1. MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
Having the confidence, knowledge, and courage to call for help when you need it!

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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!

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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!

17. 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

18. Command Actions Acknowledge MAYDAY Deploy RIT
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

19. 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”

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