Claustrophobia and the Worm Tube

rhbieber · 06-09-2009, 08:54 PM

A lot of people have asked me about the difficulties of the job. One problem many aren't aware of, is claustrophobia, and its potential to instill panic in the firefighter. This can be dangerous and even deadly.

Why claustrophobia? Working in the intense heat of a fire - that heat can feel like a heavy mass surrounding and drawing down from all sides. Add the obvious restrictions imposed by your PPE; the face mask; and finally, the total darkness encountered in many structure fires. And there's your demon, lying in wait for the right trigger to release it.

People will have varying degrees of claustrophobia. Do you have it? Can you control it? That is the question every firefighter and firefighter hopeful should ask themselves.

Check out this video called: "The Worm Tube" It shows how one department tests its recruits for claustrophobia. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skr6dnxaqiw

How does your department deal with this issue?

Rob Bieber

NathanWert · 06-10-2009, 01:00 PM

WOW, that would be brutal.

I can still remember doing the Maryland Fire Academy's confined space class. Lots of fun. Both my partner and I got stuck in one section. We had to do a vertical "U" turn from the second level down to the first. Both of us are 6'5" and our bodies didn't want to bend correctly. We made it but it added some to our time.

The big difference between what we did and what was in the video was that we were "blacked out" and ours was a multi-level, multi-turn evolution instead of a relatively straight course. Either way, I'd rather not do that worm tube one if I could help it. *grin*

rhbieber · 06-12-2009, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by NathanWert

WOW, that would be brutal.

I can still remember doing the Maryland Fire Academy's confined space class. Lots of fun. Both my partner and I got stuck in one section. We had to do a vertical "U" turn from the second level down to the first. Both of us are 6'5" and our bodies didn't want to bend correctly. We made it but it added some to our time.

The big difference between what we did and what was in the video was that we were "blacked out" and ours was a multi-level, multi-turn evolution instead of a relatively straight course. Either way, I'd rather not do that worm tube one if I could help it. *grin*

Some of the recruits who completed the Worm Tube wished they were blacked out. I don't know why.

These recruits must also go through a confined space exercise similar to the one you described. And in that, they are blacked out. The film has good footage of a recruit getting stuck between a staircase and a wall - during the maze - and having to fight his way out.

It's an eye opener when you see these guys enter the maze - in teams of two - follow a rope through very tight passages - and eventually lose the rope, lose their partner, and become dissoriented to the point of no escape. Thankfully it's only a drill!

Rob Bieber
Producer/Director: A Firefighter's Journey
www.firewerxfilms.com

doughesson · 06-15-2009, 11:04 AM

I work on the river and sometimes we have to go into the wingtank on a barge to put wooden shingles in a leak to plug it up.
The space is about 6' wide and 30 feet long but you have to get through an 18" hatch first.This is the only place on a barge where a deckhand may take off his life vest.
We place them on the coaming or somewhere where it can be seen from the wheelhouse to mark our last position and of course out it back on when we come out of the wingtank.
Kinda like putting half of a search marking on when you enter a room or building and then adding the second half when you complete the search to show that no one is known to be inside.

doughesson · 06-15-2009, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by rhbieber

Some of the recruits who completed the Worm Tube wished they were blacked out. I don't know why.

These recruits must also go through a confined space exercise similar to the one you described. And in that, they are blacked out. The film has good footage of a recruit getting stuck between a staircase and a wall - during the maze - and having to fight his way out.

It's an eye opener when you see these guys enter the maze - in teams of two - follow a rope through very tight passages - and eventually lose the rope, lose their partner, and become dissoriented to the point of no escape. Thankfully it's only a drill!

Rob Bieber
Producer/Director: A Firefighter's Journey
www.firewerxfilms.com

Or if one partner runs out of air.That happened to my buddy during a state run basic firefighting class and that 15 y/o Explorer is the last person to kick my axe when he was flailing around trying to find the escape door and I was trying to hook him up to my buddy air line.

sweetpete · 06-16-2009, 03:34 PM

Excellent vid. We have a similar exercise that I affectionately call "coffin crawling". Like was mentioned, these are are multi-level, multi-turn plywood boxes (look like coffins, hence the name) that are big enough that you have to where your SCBA on your back. Some of the boxes have wires hanging down and others have rods going thru the middle so you have to feel and work either over or under.

