Buffalo MAYDAY Training

Lieutenant Ronald K Bourgeois from Buffalo (NY) Engine 1 sent in this video of a MAYDAY prop they are using in Buffalo. Unfortunately, the motivation for the prop and annual training came from the tragic loss of two of Buffalo’s Bravest on August 24, 2009. Lt. Chip McCarthy and FF Jonathon Croom both fell from the first floor into the basement while searching for a reported person trapped in the structure. (We recently received some additional information from BFD about this training. The training was in the works well before the tragic LODD. The planning and development of this training actually began in January of 2009, before the LODD incident, not as a reaction to the incident.)

The purpose of this prop and training evolution is to build confidence and promote self rescue techniques. The portion of the prop shown in the video is part of a confined space maze that ends with the blindfolded firefighter falling through the floor. The collapsible floor section is activated by an instructor pulling on a rope, removing the hinged floor section’s support. Once the floor section collapses, the firefighter falls into a pit filled with foam. The pads end up surrounding the firefighter making movement a bit more difficult, similar to having debris from the collapse. The prop also contains a window at the end of the foam pit so the firefighter can practice self rescue form a high window. The prop cost was roughly $450, and was constructed with 2×4’s and ½” plywood. The trap doors were hinged with three heavy duty hinges, with a lip underneath for support. A hinged 2×4 holds the doors up and a rope is the trip mechanism.

Unfortunately, we cannot take back any of the LODD that occur in our line of work, but we can learn from them and try to prevent them from occurring again. Training evolutions like this are an important component to learning from them.

[flv]http://www.vententersearch.com/videos/props/buffalomaydayprop.flv[/flv]

www.vententersearch.com

79 thoughts on “Buffalo MAYDAY Training

  1. John Rose says:

    Excellent training aid. Well done to the crew at Buffalo (NY) Engine 1. This type of thinking and training will make your job safer. Thanks for sharing.
    LT John Rose
    Wakefield Virginia VFD.

  2. FitSsikS says:

    Great prop and drill.

    It’s good to hear the increase in the respiratory rates of those ffs involved. That is stress and that makes for a realistic training environment.

  3. LadderDriver says:

    Great prop! I built one for my station and the fellas dismantled it, so we couldn’t train with it. So much for training and brotherhood here.
    Hope your members get a lot out of it. I’m sure they will. Sorry for your departments loss, keep the faith!

  4. 13 Truck says:

    Good job boys. It’s sad to say that a good training prop usually comes from an awful tragedy.

  5. i hate sparks says:

    Okay, so you fall through the floor…. then what? The carpentry job was nice but, when you go through a floor there isnt a threashold two feet in front of you full of foam . usually its fire and floor joists. i think some of you guys………ah , i ll leave it alone…….

  6. fdfish says:

    We use a simmilar prop in our training. Hope we never have to use it for real. Stay safe!

  7. The Hills Bravest says:

    Great Job Guys on the training. Good Prop for a scenario such as that. Just wondering Lt. Where did you find the foam cubes? Right now we use an old mattress as padding for our floor collapses. Thanks and Always Stay Safe Brothers!

  8. FitSsikS says:

    Clearly the foam is an option used only by those low on testosterone.

    Most big city dept in my running area would subsitute broken glass, a bed of nails, pulled meters, a pan of burning gasoline or idealy a combo of each.

    Oh ya, and there should be a wall where some sort of kick 😉 would have to be used to breach it.

