Mayday
Mayday events can stop an incident in its tracks, as the team refocuses efforts on locating a downed, trapped or disoriented firefighter. Firefighters are encouraged to call a mayday whenever they feel they need help from fellow crewmembers and not wait until it is too late to be reached. The FireRescue1 Mayday resource page provides essential information on how to train for mayday events, video on how to prevent mayday events, details of the rapid-intervention team, plus news of mayday events and Rapid Response analysis of mayday incidents.
Three Nashua firefighters were hurt when a reported gas odor led to an explosion and fire at the Greater Nashua Mental Health facility
Roof failures, floor collapses and basement fires are the moments that test your training
Firefighters from six departments knocked down a two-alarm fire in Hull, with one firefighter narrowly avoiding injury after falling into a basement
Elite smoke diver programs push firefighters to master air management, survival and decision-making when visibility is zero and conditions are at their worst
A Newport News firefighter fell partially through the roof at a Phoebus fire, where crews rescued one person still inside
Collapse during RIT operations highlights the need for improved pre-incident planning and collapse zone awareness at vacant structures
A U.S. Coast Guard investigation found Newark firefighters searching for two missing colleagues aboard a burning cargo ship in 2023 never deployed available Pak-Tracker devices that could have helped locate them
With the right training and direction, rapid intervention should never be a dull assignment
A USFA report details how an undetected basement fire, a modified support system and a sudden floor collapse led to one of the deadliest incidents in department history
One firefighter was injured by a falling air conditioner during the Queens fire
Four Alpha Fire Company firefighters were honored for a swift mayday rescue after a floor collapse injured a captain during a second-alarm fire at the Woodward Inn
Collapse
FDNY crews battled heavy fire, a partial collapse and nearly nine hours of operations during a five-alarm matzo factory fire in Brooklyn
Eleven Salisbury firefighters were injured when a roof collapsed during an offensive attack on a house fire after a gas line explosion
Keene firefighters were briefly trapped during a house fire and suffered burns
A firefighter suffered minor burns after falling through a hole created by a crawl space fire
Rock Falls and two fire officials are asking a judge to pause enforcement of the judgment awarded to the family of Sterling Lt. Garrett Ramos
St. Louis crews rescued a firefighter from under three feet of roofing debris, snow and ice during a blaze in an abandoned house with hoarder conditions
Investigators found that compromised size-up, poor risk/benefit decisions, weak crew integrity and missed 911 information all contributed to the Leonardtown incident
A jury found two Rock Falls fire chiefs and the city liable, ruling their decisions led to Sterling Lieutenant Garrett Ramos’ fall through a floor and into a basement
Deliberations begin in a wrongful death case alleging Rock Falls chiefs showed willful, wanton disregard in the 2021 fire that killed Sterling Lt. Garrett Ramos
Brittney Ramos testifies that safety lapses led to her husband’s 2021 line-of-duty death
Brittney Ramos is suing the city of Rock Falls and two fire chiefs, alleging their reckless actions led to her husband falling through a floor and running out of air
A statement from Professional Firefighters of Keene IAFF Local 3265 said the firefighters were cut off by fire while searching the second floor
About 100 firefighters battled a stubborn blaze at General Motors’ 150,000-square-foot Pasadena facility
A brief water loss triggered a flashover and mayday during a house fire in Hillsdale
Two fell through third-floor holes during a fire in a building under construction on Chestnut Street
Four Sauk Valley departments completed a two-day workshop to standardize incident command, strengthen mutual-aid fireground leadership and reinforce NIOSH safety practices
New mandatory training simulates the 2011 ventilation incident that killed Lieutenant Todd Krodle, sharpening rapid rescue tactics
Crews should train on implementing IRICs and placing rescue tools, all while following key standards
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- LODD: Chicago firefighter succumbs to injuries during garage fire
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- NIOSH: Activation of mental health crisis team beneficial in S.C. LODD