FDNY Training Tips 2024-94: Member Fell Out of a Window

I have almost done this myself. I once had a multiple alarm fire in Greenwich Village, with my unit then TL-18, and I was operating as the roofman/firefighter. The fire building I was on had a roof that ran deeper than the building next door. Fire vented out of the roof and when I went tried make a hasty retreat off the fire building roof, in heavy smoke, I was so far back in the fire building that if I had gone over the roof parapet, I would have fallen 5 stories. I tested the presence of the adjoining roof with a Halligan Hook and the tool fell into the rear yard of the adjoining building. I had to straddle the parapet wall until I reached a safe area were the adjoining roof, was down just a few feet from the fire building roof. I have been at fires where members have fallen through painted over glass skylights, fallen 2 stories down and elevator shaft and fires where a member operating a handline stepped backward out of stairway window and fell 1 1/2 stores into the trash filled base of the open airshaft. Fatigue from long term firefighting indeed makes these many types of injuries more common. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 25 retired
 
Captain784 said:
I have almost done this myself. I once had a multiple alarm fire in Greenwich Village, with my unit then TL-18, and I was operating as the roofman/firefighter. The fire building I was on had a roof that ran deeper than the building next door. Fire vented out of the roof and when I went tried make a hasty retreat off the fire building roof, in heavy smoke, I was so far back in the fire building that if I had gone over the roof parapet, I would have fallen 5 stories. I tested the presence of the adjoining roof with a Halligan Hook and the tool fell into the rear yard of the adjoining building. I had to straddle the parapet wall until I reached a safe area were the adjoining roof, was down just a few feet from the fire building roof. I have been at fires where members have fallen through painted over glass skylights, fallen 2 stories down and elevator shaft and fires where a member operating a handline stepped backward out of stairway window and fell 1 1/2 stores into the trash filled base of the open airshaft. Fatigue from long term firefighting indeed makes these many types of injuries more common. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 25 retired
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Yes , first , I haven’t heard any updates on the brother that was injured. I hope he is recovering fully and nicely and hope that he is back at the firehouse soon.

Secondly, as soon I heard this, all I could picture was the half landing windows on the stairs of so many West Bronx H types.
 
You are dead on. I still work for the FDNY as Peer Counselor for the FDNY World Trade Center Health Care Program. I spoke to a retired FDNY Firefighter & whose son was at the fire. It appears that is just what happen. The injured Firefighter was maneuvering a handline and was positioned on a half landing between floors and walking over a large amount of debris and accidently stepped out of the shaft window. Brothers and sisters, if you are fatigued during a fire be very careful, you are prone to do things you would not normally fall victim to. Thank God he is recovering, and I hope he get back to full duty A.S.P. Captain Bob Rainey FDNY Engine 26 retired
 
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