    🙂

  9. RSFDNY says:

    Sparks;

    Having been in a major collapse I must tell you that the your mind immediately goes blank at first. Then depending upon the conditions you are dropped into, the fight or flight occurance goes into full gear. I was in zero visibility, a decent heat condition and entangled. I NEVER gave the Mayday. I was too busy trying to save my own life. If I gave it, the optio of having someone get to me would have at the very least been an option.
    Everything we do in the fire business is repititon. Mask on….Mask off. Take Tools….put tools away. Test Hydrant….shut hydrant down. Mayday fires send basic functions into the shithouse. Lines shut down. men are out of position and more than one person is going to wind up dead or in the hospital. Having “props” enables the operating membership in busy and / or slow departments to engage in the task of finding their radio mike, losing the floor and embracing anxiety, increase in air comsumption and disorientation. “If” you are a fireman I shouldnt have to explain any of this to you. Having many “simple” fires go to shit in my time has humbled me to the enth degree. Take what these brothers have come up with and expand upon it with your less experienced members. Add a propane fired heater blowing in on them. Whatever it takes to train them safely, efficiently and to encourage them to maintain situational awareness at all times. Fires change in 2 seconds from, “We got this” to “It’s going to kill us.”
    Stay Safe
    RS FDNY

  10. brickcity1306 says:

    Nice prop we have something similar but I think I am going to modify it a bit with what you have done. Just wondering how you kick out the leg or is it by body weight..

    Thanks again Jimmy

    Ohhh,,, and just ignore sparks I will have someone give him a hug and a rub on the back and he will be ok..

  11. FitSsikS says:

    Re leg: It’s my guess that it’s ‘pulled’ (triggered) from behind through a hole on the plywood (back wall).

  12. Drew Smith says:

    We got free foam from an upolstery shop in our area. We have two kinds of these shops: One does boat interiors and the other does couches, chairs, etc. Both have lots of scraps they toss when they trim a big piece for a job.

    It appears to me the foam under the “floor” knocks it self out when a FF puts his weight on the floor.

  13. swcoloff says:

    we were building our own Mayday prop the day I came across this. Showed it to the rest of the crew and we decided to use the same collapsible floor section. Thanks for the idea!!

  14. John Douglas says:

    We just built a whole course similar to this . How does your floor collapse mechanism work tho? We are having trouble with our design. Thank you

    Lt. John Douglas
    Okauchee F.D.

    Jd4813@gmail.com

  15. Sn33kR - 2 Truck - TFD says:

    It says in the initial description that the floor is activated by an instructor pulling on a rope when the firefighter gets into position

    Great prop, hope to build one for our department…as for the foam….its always better to have something someone wants to train with more than one time and the safety boys are happier when all hands are still available to respond

  16. Jack Wilson says:

    Good Stuff…..Way to be Proactive form a Reactive problem!

  17. Ryan says:

    Awesome stuff..love the prop, would love to see the plans.

  18. Scooby90 says:

    That’s awesome. Sorry for your loss brothers. This goes a long way in getting closer to what it’s like when the floor goes away. I have never had a floor disappear but have had a leg go through. The comment “everything stops” is absolutely true. Keep up the good work all who are coming up with props to train ourselves. Remember, creativity is the way to better training and in the end-a job done better. Stay safe.
    Scooby90

  19. Mauricio Martin says:

    I commend you for your excellent mayday simulator , could send the drawings or mayday simulator measures?
    be safe

  20. Jimm says:

    We recently received some additional information from BFD about this training. The training was in the works well before the tragic LODD. The planning and development of this training actually began in January of 2009, before the LODD incident, not as a reaction to the incident. We felt this additional information was extremely important to add to this post. It has been corrected above. My sincerest apologies to the Brothers and Sisters of Buffalo Fire for the mis-representation of the timing. -Jimm-

  21. nobody special says:

    speaking from experience – please make sure you empty your turnout gear pockets before doing this, so after you send your whole department through the collapse you dont clean out the foam pit to find a large unsheathed non-folding knife sitting in the foam blocks waiting to ruin someones day.

