A bad day for training.

Ken C.

Ken C.

Jack of all trades, master of none.
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I just got back from the ER after suffering a few bruised ribs and a 5 inch long abrasion on my rib cage. We where training with a 2 1/2 handline using an Elkhart SM30 Combo nozzle. We had a 5" LDH hooked up to the front suction from the hydrant. 2 lengths of 2 1/2 where laid out, the hydrant was not shut down by the hydrant man after the last scenario, and the pump operator switched from tank to pump and the line got blown back due to a water hammer. It tore into my shirt and ripped a gash into me. When I saw that the hook on the top of the nozzle was in my shirt I thought for sure I had been skewered. I was able to shut down the line and assess my wounds. My Lt. was tossed as well but he is fine. I took the hit pretty well but the pain was and still is unbearable. I'm on Vicodin. I'm feeling pretty good right now.
 
K.V. Collucci said:
We where training with a 2 1/2 handline using an Elkhart SM30 Combo nozzle. We had a 5" LDH hooked up to the front suction from the hydrant. 2 lengths of 2 1/2 where laid out....
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Sounds like gadgets and gear material to me.








Glad you weren't more seriously injured. Water is an incompressible fluid and the forces that result when you try to compress it can be dangerous.
 
Get well soon, buddy, glad it wasn't more serious. Sounds like a close call.
 
K.V. Collucci said:
I just got back from the ER after suffering a few bruised ribs and a 5 inch long abrasion on my rib cage. We where training with a 2 1/2 handline using an Elkhart SM30 Combo nozzle. We had a 5" LDH hooked up to the front suction from the hydrant. 2 lengths of 2 1/2 where laid out, the hydrant was not shut down by the hydrant main after the last scenario, and the pump operator switched from tank to pump and the line got blown back due to a water hammer. It tore into my shirt and ripped a gash into me. When I saw that the hook on the top of the nozzle was in my shirt I thought for sure I had been skewered. I was able to shut down the line and assess my wounds. My Lt. was tossed as well but he is fine. I took the hit pretty well but the pain was and still is unbearable. I'm on Vicodin. I'm feeling pretty good right now.
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And considering, your typing skills are impeccable! :thumbup: :D
 
Take care of yourself and I hope you get to feeling better.

Back in the eighties a volunteer firefighter, who responded on mutual aid to one of our fires, for some some unexplainable reason decided to charge an unmanned line. The captain standing next to it was knocked ten feet through the air. He spent the night in the hospital for observation but was okay. Sore and bruised but okay.
 
Here are some pics my wife snapped. The bruising on my arm looks worse than it feels. The abrasion feels worse than it looks.
 

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Ken...Just feel glad that you're not a cop, training with guns.:D.:D.

Heal well, and quickly, friend.:thumbup:.
 
Chicks dig scars. :D

Be careful out there. Met a fireman once that got his face pushed in by a hose. :(
 
Hope you heal fast.

I also hope you have a chat with the pump operator about avoiding water hammer, and watching the gages to be SURE the hydrant is shut down before switching over to the tank.

(You already know that huh! ;) )

I'm betting he didn't switch over gradually, either.

I just read the LODD on the firefighter from NBFD. RIP.
 
K.V. Collucci said:
Here are some pics my wife snapped.
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Terrible pictures. She should have borrowed my camera.

Terry Newton said:
Met a fireman once that got his face pushed in by a hose.
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(No, I better not ... :p)

So, Ken, ya gonna be up & about for the BBQ?
 
Esav Benyamin said:
So, Ken, ya gonna be up & about for the BBQ?
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I'll be good to go for the BBQ. :)
 
Esav Benyamin said:
So, Ken, ya gonna be up & about for the BBQ?
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Easv, are you anticipating the need for a firefighter or two?:D

Ken- feel better soon.
Terrible news about Vincent Neglia,the firefighter that was killed. May he rest in peace.
 
OUCHY!! I am sorry to hear that you got hurt!! Did I mention OUCHY!!!!???! I am glad that it wasn't worse!!
 
TheKnifeCollector said:
OUCHY!! I am sorry to hear that you got hurt!! Did I mention OUCHY!!!!???! I am glad that it wasn't worse!!
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It could have been alot worse had I not kept a hold of the hoseline and was able to shut it down. An unmanned, fully charged and opened hoseline can inflict serious injury or death should one get hit by it. One member of our department was seriously injured when a charged line went astray and broke his leg in three places. I am very thankful that my training kicked in when I knew something went wrong.
 
Update:

Day 7: I'm still having pain. Went to the "doc in a box" today and got checked out. I'll be out of work until at least next Thursday. I go back to the doc on Tuesday. Seems as though some damage to the muscle occurred and because it wasn't caught the first time it got slight infected and inflamed. I've been put on antibiotics and a muscle relaxer as well as a stronger dosage of Vicodin. I'm gonna' be really productive this weekend!
 
glad your okay, it's funny how you can get hurt doing something you've probably done 100 times. as mentioned before always remember, pain goes away and chicks dig scars. and of course there are the benefits of vicodin. later,ahgar
 
Update Day 10: Just got back from the Doc In A box and he feels I may have cracked ribs. X-rays do not really show rib crack well so he ordered a CAt scan for next week. I knew when this happened that I had to have fractured something because I was hit way to hard for it not to be. Inhalation has been painful and that's what prompted him to order the CAT.

Let's see where this goes now. :rolleyes:
 
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