300CC - Structure Fire "Watch Out" Situations Flashcards
Ventilation crews are driven off the roof by fire extension before you make entry.
Verbal coordination between the interior attack crew is vital to effective fire suppression.
This will also directly affect tactical decisions, such as “offensive” vs. “defensive”, or the extent of advancement into the fire building.
Radio communications are VITAL!
You flow water on the seat of the fire and make no progress.
The BTU/fire load is exceeding the GPM being flowed, or the water is not reaching the true seat of the fire.
Reassess line and nozzle selection; add additional attack lines to the suppression operation, or request ventilation.
You can hear the sound of vertical ventilation operations being conducted behind you.
Fire conditions or construction types may limit the ability of ventilation crews to perform their operations directly over the seat of the fire.
This is especially common on new multi-story, multi-pitch tract homes.
It is important that the interior crews coordinate their progress with the ventilation crews so as not to have ventilation operations pull fire over the top of them.
You feel uncomfortable or apprehensive for no apparent reason.
Trust your instincts, as they are rarely wrong.
Look, listen and feel for reasons why your instincts are alerting you.
Alter your tactics accordingly, and communicate the situation to the IC/Operations.
Your low-air audible on your SCBA begins to sound, and you still have not located the fire.
It is important to keep track of your time inside a working fire.
One of the best ways to “time stamp” an incident is to note the amount of time that it typically takes before your low air audible sounds.
This is achieved through hands-on training exercises.
If you know that it takes 20 minutes to exhaust an SCBA bottle, and you have progressed in on an interior attack, and have still not located the seat of the fire, you should reassess fire ground tactics and/or hose line selection.
Again, good coordination between interior attack crews and ventilation crews can mitigate this problem by shortening knockdown.
You can hear the fire burning; however, you cannot see it.
There is nothing like the sound of building on fire; it makes a very distinctive sound.
Lack of vertical or horizontal ventilation will allow the thermal balance to push down on interior crews limiting their visibility and progress.
In this situation, interior crews should retreat to a safer location until conditions can be improved by means of ventilation, or by additional lines be put in service.
You realize that you have made entry under, or are working beneath a mezzanine or facade.
Mezzanines and facades are generally “afterthoughts” and are not incorporated into the structural members of the building, but instead are secured onto the fronts with fasteners.
Can contain “hidden fire” that goes undetected by crews until catastrophic collapse occurs, thereby trapping firefighters or disrupting flow to hose lines.
Can collapse during extinguishment/overhaul.
You are in zero visibility, the thermal balance is banking down, and air is being drawn in rapidly behind you.
At this point, the fire is drawing for more oxygen, and temperatures are rising, thereby banking the heat down on top of interior crews.
Within minutes, your location will become untenable.
At this point, interior crews must retreat and reassess tactics, including ventilation and additional lines.
You are unable to communicate with the “Incident Commander” or “Operations” on the fire ground.
The IC is responsible for the both resources and personnel status.
If you are unable to communicate with the IC or other divisions, you must retreat to a location at witch clear communications can be mad.
Good communications are a must!
You are working with unfamiliar crew members.
All members of an engine or truck company need to maintain crew continuity and communication.
If there is an overtime crew member working, they may not be familiar with tactics and strategies of your company, or may simply lack the experience necessary to successfully complete tasks assigns to them.
It is the company officer’s responsibility to insure that any crew members not assigned to their company are made familiar with SOG’s, specialized equipment and hazards that pertain to their particular company and first-in area.
