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Here are just a few excerpts from line of duty death reports that clearly indicate
the need to place illumination inside a limited visibility atmosphere
Commercial Structure Fire Claims the Life of One Fire Fighter - California
Recommendation # 7: Fire departments should consider placing a bright, narrow-beamed light at the entry portal to a structure to assist lost or disoriented fire fighters in emergency egress.
In a dark, smoky environment, fire fighters often become lost or disoriented and all to often they are unable to escape. A bright, narrow-beamed light at the entry point could possibly assist fire fighters in emergency egress situations, i.e., when lost or disoriented. This investigation revealed that a light assisted some fire fighters in an emergency egress situation when they spotted the flashlight of Engine 57's Engineer.
Supermarket Fire Claims the Life of One Career Fire Fighter and Critically Injures Another Career Fire Fighter - Arizona
Recommendation #8: Fire departments should consider placing a bright, narrow-beamed light at all entry portals to a structure to assist lost or disoriented fire fighters in emergency egress.
Discussion: In a dark, smoky environment, fire fighters often become lost or disoriented, and all too often they are unable to escape. A bright, narrow-beamed light at the entry point could possibly assist fire fighters in emergency egress situations, i.e., when lost or disoriented. Past NIOSH investigations have revealed that a light placed at the entry portals assisted some fire fighters in emergency egress situations.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200113.html
Exiting With a Hose Line
Basic techniques taught during entry level firefighting programs describe how to escape a zero-visibility environment using only a hose line. However, as years elapse from the time of basic training, this technique may be forgotten. Exiting a structure in zero visibility for a firefighter with a hose line should be simple,
fast, and easy. A firefighter operating a hose line should search along the hose until he finds a coupling. Once found, a firefighter must “read” the coupling and determine the male and female ends. The male end points towards the nozzle and fire, while the female ends points towards the water source, which is away from the fire. Once oriented on the hose, a firefighter can follow the hose line in the same direction the female coupling points. This scenario must be regularly practiced with gloves on under zero-visibility conditions, entangled hose, and varying degrees of debris present (beds, fallen building materials, wiring cable, etc).Source: http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~tflan/documents/usfadocs/tr-123.pdf
Line of Duty Death - Enhanced Report - Cincinnati, OH - March 21, 2004
3. The hose line is the only means of orientation while operating in a smoke charged environment when not following a left or right hand search pattern. Hose Line = EXIT. Additionally, ladder companies searching without a hose line for orientation should utilize a search line.
The two fire fighters that exited the building were able to orient themselves to the exit by utilizing the hand line they had stretched into the building.
Ladder companies traditionally do not use search lines to orient themselves. Fire fighters utilizing a thermal imaging camera are taught to employ a standard right or left handed oriented search while utilizing the camera. To ensure the ability to exit in chaotic situations such as a flashover, collapse, or other significant fire ground event, they should utilize a search line.Fire fighters should always try to maintain a sense of direction when performing interior fire fighting operations. When structures become smoke-filled and the visibility is poor, fire fighters can become easily disoriented. A hose line, rope, or some other type of guide or reference point can assist fire fighters in maintaining a sense of direction in case an evacuation becomes necessary. Fire fighters should always make a mental note of the location of the closest hose line, rope, or other type of a guide or reference points in case conditions change. (p. 53)
"Firefighter Disorientation, which is loss of direction due to the lack of vision in a structure fire, is one of fire fighting’s most serious hazards and according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), usually precedes firefighter fatality."
Source: http://www.sanantonio.gov/safd/pdf/FirefighterDisorientationStudy.pdf
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