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MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY

Having the confidence, knowledge, and courage to call for

help when you need it!

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Rule To Live By…

• The first and absolutely most important factor in calling for a MAYDAY is the decision to call for a MAYDAY…

• You should understand that the decision to call for a MAYDAY must be made by the firefighter in the truck prior to entering a dangerous environment.

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How to avoid the need for calling a MAYDAY

• Recognize the potential for collapse

• Recognize the indicators of Flashover

• Stay orientated when in a structure

• Remain in contact with your crew

• TRAIN

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Reasons why Firefighters don’t call for a MAYDAY

• Temporal Distortion (time seems to speed up or slow down)

• Not wanting to “loose control” of the situation• Channeled attention to another task or mind set• Loss of situational awareness• Fear of the unknown• Fear of retribution (for getting into the situation)• Lack of procedural knowledge• Attempting to fix the problem• PRIDE/EGO• Denial

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When To Call For A MAYDAY…• If an “if – then” event happens a MAYDAY should be called for

immediately…– Become tangled, pinned or stuck– Fall through roof or floor– Collapse that blocks your exit– Become disoriented or separated– Cannot find any exit (door or window)– Low air alarm with no exit– Fire conditions change to where you feel a flashover or back draft will

occur– If any of your PPE fails– Injured or medial emergency while in IDLH– If you have that gut feeling something is not right and you cannot

remove yourself from that situation

BASICALLY WHEN LOST – MISSING – TRAPPED - IN TROUBLE

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Would you call for a MAYDAY…• As a group ANSWER

• % said YES Possible Mayday Conditions• Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck; low air alarm activation,

Mayday• Fall through roof, Mayday• Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck and do not extricate self in 60

seconds, Mayday• Caught in flashover, Mayday• Fall through floor, Mayday• Zero visibility, no contact with hose or lifeline, do not know

direction to exit, Mayday• Primary exit blocked by fire or collapse, not at secondary

exit in 30 seconds, Mayday• Low air alarm activation, not at exit (door or window) in 30

seconds, Mayday• Cannot find exit (door or window) in 60 seconds, Mayday

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Would you call for a MAYDAY…• A firefighter must call a mayday for themselves under these

conditions.

• % said YES Possible Mayday Conditions• 98% Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck; low air alarm activation,

Mayday• 94% Fall through roof, Mayday• 92% Tangled, Pinned, or Stuck and do not extricate self in 60

seconds, Mayday• 89% Caught in flashover, Mayday• 88% Fall through floor, Mayday• 82% Zero visibility, no contact with hose or lifeline, do not know

direction to exit, Mayday• 69% Primary exit blocked by fire or collapse, not at secondary

exit in 30 seconds, Mayday• 69% Low air alarm activation, not at exit (door or window) in 30

seconds, Mayday• 58% Cannot find exit (door or window) in 60 seconds, Mayday

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Problems With The MAYDAY Transmission

• Volume – firefighter speaks too loudly or not loudly enough

• Speed – firefighter speaks to rapidly• Quality – the voice is deep or soft and hard to

understand• Feedback – the firefighters radio is to close to another

radio in the area• Traffic – firefighter is trying to transmit amid all the other

fire ground traffic• Failure – firefighters radio does not work properly or

battery is dead• Inattention – Command is distracted or not paying

proper attention and misses the message

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MAYDAY Myths

• If your low-air alarm activates inside the hazard area, you have to call a MAYDAY

• You will receive charges (discipline) if you call for a MAYDAY

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Call MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY

• Give LUNAR Report

• Activate PASS Device

• Orient yourself

• Communicate with your crew, the RIT team or Command using – CAN Report

• Solve the problem!

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY continued…

• Call MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY– Do not use “emergency traffic”, firefighter in

trouble or any other terminology

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Give LUNAR Report– L – Location (where you are in building or what your

assignment was)– U – Unit – apparatus you were assigned to– N – Name – give your name, take the guessing out of

the game for Command– A – Air – what your heads up display tells you– R – Resources – what you need or think you need

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Activate PASS Device– Firefighters are trained to hear PASS – use it!– Turn off PASS when transmitting?

• Does it effect your voice when transmitting?• Turning it off could effect those using its sound to

find you?

– Consider transmitting PASS over radio if you don’t thing you have been heard

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Orient yourself– Calm down, get your bearings– Don’t Panic– Be systematic in your actions– Let Command/RIT know what you see, hear,

feel

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Communicate with your crew, the RIT team or Command using – CAN Report– C – Conditions – visibility, heat, structure– A – Actions – what your are doing, where you

are going– N – Needs – what you need or think you may

need, Air supply!!!

You C-A-N get yourself out of the situation – NEVER give up!

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What to do if you call a MAYDAY

• Solve the problem!– Highest priority after giving your MAYDAY– Go back on your training…– Remain calm, orient yourself, use PASS

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Command Actions

• Acknowledge MAYDAY– Confirm LUNAR report, and MAYDAY on radio– Inform Dispatch of MAYDAY– Announce name of missing firefighter– Advise other units to only transmit essential

information over radio• Deploy RIT

– Also consider having RIT report to Command for quick face-to-face briefing/coordination

• Call for next greater alarm– Assign additional RIT– Include additional EMS

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Command Actions continued..

• Assign and aid to Command• Conduct a PAR• Rapid and quick• Make a Rescue Division or RIT

commander• Reassess Risk vs. Benefit of all fire

ground operations– Consider fire spread, building integrity, risk of

making more “victims”

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When it comes time to call a MAYDAY, that is not the time to fail!