[MFD594]

We probably all have them in one shape or form. 99% of the time they're on commercial buildings, but dont be surprised if someone has pme on their house.

Now we know how to force 'em, and where they lead, but here's a thing or two to keep in mind when dealing with bilko's.....

#1- "The Obvious"... you now just created a 3' wide x 4' long by (at least) 6' deep hole in the ground in front of your fire building. Take that into account when smoke conditions get awful snotty. Some doors can be "propped up", others open all the way to the ground. Consider taking a traffic cone from Fire Police to indicate where the hole is.

#2- Means of egress. Every building is different. Some have common basements with common hallways, but a lot (espeically banks) have a completely sealed basement, brick walls between them and others stores in the row. Only way in or out is through the bilko doors. Thats probably your only "natural" vent point as well. Typically no windows. Keep that in the back of your mind as you venture in there. Breaching walls of brick or concrete is a very bad option if the shit hits the fan.

#3- Members operating below- Not anywhere around here, but have seen places that have taken full size store windows will all the glass now showering down on the members making a push down the stairs to the basement. Safety glass bits wont hurt, and although there's very few left, plate glass fragments will shred anyone beneath you.

#4- "Apartments Above", as with any fire, always look before you throw something out a window. Pushing an A/c out a 2nd flr window that ends up in the basement while guys are down there is gonna piss someone off.

As always, keep your eyes open.

So let's get some other tips or experiences on Bilko's from the brothers.

[JOHNNYPUMP39]

Pushing an A/c out a 2nd flr window that ends up in the basement while guys are down there is gonna piss someone off.

We should NEVER push an A/C out a window, that can really #### a brother up....always push or pull it in....

[You Dont Know About That?]

at the private dwelling at FSA during the basement fire evolution dont open the bilko doors for a couple of minutes...

as the instructor said to me "If you open these bilko doors here at FSA, its like going into space mountain....your all excited to go on the ride...then you go in...and someone turned all the lights on, and the ride just sucks."

[JOHNNYPUMP39]

so we got that goin for us if we ever catch a J O B at the PD at FSA, Which is nice !

[Signal 12]

When attacking any fire via the bilco doors, be it in a p/d or a taxpayer, keep in mind that it should not be a primary tactic and that the interior stair ccase that goes to the basement has to be protected in some way. Like place an engine company with a charged line at the top of the stairs. It's not an unorthodox tactic, as long as by making an attck via the blico doors, the fire isn't pushed up into the rest of the building.

As for cutting the doors, sizing up where the lock(s) might be is important, but for the ones that are mounted flush with the sidewalk, you often have a better shot at prying up the entire assmebly from the frame. In commercial buildings, be aware of conveyor belts on the stairs.

[LAD42DER]

too add a little more
if the line goes into the fire building and we are going to go through the bilko doors in the front of the occupnacy the line at the top of the stairs must stay there be very disciplined that they are protecting the interior stairs and not advance down causing opposing streams and hurting any members that might be caught doing a search in between. also if the truck makes it down to the basement through the interior first for whatever reason they must be notified of this move from the IC so they can take an area of refuge or come back up the stairs dont put our brothers in harms way b/c we get excited and want to put the wet stuff on the red stuff.
also while searching in the basement you find yourself climbing up stairs and find a locked bilko door radio it to the ov maybe they missed it b/c there was a fruit stand on it on the outside or in the rear they had a patio set over it and it is nite time and they missed it. (that is if it is gonna be a pain to force open cause it is locked from the outside and has all that wieght on it)