Training  RIT

 The "Denver Drill" 

On September 28, 1992, Engineer Mark Langvardt of the Denver, Colorado, Fire Department died in the line of duty. After becoming separated from his crew due to a floor collapse and trapped in a small storage room on the second floor of a commercial occupancy, Langvardt was overcome. The storage room, measuring six feet wide by 11 feet deep, was filled with cabinets and business equipment on both sides creating an aisle way only 28 inches wide with an exterior window at one end. The drop from the windowsill to the floor was 42 inches high. Fire fighters entering the storage room through the second floor window had to crawl over Langvardt, who was lying face down in the aisle way in the fetal position, head pressed against the interior of the front wall just under the window. Due to the restricted size of the aisle way, there was room for only one rescuer to bend over the victim and attempt to lift, thus making conventional windowsill lifts and removal techniques next to impossible.

Following this incident, many Fire Departments and instructors developed techniques for removing a fire fighter from a confined area with a high windowsill, most originating from the "Denver Drill."

Step 1: FF1 enters the window head-first and crawls over the downed fire fighter. Once at the feet, FF1 turns and faces the downed fire fighter. Grabbing the downed fire fighter's SCBA shoulder straps, FF1 sits back, thereby moving the downed fire fighter into a seated position. This should allow enough room for FF2 to enter.

Step 2: FF2 enters the window head-first, placing one hand on top of the downed fire fighter's SCBA cylinder for assistance. FF2 then takes a seated position under the window with his/her SCBA cylinder wedged into one of the corners of the aisle way on the exterior wall. FF2 places his/her feet under the buttocks of the downed fire fighter with his/her knees bent and grabs the downed fire fighter's SCBA cylinder valve, thus creating a ramp.

Step 3: FF1 straddles the downed fire fighter's legs, places the downed fire fighter's arms over his/her thighs, and gets into position to bear hug and lift the downed fire fighter onto FF2's knees. FF1 will get the greatest amount of lift by grabbing the rear of the downed fire fighter's SCBA harness assembly near the cylinder valve and utilizing a proper squatting technique; head up, back straight, lift with the legs. FF2 can assist with this step by grabbing the SCBA cylinder valve and pulling/pushing up.

Step 4: After sitting the downed fire fighter on to the bent knees of FF2, FF1 places the legs of the downed fire fighter on his/her shoulders. It is essential that FF1 gets the victims thighs on his/her shoulders with his/her face deep into the crotch of the downed fire fighter. If FF1 does not get deep enough and above the knees toward the buttocks, he/she will not get enough lift to allow the downed fire fighter to clear the windowsill.

Step 5: FF1 stands straight up creating enough lift for the downed fire fighter's SCBA to clear the windowsill and drives the downed fire fighter out the window. FF2 assists with this step by pushing straight up on the downed fire fighter's SCBA cylinder valve.

Step 6: Fire fighters on the exterior must be prepared to assist getting the downed fire fighter up and over the sill. This can be achieved by having at least one, if not two, fire fighters positioned outside the window to grab the downed fire fighter's SCBA shoulder straps and assist with the final lift. Obviously, if this is from a second or third floor, the exterior fire fighters would be working from ground ladders. A number of techniques that will be discussed in later articles can be used to lower the downed fire fighter to the ground.