Fire Critic An Unadulterated View of the Fire Service
One thing I noted on this fire that was kind of odd was how the deck gun on the engine was producing a terrible stream and nobody fixed it. The nozzle can be seen at 1:15 into the video and then later you can identify the stream it creates in other shots. It appears to be a solid stream, however the stream it is producing is horrible. This can be due to two major issues. One if the nozzle tip is disfigured it will ruin the stream, or if the pressure it too high it will ruin the stream. I imagine that one of the two is occurring. You can see that this stream is totally ineffective in fighting the fire. The good news is that there is plenty of other water flowing. The bad news is that this one stream is soaking everything in front of it and hardly hitting the fire at all. I am surprised no one corrected the issue.
The video states:
Lansdowne, MD – September 11, 2009 – Baltimore County, MD firefighters responded to an early morning house fire in Lansdowne on Friday, September 11. Fire Box 36-3 was dispatched at 1:38 a.m. reporting a house on fire at 2361 Research Drive. First arriving units from BCoFD Station 5 (Halethorpe) reported a fully involved two-story dwelling and began stretching lines for fire attack. Firefighters confirmed all occupants had escaped the house, and due to heavy fire conditions command ordered a defensive operation. Firefighters used multiple hand lines and the deck gun from Engine 5 to bring the blaze under control. Crews found a pet cat outside the home and a paramedic resuscitated the animal with oxygen before turning it over to a family member who took it to an emergency animal hospital. The BCoFD Fire Investigation Division was requested to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
