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Fair weather and milder temperatures provided a perfect evening Monday for the Webster City Fire Department to practice a proven life-saving technique on an abandoned, city-owned house at 615 Bank Street.
According to the website firefighter nation, VEIS - Ventilate - Enter - Isolate and Search, was developed, and first used somewhere on the east coast of the United States. It is now considered the standard, state-of-the-art practice and in use by fire departments nationwide.
VEIS is especially valuable when a targeted search is required on an upper floor of a building. WCFD Chief Chuck Stansfield, explained, "the need arises when a person is thought to be trapped on an upper floor."
VEIS is deployed when traditional access to a second-floor room, such as through a door and interior stairway, isn't available or safe due to the presence of fire or heavy smoke.
Typically three firefighters make up a VEIS team. The first, known as the laddering firefighter, positions the ladder against the building with access to a window and places an entry tool on the ladder. An entry tool used by many fire departments is the time-tested Halligan bar, developed by a Deputy Chief of the New York Fire Department, and named after him. A pick or ax may just as often be used.
While the ladder is being placed, a second team member, the search firefighter, is masking up with protective gear, and preparing to ascend the ladder and break the window. This provides ventilation for smoke or fire as well as access to the house by firefighters.
If safe, the search firefighter enters the room, with the objective of isolating it, ie. keeping smoke and fire from entering the room, if it hasn't already done-so. This can be as simple as closing a door to a hallway.
Finally, the search firefighter searches for any people or pets who may be in the room.
While this is going on, a third team member, the officer in charge, climbs the ladder to keep watch on the search firefighter and be ready to assist in rescue as required. If a victim is found, the search firefighter and officer in charge will move him to the window. Seeing this, other firefighters on the ground will prepare to assist in removing the victim to safety.