Anyways, I'll admit, that was one of the most "stressful" days we had in FTO. It wasn't necessarily physically demanding, and it wasn't necessarily a serious cardio work out as much as it was psychologically demanding. It was really mind over matter. We all knew we weren't going to die doing this exercise, but once your shoulders or legs got jammed or you couldn't move your head, it seemed like the urge to panic was overwhelming.

But I'll say this, it was one of the best experiences we had thru our training class. That was a great day!! Pete

Fatkid4 · 06-17-2009, 11:39 PM

Great video! Thanks for posting. This shows how important diversity is. Sometimes you need a tall, short, skinny, or stubby strong guy. Either way, it's good to know everyone on the team can keep their cool in confined places.

Awesome training. Our community deserves it!!!!

chrome12211 · 06-18-2009, 08:33 AM

One of the most important things to remember when doing one of these events whether real or in training is to control your heart rate by controlling your breathing. When you get into one of these situations you must remain calm and keep moving foward, if you start to panic you will not make it through...this is something which we must always train on because staying calm is what is going to save our lifes one day if we get into a situation like this.

nameless · 06-18-2009, 10:00 AM

we had something similar in our training, luckily not as long, but we did it blacked out. They made us do it many times so by the end it wasn't too bad, but I definitely was not a fan of it.

The thing I hate most is if their is an SCBA failure you can't get your hands to your face to break the seal on the facepiece or pop off the regulator.

rhbieber · 06-18-2009, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by nameless

The thing I hate most is if their is an SCBA failure you can't get your hands to your face to break the seal on the facepiece or pop off the regulator.

That happened during filming of the Worm Tube. The recruit's air stopped working. He couldn't breath and couldn't reach his facepiece to pull it off. The instructors pulled him out with the rope they tied to his ankles. It was a traumatic incident, but the recruit went back in and completed it.

Rob Bieber
Producer/Director "A Firefighter's Journey"
www.firewerxfilms.com

redirish · 06-23-2009, 05:48 PM

after watching the video I almost wished we had one like it. My partner developed one for our department called the box, it comes in multiple sections with a starting diameter that will allow you to enter with your pack (filled to 2000). after progressing in 4' you start to encounter simulated electrical wires, then it getts fun for you must remove your pack while in the 21"x21" box shift it in front of you and proceed through the wires without cutting them. Then you come to the section where you must work through wall studs and wires after this section depending on how the boxs are set there will be a 5/8" sheet rock wall you must then place your pac back on buckle it an breake though the rock to enter a stud wall width cavity with your rescue victim to await your partner to clear your exit through a wall to complete a denver drill. The drills are done both in black out and smoke simulation, it gives you a acruate feeling of things you can/will encounter with out being in the feild. Most folks can work past the feelings of being confined and most will find out in the box where it is a controlled setting if they have even a small fear of tight spaces.

Gotdesl · 07-30-2009, 09:39 PM

Had a similar exercise in our first block of FFI. I don't have a problem with claustrophobia, but I do have a fear of heights. That is largely overcome with the ladder work that came later. I will never truly get over all anxiety on an elevated surface, but I am fully operational at height. The trick is to focus on the mission. I am sure that claustrophobics, with enough training, may learn to conquer their anxiety. We all have at least one...

regal1975 · 08-05-2009, 12:33 AM

wow... all we have is an 18" square wall opening... though even that got me while doing search exercises and my partner convinced me to go through with my BA on...... The worm tube would be nasty.... and imo should be standard.. harder training and testing only leads to better firefighters...

peterbound · 08-11-2009, 11:53 AM

How long is that thing?

I'm assuming that you work for Denver, being that this is the location of the film. I'd like to ask you some questions about thier Veteren's Points program. Please let me know if i can contact you via private email.

rhbieber · 08-11-2009, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by peterbound

How long is that thing?

I'm assuming that you work for Denver, being that this is the location of the film. I'd like to ask you some questions about thier Veteren's Points program. Please let me know if i can contact you via private email.

I believe its between 80 to 100 feet. It begins wide and narrows as it goes.

I did work for Denver when I shot the movie. I recently retired. I'd be glad to answer any questions, either here or privately. You should be able to contact me personally through my profile on this website.

Rob Bieber
Producer/Director "A Firefighter's Journey"
www.firewerxfilms.com

Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies

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