In this firefighter spouse rescue training video, instructors Valerie Solano and Lauran Franklin demonstrate how fire service members use the three commands strike, drive and stop to communicate when performing a forcible entry.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

Three things. We always have three things. I don’t know why, in the fire service, it’s always to three things because that’s all we are capable of remembering, to be honest with you, in short term. When we have commands here and I need you to all focus on this because you’re going to use them and you’re going to be on the other side of this so that you don’t lose a head or a finger. First one is strike. Strike is one hit. Okay. Once this tool is in place and you have the axe, the other person, the one with the Halligan, is making the commands. They’re going to say strike. The strike is one hit.

How many hits is strike? One! Oh, you guys are way above all your husbands. (Laughing)

The second one is drive. What is drive going to be? It’s going to be hit until you hear. How did you know the third word, y’all? Y’all should be teaching for us. Yeah. Stop! Is the third word. Drive is, you just smack until you can’t smack anymore. When you hear stop. And it’s going to be STOP! Not (mumbles). You’re going to bring it because you mean it. You’re in too far or you’re in the place exactly where you want it. So, first word STRIKE, which is how many hits one. DRIVE is continuous. Stop means, uh, stop.

No means no. No means no. I’ll miss my no-no spot. No no. Square.

All right. Three more terms.

Everybody’s got those? We’re good. We’re gonna move on. Okay? Pay attention to this, because you’re gonna have questions after this because there’s a lot going on. It seems so simple because we’re going to make it so simple for y’all. But when you actually get up here, you’re like, what do I.