Raleigh Fire Battalion Chief (then Captain) Stephen Page, serving on the busy Ladder 4 in downtown Raleigh, responded to restaurant fire at 311 Glenwood Avenue.
The ladder crew, followed by an engine crew with a hose line, entered the heavily smoke filled environment with the mission of search and fire attack.
Length: 73 minutes
click the YouTube icon to listen
_____________________________________________________
If you are interested in taking your understanding of situational awareness and high-risk decision making to a higher level, check out the Situational Awareness Matters Online Academy.
CLICK HERE for details, enrollment options and pricing.
__________________________________
When Raleigh Fire Captain Stephen Page and his crew from Ladder 4 entered the front door of the Hibernian Pub they were immediately faced by zero visability conditions which, as the proceeded along, only got worse.
When command ordered an evacuation crews scrambled for the exit, leaving Captain Page behind… alone… without water… and lacking orientation as to where the exit was.
During this interview he recounts his very compelling survival story including how, in the moment of near-death he seemed to find peace with the fact that he was going to die and how he remembered worrying about who was going to care for his wife and kids.
Listen in as Captain Page shares what he learned on his journey to hell and back, including:
- The need to pay attention to your gut instinct.
- Big fires need big water.
- Keep your focus on the big picture.
- Assess the risk-benefit of making entry in zero visibility environments.
- Maintaining allegiance to the mission of search, even after being informed by employees that everyone is out of the restaurant.
- The need to overcome pride and the
competitive nature of firefighters to avoid creating risk.
This is what was on Stephen’s mind when he was in the pub…
“Who’s going to take care of my family?”
Our Sponsor:
Intro music
Safety Dance (1982)
Men Without Hats
GMC – Virgin Records
Guest Contact Information
Captain Stephen Page
Raleigh Fire Department
srpage505@gmail.com
Firefighter Near Miss Reporting System
http://www.firefighternearmiss.com/
The mission of Situational Awareness Matters is simple: Help first responders see the bad things coming… in time to prevent bad outcomes.
Safety begins with SA!
Share your comments on this article in the “Leave a Reply” box below. If you want to send me incident pictures, videos or have an idea you’d like me to research and write about, contact me. I really enjoy getting feedback and supportive messages from fellow first responders. It gives me the energy to work harder for you.
Thanks,
How to reach me…
Email: Support@RichGasaway.com
Phone: 612-548-4424
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/SAMatters
Twitter: @SAMatters
LinkedIn: Rich Gasaway
YouTube: SAMattersTV
iTunes: SAMatters Radio
Stitcher Radio: SAMatters Radio