Our friends over at TheBravestOnline.com have always been known for their great video productions, but this one takes the cake! This video is of a mayday situation that Houston Fire Department recently experienced. Our brothers in Houston were working a fire in a five story business occupancy with reports of multiple people missing. Everything was going well, and multiple rescues were performed. But something went terribly wrong, someone got lost…IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE OF US! Fortunately there was a positive outcome. Special thanks go out to Houston Fire, Captain Abbt and TheBravestOnline.com for sharing this extremely beneficial training video.
Once the video begins you should be able to right click and view it at full screen.
While you watch this video, a million thoughts will be running through you head…Focus on the positive outcome, and use this video as the beneficial learning experience it needs to be.
I watched the video. I am sure there were a million things going on that the camera doesn’t catch. It is truly amazing that they were able to find the firefighter and get him to safety. Great teamwork on the mayday.
Stay safe
We had a chance to eat dinner with Captain Abbt and The IC from the incident last night! They were both in great spirits and really hope the video can be seen by every firefighter in the service. Captain Abbt again said, “These firefighters don’t think it will happen to them, they make up excuses to say it won’t happen to them, It can, and believe me if your not trained, well it may not turn out so pretty.”
Most intense FD video I have ever scene.
What an amazing video! I’d really like to know what Captain Abbt did while inside and how he kept himself calm, 27 minutes is a long time when you’re lost. His insight after an experience like that could help many of us if we every find ourselves in a simular situation. Glad you’re with us Captain, good job guys!
Stay safe!
Great Video, amazing learning tool.
I agree with Scott V….. can we find out what Capt. Abbt did while in there? Great video… Great radio traffic.
Great video. Can’t wait for my DVD to arrive. I hope Capt. Abbt puts together a first hand presentation and goes around the country to present it. It would be a great learning tool to hear his accounts in person.
Fellows, this is why we train. I have encouraged all of my company officers to review this video with their folks and cover our Mayday policy once agian. This video is a powerful tool to help get the point across that we are in a dangerous profession and must train as such. “Let no man’s ghost come back to say my training let me down.” Stay safe out there…
This had my whole crews attention and we were all glad to see the efforts of Houston Fire pay off. This is why we train hard and train often. Capt Doney
This should hammer home the importance of calling for a Mayday immediately! 27 minutes is an awful long time…any delay in calling could cost one their life.
great training video. That god he was able to revert back to his training and make it out alive. we must always keep on training. never let our guard down. great job Capt. Abbt
Gents,
Whoa! Life just keeps you going…and then some! I’ve seen numerous exerts about this particular incident in Houston, Texas. Needless to say, they were very influential to my inquiring personality. Too many questions inundated my thoughts of amination. Not from a standpoint of ridicule or condemning, but rather from an episode of virtue reality.
Let me be your personal tour guide. Gather a copy of the DVD or audio tape and secure a secluded place where you can totally engross yourself with this subject without being disturbed. Make all your appropriate set-up arrangements and prepare yourself for the journey in amidst of time travel.
Before you activate the “play†component of your machine; sit back and download all the other thoughts from your mind. Here’s a tip to get you right on track. Close your eyes and beginning to count backwards from 100 until reach the point of zero. Now, briefly pause for a few seconds and push the play button. Now,your journey has now begun.
Focus on the moment by placing yourself within the mind-set and actions of Capt.Abbts’ experience. Allow yourself to fade into the role of these transpiring events within its entirety. Feel everything within that particular environment, visualizing every action, and portray his life as a firefighter on that day.
When the audio ceases, keep your eyes closed for a few minutes and open them slowly. Are you still considering that these precarious events won’t happen to you? Well…it just did! Hopefully, you’re cognizant to the fact that this virtue reality journey was merely an imitation through your senses and psychology; however,the authenticity and certainty very practicable.
Capt. Abbt, may I seize this opportunity to say, “I admire your fortitude and psyche to overcome the odds of facing a horrific nightmare that reality seemingly will not fathomâ€. It is within these heart filled words that I may convey to you – Inspiration does not come from an action or event by itself, but rather the person behind it.”!
And for your brothers who had to experience the opportunity of rescuing one of their own – the praises of nobility and gallantry are far less than your actions. Thanks for being there for your bothers in battle!
Darrell
This Video scared me in a way that should make every brother on the job think !! This was a very powerfull video and just goes to show you never know when this could happen to you our your brothers. Keep your eyes open and stay safe out there!!
FTM-RFB-EGH-PTB-KTF-DTRT
This incident makes us also think about our radio usage and the importance of clear communication between IC and attack and RIT. The captains training kicked in and saved his hide there was an angel on Caps shoulder that day!!! Good work Cap!!!
