The Nine Tire Drill

In the August 2014 publication of "Fire Engineering", The Nine Tire Drill was featured in the training section. Relatively unknown, this drill was discovered by members of the Salisbury (NC) Fire Department who were visiting the Charlestown (NC) Fire Department. The objective of the drill is to reassert the importance of orientation and situational awareness in a fire.

The drill is performed in a parking lot or larger open space. It requires nine tires to be spaced 15 feet apart from each other in a grid of three by three. At each tire, a piece of PVC piping is inside the tire. The participant must pick up the piece of piping and assemble them into a predetermined design.

Participants don full PPE (personal protective equipment) including SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus). Participants have their face masks blocked, preventing the use of sight. The participant will navigate the course in a predetermined manner and will crawl on their knees as if in a house fire.

Searching for the tires simulate searching a structure in a house fire. Firefighters search for victims not only on the ground but they also search for furniture. Sometimes victims will be located in bed or under some type of furniture. Firefighters will have to turn themselves so they can properly search for victims. This turning without being to see can cause a firefighter to lose their orientation. This lose of direction has proven itself to be deadly.

To simulate a distraction from orientation, the PVC piping is introduced. It causes the firefighter to focus on assembling the pieces.

I recently participated in The Nine Tire Drill at my company's weekly drill night. We replaced the PVC with a variety of items from around the station such as a helmet, radio, and spanner wrenches. At each tire, we had to identify each item. The radio was an added challenge. Our training officer had us add the radio to our gear and carry it with us. We had to turn the radio on, go to an assigned channel, and call command updating command on our location.

I personally found this drill very beneficial and unique. Never had I  encountered an exercise like this. Some exercises are designed to help gain better awareness but one that adds distraction is truly a test. One tip in the article was to point the handle of your tool in the direction you need to go. When stopping to identify an object, I'd place my tool on the ground with the handle facing the correct direction. This allowed for me to know exactly where I needed to head.

Maintaining orientation is a problem that I myself have encountered numerous times both in training and in the field. Thankfully I have been able to gather myself and be able to properly call my location. However in a job such as firefighting, the few extra seconds needed to gather oneself and reorient themselves, may be the seconds between life and death.

The Nine Tire Drill is a great training exercise that I hope many people take with them to their department and make it a training session. Maintaining the ability to be aware of your surrounds in your next house fire may guarantee that you come out of the smoke.