Deni you have obviously been around the fire service some, but may not be aware of our standard operating guidelines (SOG’s). The county has set these for us to follow on the fire ground. We are issued PPE, but wearing it while driving is not recommended. Donning gear in the engine while in route is also not recommended.

As the driver of the engine, I deployed booth attack lines while the firefighters on scene got in thier gear. I wasn’t as close as the picture makes it look. At no time did I feel my firefighters or I was in any undue danger.

Roger can tell you how fast fire can grow (it can double every minute). This fire was in the growing stage. Not having the resources Roger’s station obviously has, we some time have to put apparatus in route without being completely crewed out. The pictures show the fire had self vented. An external attack was the only option at the time. A single firefighter on a nozzel with reduced pressure out of the collapse zone flowing water through a window was not my first choice of attack. It was the best choice with the resources we had on hand. In just over two minutes the fire was knocked down according to the timer on Northescambia.com’s camera. At that time we had enough personal on scene geared out to make an internal attack.

The firefighter looking in the window without an air mask or helment had been part of the RIT (rapid intervention team). He had already doffed the hot gear as the fire was out. No firefighter injuries, praise the Lord,

An older, off grade, type five construction (wood frame) residential dwelling. The structure had multiple sets with possible accelerants. I an proud to have been part of this four station accomplishment.