Wow!!Brought me to tears.This video was a real eye opener.It can happen,and it does happen.Will,determination,sacrafice.God Bless all involved.I will show this to everyone possible.
This clip really put a lump in my throat. The time he issues the mayday until he is rescue is approx fifteen minutes. It must have seemed like an eternity. I couldn’t imagine one minute under those conditions. Why did it seem like the IC didn’t understand his mayday call at first?
Excellent training video. I ordered it to show my students in my RIT classes. You can’t pretend to be trapped like you can seeing a true life incident.
I hope the capt. is doing well and i would love to chat with him to get other questions answered for training purposes.
If he would had initially tied a life rope to the stairwell, he would have saved everyone, including himself, alot of anguish. Perhaps he should be re-trained in rope-guided searches by a professional fire department or a fire academy. I can’t believe a Captain would disregard the two in, two out rule.
Ouch,Joe.Risk a lot to save a lot.Arescue rope would have been great,but the 2 out rule?C’mon, there probably not enough FF’s in the city to accomplish that.If you ever get trapped,or know someone who does You should wish a FF like this will put his life on the line to help you.How much equiptment can you carry to the 5th floor worker?
I’m confused (again)…the 2 in 2 out rule gets bounced around again….wasn’t the original meaning in reference to the OSHA regulation regarding a min # of FF’s capable of making a rescue while there are FF’s in an IDLH (not bad for a Canadian eh?)?…not “don’t leave your buddy behind”. Either way things didn’t go as the textbook says (when does it ever?) and lessons are being learnt as a result.
I learned alot from this video. I also made all of my guys watch it, they learned alot as well. I can only think of 2 things. 1 positive and 1 negative. 1- Thank God he made it out. 2 – Why did they not have to rescue the entire crew? I can’t imagine any of my crew leaving knowing we were missing one. Sorry, just being honest.
“Train like your life depends on it, IT DOES!”
This was a true eye opener and yes I beleive it could happen to any of us weather in teams of two or not. I showed this video to my BC and Lt. and even though we do train on LUNAR and importance of RIT teams, Divisons etc. This truely reinforces the importance of continued training for us, practicing and practicing again. Great job by the self survivial and the rescue teams who found you. Good Job Capt.
The OSHA two in and two out policy does not apply if their is an obvious life hazard present inside an IDLH environment.
Just some things to point out when operating at a commercial occupancy.
A) Large open uncompartmented spaces allow quick fire travel
B) High Ceilings which hide increasing heat levels on fire floor and floor above
C) Large voids between ceiling and floor above (also known as The Plenum)
D) 2 1/2″ handlines are a MUST. NEVER any smaller in diameter.
E) Search Rope connected in stairwell is paramount when conducting search for fire and occupants.
F) RIT shoudl be staged on floor below the fire floor and NOT in the street. Consider TWO RIT’s, one for search and one for removal of victim.
G) Vertical Ventilation MUST be performed IMMEDIATELY to relieve stacking smoke and rising heat to the upper floors.
H) Cockloft MUST be checked for fire.
I) Consider using the aerial ladder to vent upper floor windows.
J) When a “Mayday” is transmitted EVERYTHING on the radio MUST cease. Trapped member must give his location (floor, exposure, riding position.) Trapped member should NOT activate his PASS device util after hsi communication with IC is acknowledged becasue it will impede the IC’s ability to hear the member on his radio. Trapped member should listen for windows breaking, handline operating, member movement to better orient himself. On video it took 12:45 for anyone to ask his location on the radio. That is a criminal act on IC’s part.
K) When “Mayday” is given the handlines MUST continue to operate. By shutting down the lines and going for the Mayday the fire once again gets control and we endanger more than just the original “Mayday”. REMEMBER why we were called in the first place.
L)If permissible the RIT, Chief in charge of rescuing the member and the member MAY consider switching to a separate channel on the radio to minimize cross-over chatter. This should obviously be a pre-arranged plan within the guidelines of your department.
Stay Safe All.
Very chilling. A definite eye opener. I’m glad the Capt. made it out safely. It could have been much worse. I wish more departments would move their operations to antoher channel to allow the lost firefighter to have the ability to communicate. The guy said he was lost long before a mayday was transmitted, but there was a buttload of traffic on the air. The only traffic on the channel should be from the lost member, IC and RIT. I agree with alot of things facetothefloor says, with the exception of the lost member switching channels. If the guy is pinned he might not be able to do that. We should be teaching everyone else to switch channels. It’s likely easier for them to do. Stay safe out there Brothers. We all need to go home.
I viewed this video and wish to use it for training. Our friends at the bravestonline.com though have found a way to make a buck and are charging 20 bucks for our brothers near fatal experience. Anybody have any ideas on how to find an on-line version?
Great Great job !!! Huge eye opener !! stay safe Brothers,