The Fort Walton Beach FD was dispatch to a structure fire at Jackson Trail Apartments Saturday afternoon. Truck 6, Rescue 6, & Battalion 6 arrived with “NOTHING SHOWING”. By the way, “Nothing Showing, Means Nothing in today’s fire environment”. Truck 6 “Quint” stretched attack line to front door, while Rescue 6 forces the door. After forcing the door, Rescue 6 went to the Charlie side to VENT opposite the advancing hose line. After Rescue 6 vents rear window, they do a quick scan with TIC through the window and sees image of an unconscious civilian laying on the floor. Firefighter from Rescue 6 rapidly enters through the Charlie side window and removes unconscious female through the same window, where a fellow firefighter from Rescue 6 is standing by as the oriented firefighter. Once removed, she was turned over to Okaloosa County EMS and transported.
This is a GREAT example of why Training is The Key!! They arrived fully geared and READY to go. They stretched an attack line while the door is being forced and made entry. Proper Ventilation and taking the time to SCAN the room with TIC from an exterior position paid off.
Curt Isakson is a 35 year veteran of the fire service. Curt is currently a Battalion Chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue. Previously worked 9 years with the Pensacola Fire Department where he was assigned as the Company Officer on Rescue 31. Curt’s fire service experiences started at a young age as a Junior firefighter with the Midway Fire Protection District and rose through the ranks to Captain. He has worked in volunteer, career, and combination departments.
Curt has held all ranks up to Battalion Chief and been assigned to operations, training, inspections, and was Chief of Special Operations for 7 years. Curt owns and operates County Fire Tactics that covers a very diverse range of fire service topics, as well as Firefighter Rescues, a site that documents rescues made by firefighters around the country.
He has annual contracts with numerous departments to provide standardized monthly training for these departments that respond daily together under an automatic aid agreement. Curt teaches nationally to include; FDIC, Firehouse Expo, Firehouse World, Orlando Fire Conference, Atlanta Fire Conference, Bowling Green State University, and owns/operates the annual HROC, COBC, WOTF, CFT ODP on Pensacola Beach. He is a Florida Certified Fire Officer, Instructor, Inspector, Arson, and FLUSAR.