  22. Kyle R says:

    It looks like the door is held up with a 2×4 the foam is just wrapped around it for padding

  23. brickcity1306 says:

    Jimm any chance in getting a hold of Ron and getting the answer about how the leg is actavated ?? Thanks

  24. Jon D says:

    This is a great prop! We would like to add it to our department. Can we get the plans or measuremnts. I can be contacted at jdeyo@drexelfire.net Thanks

  25. youngin says:

    this is what its all about folks. ingenuity and finding new ways to train on things we may very well encounter. i too would like a copy of the plans. msenter@svtfd.com
    great job folks … and may the two brothers from buffalo rest in peace i know they will always be in your hearts…stay safe out there folks

  26. Julio Martinez says:

    hi we are a volunteer fire department in Mexico and are interested in a copy of these plans is excellent!

  27. truck7 says:

    great prop! but one thing, notice the firefighters are grabbing the top of the halfwalls for support, when they go out the window they are reaching around and grabbing the sides-front of the framing (3:18 1:21 1:31), this is something we have to remember because in a real situation you wont have those to grab onto, this pertains to anything you may need to use that window to get out for anything, not just collapse, we cant always do the head first bail and it might not even be a mayday situation, you could be returning from a VES. food for thought here guys.

  28. Carl Westbrook says:

    Awesome prop! Excellent tool. I would like to build one for the departments in my area. If someone could share the plans it would be greatly appreciated. irishfire402@hotmail.com

  29. johnvbfd says:

    I agree with truck7. The only bad thing I noticed with the prop is maybe sticking small sheets of plywood around the top and edges so guys can’t grab around the prop like they were doing.

    Only other thing I saw missing, and I know it was just for training was the lack of tools. Always a good idea to carry tools even during in-house training.

    Great idea and going to see if we can construct something similar here.

  30. steve shiber says:

    Great video and training prop. I would like to get your plans to build it. I am the Rescue Captain on my fire department and this prop and training would be vital. Thanks

  31. Pat Hanley says:

    Great job with both the training and the prop. I build all of the props for my department and also conduct the training. If possible, I would like to get a copy of your plans. Thank you. Take care, stay safe and keep up the good work.

  32. andrew says:

    Awesome prop, we are thinking about doing it down here in Md, can someone please email me the plans.

  33. Terry says:

    Just like almost everyone else, I think this is a great training tool and would love to build one for our department, so if the plans could make there way to tbutchart@hotmail.com that would be great.

  34. Bruce says:

    This is a great training tool. If anyone has a copy of the plans could you please send them my way my dept. would like to build on thanks. sbvfd24@firehousemail.com

  35. Tom says:

    We have a very similar prop in our SCBA maze. Ours is hinged on one side, and is help in place with magnets like that are on secured doors. It is tripped with a remote button. Since the hinge is on one side of the 4×8 sheet, one side drops and you end up rolling. It works great in getting you disoriented and trying to find which way is up and out.

  36. OhioFF/medic says:

    Excellent training prop! As far as Sparks comments are concerned, if you want to build your simulator with joists and fire, go right ahead……as for the rest of us, I think training as realistic as possible without injuring or killing our brothers and sisters is more of an option….Nice job Engine 1 crew, stay safe out there!

  37. Raymond Brahier says:

    I would really appreciate a copy of the plans so that we can build this prop at my department. Thanks

  38. Jason Floming says:

    I made a very similar floor collapse prop, but I like the way the floor gives out on this one much better. It looks like all i need to do is re-do the collpasing floor. How does this give out? I seen someone said a pull on a rope triggers it. Any help or info would be appreciated. jasonf@getzfire.com
    Thanks and stay safe

  39. Jason Floming says:

    Also, where did you get all of that foam? For our prop we use air bags and old bunker gear….its a pain in the ass to setup and tear down when done. The foam would be much easier.

  40. Ryan says:

    Jason, check with local manufacturers in your area. Someone may be a foam maker, and while you are there do a preplan!

    Or google always works too.

