Watch Drills

[HoldFast]

After a few ideas for drills to do rather than just the bog standard ladder slapping and BA drills with masks blanked out etc.

If anyone has any outside the box ideas please post them and maybe it will also serve as a bit of a drill ‘pool’ sort of thing for fresh ideas. Thanks.

[Carl]

We have had a couple of these topics in the past which didn't seem to generate much interest. I would be interested to see some responses to this one

[HoldFast]

Haha apologies Carl I had a look to see if there was a topic on this already but it appears I did not look hard enough! Hopefully it will regenerate the topic as you say.

[Rory-495]

My first Guv was all about "different" drills.

First was making an improvised monitor to fill a bucket on the 3rd floor of the tower. Bit if problem solving and practical use, I saw a job he was on a few weeks later with several improvised monitors and I used one at a flooding incident 

Second was using an RTC practice car in the yard, simulating it being on fire with cylinders. Had to think about positioning of the appliance, effectively using branches to suppress the fire from a distance and picking routes in BA to approach safely 

Another was the standard BA with blacked out facemask... bit searching for ping pong balls. Really focused the mind!

[HoldFast]

@Rory-495 how did the car fire simulation work? I assume you mean using the cylinders to simulate the fire? (How did this work?) rather than a car of full of cylinders? 

[Messyshaw]

I dreamed up a drill for a snowy and rainy day which can be done indoors for one and multi appliance stations.

It's about planning and lateral thinking

The aim of the drill is to place an appliance on a salvage sheet without turning its wheels. The pump has to be dead centre on the sheet with equal amounts of sheet poking out either side 

So it's about planning, measuring, jacking and folding the sheet etc. Appointing a team leader is essential. 

To get an element of competition, split the crews into A&B and time each attempt. Award points for measurements taken at the end then subtract the points to time taken. Those nearest dead centre get 10pts

Use a coin to see who goes 1st (the 2nd team get a clear advantage) and deffo encourage abuse , sorry support 😉, from the watching crew

The officer in charge should set safety rules - eg no hands or tools to be placed under raised tyres, only the salvage sheet. And REST and STILL must be used throughout with the Officer in Charge's word is final in relation to safety events and commands

The abuse and banter, plus exercising the grey matter in problem solving can make this seemingly daft session enjoyable and useful - esp for those on development 

[OscarTango]

We did a similar one to Rorys few months ago with a few extra feck-factors. 

135 pitch over obstruction to drill tower (well in our case smoke house), haul aloft everything you would need to fill a water butt (including said water butt). 

Then, get the water from the butt into an empty wheelie bin below, a few metres away.....Without tipping it out

[Noddy]

Roll a car from it’s wheels, over onto its roof and back onto four wheels under control at all times.  Good use of a couple of tirfors and chocks at all times. 

[Rory-495]

12 hours ago, HoldFast said:

@Rory-495 how did the car fire simulation work? I assume you mean using the cylinders to simulate the fire? (How did this work?) rather than a car of full of cylinders? 

By cylinders it was all about the land of imagination. We just pretended that it was on fire and a container was placed in the boot to represent a cylinder 

[Lumie]

 one we did was 2 stacks of 2 GTS boxes about 15 feet apart. We had to extend a 3 piece, secure the sections with 2 personal lines, use a long line to cantalever our bridge, climb across, pick up a casualty and bring them back over.

We then did it with our flash hoods on back to front to simulate a pitch black environment.

the scenario was to think about the Balmoral Bar tragedy and how we would save the downed firefighter by bridging the hole in pitch black - with no heat under the bridge.

[HoldFast]

Thanks for the replies some interesting scenarios coming up. If anyone has any ideas for races between 2 teams or time trial scenarios please throw some in too.

ie this sort of thing:

2 pump crews compete for quickest time, obviously first team to go has the advantage.

Drop LPP into open water, water relay to main pump with damn in between, 135 to either 2nd or 3rd floor of the tower, haul aloft main jet with time stopping when the team gets water on to the drill tower.

[Rory-495]

See I like that. Bit of competition and fun. I just know several firefighters who would HATE that; see it as "pointless" or a "waste of time" when in reality they're using kit operationally, building familiarity with it and using it under pressure as they will at a job.

[HoldFast]

Yeah same here mate unfortunately there are always going to be those who put up a bit of a barrier when it comes to training and getting hands on. Whether it be that they are overwhelmed with apathy toward the job or lack confidence and don’t want to be seen to make mistakes (that’s what training is for), it really annoys me as they’re not only holding up their own development but others’ too....... however said individuals always seem to have enjoyed themselves once the drill is over! Bloody does my head in. Rant over.... sorry not sorry 🤣

[Rory-495]

Here here! But like you said, once started drilling/after everyone seems to appreciate/enjoy them.  I'm glad my watch are pretty proactive. Like one of our lads is going for subo so we have been out drilling LOADS to back him up. It's not just been good for him but good for the rest of us to be practicing the basics again

[Noddy]

Write down different pieces of kit off the trucks on bits of paper and stick them in a hat (or similar).  Tell the watch they will each have 15 mins to deliver a short presentation on the bit of kit they pull out the hat.  I did this a few times each year and was amazed at the effort put in.  We took a vote on who did the best presentation. I usually gave them a couple of shifts to prepare 👍

[Messyshaw]

49 minutes ago, Noddy said:

  We took a vote on who did the best presentation. I usually gave them a couple of shifts to prepare 👍

@Noddy I thought you were going to say you gave them a couple of shifts off as a prize!!  Now that would motivate the watch