your drop point up on a porch, make sure to get the first coupling up on the porch and past the first few steps leading to the entry point (steps create hanging points for couplings). The drop point for garden apartments, center hallway apartments, or motels could be in places such as the breezeway, stairwell and stairwell landings. You should select the floor below the fire as your drop point for fires in upper floors.
The building’s construction features will create different stretches and drop points and you will have to use what you’re presented with. The golden rule is to never enter the fire area without a charged hoseline. If you stretch dry, the hose can slide under doors and when charged would pinch the line, not allowing water to reach the nozzle and creating a dangerous situation with no water to protect crews by confining and extinguishing the fire. When the line passes through doorways, the doors should be chocked open and monitored throughout. It should be noted that regardless of where the drop point is, firefighters should be cognizant of kinks and manage them. The kinks are everyone’s responsibility and will ensure there’s no reduction in water flow.
Positioning the line
The first line should be positioned to protect life. This includes the location of known or possible victims or firefighters completing searches by protecting common areas and means of egress. We often hear people speak of exposure protection and the first exposures that should be protected are the interior exposures, stopping lateral fire spread from room to room, down hallways, or up and down stairways. This separates the fire area from searchable spaces for crews to search and protects the interior exposures at the same time, ensuring we are also positioning the line for the protection of property second to life.
When the first line begins to extinguish the fire, the products of combustion being produced are minimized, the temperature lowers, and it creates a more tenable and workable environment for trapped victims and firefighters once ventilation is coordinated and underway. The first line should be stretched through the front entrance of the structure a large percentage of the time, especially today with more open-floor planned homes. This gives the firefighters direct access to the main living areas and hallways, and leads them straight to the stairs for floors above or below ground level, all ensuring they’re making their way to, and protecting, a means of egress. This allows us to put ourselves in high-percentage areas to find trapped victims.
Advancing the line
When the first line has been selected, stretched, staged and charged for the advance, all crewmembers must be on the same page. It takes technique and practice to flow water and advance on fires. If the nozzle operator begins to advance on the fire but the back-up crewmember and rest of the crew have not staged the hose or aren’t prepared for the advance, the nozzle operator will not make it very far. They must pace themselves and allow time for the other members to manage the corners, stairs and other friction points.
The nozzle operator should keep the nozzle in a straight stream pattern if coming from a combination nozzle and move the nozzle in a wall-ceiling-wall technique before performing an “O” pattern and sweeping the floor to cool boiling water and hot embers. It is also advisable to use the reach of your stream to cool ahead of you as you advance. Remember, smoke is fuel and at times the environment could need cooling before you make the actual fire room. The nozzle operator should open the nozzle and flow until full extinguishment; if the nozzle is closed it should only be closed for a short amount of time before being opened and operating again.
Conclusion
The first line is one of the most critical aspects of the first few moments at structure fires for engine companies. It takes knowing your hose-load, equipment, apparatus, and training to be proficient in getting the first line stretched and operating in as quick and efficient manner as possible. The size of the line, the stretch, drop point, positioning, and advance will all depend upon where the fire is and what priorities are established, but the center focus should be protecting means of egress so the search for life can be established. When firefighters begin their advance they should minimize the amount of time the nozzle is closed and flow enough water to extinguish the fire.
Chad Menard | Captain/Paramedic
Chad Menard has 15 years in the fire service, currently serving as a captain/paramedic. He has a Fire Officer accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, was a graduate of the charter class for the Managing Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, and maintained the graduate-level member grade through the Institution of Fire Engineers. Menard has an associate’s degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in fire services administration, and is attending graduate school. He has presented and taught at several local and regional conferences, such as Firehouse Expo, the Metro Atlanta Firefighters Conference, the Oklahoma State Fire School, Wichita HOT, and many others.