  41. Peter Eaton Cp. Inst. says:

    Thank you guys. And RS FDNY.
    We are in the planning stage for our new maze. We have the c-can in place and are looking for ideas and features to include. I had been thinking of some kind of breakaway floor and you have given it to us here.
    And, thanks for the window/wall prop. we are going to build it, the material is already in the c-can.
    Thank you very much.
    PE

  42. Nick Agorastos says:

    Great job on the prop guys. I agree with one of the posters in that we always carry a tool with us but in this particular prop the tool needs to be left out. No matter how much foam you use if you land on the pointed end of your Halligan or the sharp end of your axe you may be looking at a C-1 or a lawsuit. If you still want to train carrying a tool maybe a sledge hammer could be used. This is a great prop to simulate mayday situation in stressful conditions. You can definitely hear the increase in respiratory rate when the guys fall through and give their maydays. I like many others would like to incorporate this into our current prop. Could someone please let me know where I could get a copy of the plans. grkmedic@aol.com

  43. Keith Hicks says:

    Great job on the prop guys, Could someone please let me know where I could get a copy of the plans.plan on building one for are college keithwhicks@hotmail.com
    thanks keith

  44. Rick Pasley says:

    This is good stuff. Can I get a copy of the plans?

  45. Roger says:

    Staff at our academy just finished this prop and we are all conducting in service training on it now. Our drop floor is air actuated and you fall onto a foam like gymnastics pad. Then we have a cinder block and a haligan bar in the room which you can use to assist yourself in self rescue out the window which sits about 4-5 feet off the ground. All of this is done while breathing air, blacked out masks, and activating the EB button and broadcasting your mayday. Over all it’s a great simulator that focuses on the fundamentals, which we could all use more of anyways.

  46. RobertW says:

    Please let me know how to get the plans for this. Awsome prop.

  47. Jim LaMacchia says:

    I have a line drawing and materials list that I can send via email. Contact me at jlamacchia@bfdny.org.
    This has been a great tool for us and would be happy to share with all interested.

    Jim LaMacchia
    Buffalo Fire

  48. A. Standifer says:

    I would also like the plans if someone could help me out. I am initiating props and a build for our department. Thx in advance!

  49. Nate999 says:

    Look up two comments above yours. It is the contact info. for the BFD brother who sent in the post.

  50. Mark says:

    Can someone please send me the Prop Plans to build this? I want to make this part of our survival school.
    Thanks

    Mark R

    Engine46DE@aol.com

  51. Zach Adams says:

    Could you send me the plans to this prop? It would be a great piece to have for our next fire1 academy. Thanks

    Zach Adams
    fireman437@gmail.com

  52. Chief James bennett says:

    Could I get a copy of the plans for this please

  53. Wesley Tidwell says:

    Hello
    I am wanting to build this prop for our training center. Does anyone have the plans any material list they can send me? Any help would be deeply appreciated be searching awhile for plans with no luck.

  54. Brenden watson says:

    Would love to have the plans and materials list. Thanks in advance!

  55. Nate999 says:

    To everyone looking for plans…see the below comment…

    Jim LaMacchia August 26th, 2011 12:22 pm

    I have a line drawing and materials list that I can send via email. Contact me at jlamacchia@bfdny.org.
    This has been a great tool for us and would be happy to share with all interested.

    Jim LaMacchia
    Buffalo Fire

  56. Jordan Mills says:

    I would love to have some plans on this prop for training. This is a great way to show floor collapse. -Jordan Mills (Lakeport Fire Department)

    surf27mills@hotmail.com

  57. Chris Brown says:

    I would like a copy of the plans please

    Lt. Christopher Brown
    Auburn Fire Dept

  58. Alexander Donahue says:

    I would love a copy of the plans for this training prop. This would be a great addition to our training equipment.

  59. Javier Cruz says:

    I WOULD ALSO LIKE A COPY OF THE PLANS.
    IT’LL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED
    THANKS,
    FF JAVIER CRUZ
    PAFD XCRUZ46@YAHOO.COM

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