5. Command Flashcards
Developing the ability to command a residential fire starts when ____
you join the fire service and possible much earlier.
Command is not a title based on rank, it’s a ____
fireground position that can be almost any member at any time.
Fireground commanders must have the ability to stand tall, analyze the situation, and ____
must mitigate the incident.
At every incident, someone must be in command who is not involved with ____
hands on tasks such as stretching lines, throwing ladders, or worse, entering the fire building.
Command is a position that requires the ability to ____
analyze what has occurred, what is occurring, and predict what will happen with or without appropriate tactics.
Definitions of strategy
- A careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time.
- The skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal.
Definitions of tactics
- The science and art of disposing and maneuvering forces in combat
- The art or skill of employing available means to accomplish an end.
Strategies are ____, and tactics are ____.
- your overall goals
* how you achieve those tasks/goals.
The mnemonic LIP is utilized for remembering the key inputs for strategy.
Life safety
Incident stabilization
Property conservation
Every fire we respond to may not fit the definition of a modern fire, However, each and every fire _____
should be considered to be modern contents until proven otherwise.
The most widely accepted and utilized memory aid for size up is ____
COAL WAS WEALTH
COAL WAS WEALTH stands for ____
Construction
Occupancy
Area and height
Life hazard
Water supply
Auxiliary Systems
Street Conditions
Weather Exposures Apparatus and Personnel Location and extent Time Hazards
Size up is not done once and only once. ____ must perform his or her own size up.
Every arriving member
The incident commanders size up must be ____
a continual evaluation of the incident, what companies are doing, and what progress or lack of progress is being made. This continual evaluation must include how the tactics are affecting the stability of buildings.
Size up comes down to the constant analysis of the incident. Regardless of the model you use, it all comes down to knowing and evaluating the following about the fire:
location, intensity, extension, type, and size.
Location of the fire is extremely important. It affects any ____, ____, and ____. Location will also tell you ____.
- life hazards present, structural stability, and potential areas of extension.
- where the fire has been and where it is going.
It is critical to read smoke to determine ____
where the fire is moving, and its intensity.
Evaluating ____, ____, and ____ of the smoke will assist in the smoke reading assessment.
- volume, velocity, and density
Your analysis of ____ and ____ will help you determine where the fire is traveling and how quickly it will get there.
- the smoke
* identifying flow paths
Knowing the type of fire is critical in ____
assignment of tactics.
Use the fire behavior indicators to better read fire. Those indicators are ____
smoke, air track, heat, and flame (all in the context of building construction)
What mnemonic helps us remember the fire behavior indicators?
B-SAHF
Building (the context) Smoke Air track Heat Flame
The four fire behavior indicators can be used to ____
rapidly assess the stage of fire development and the changes that are likely to occur before, during, and after fire service intervention.
What building factors have a significant impact on fire behavior?
style, construction method, and materials
The temperature in a well insulated room could rise more ____ than a room with poor insulation properties.
rapidly
Modern windows will fail ____ in the incident allowing ____
- earlier
* air to immediately be entrained into the room and creating another flow path, which increases the fire’s energy.
The ____, ____, and ____ of smoke provide valuable information about the location of the fire, its stage (fuel or ventilation controlled), and the stage of the fire in different areas of the building.
- location, appearance, and movement
The ____ and ____ assessment are two pieces of the puzzle that the commanding officer must put together for a successful outcome.
- interior and exterior
What are the visual cues to evaluate to define smoke and air track?
- Height of neutral plane
- Color and thickness
- Volume and location
- Buoyancy and pressure
As the fire develops, how will the neutral plane progress with fire development?
The neutral plane will lower and the thickness of the smoke gases will increase.
A high neutral plane could indicate ____
that the fire is in the preliminary stages of development.
A very low neutral plane could indicate ____
that the fire is on the floor below or there could be a wind condition opposite of the entry, creating a unidirectional flow path.
A sudden rise in the neutral plane could indicate ____
that ventilation has occurred.
A gradual lowering of the neutral plane often indicates ____
a build up in fire gases and progress to flashover
A sudden lowering of the neutral plane could indicate ____
a rapid intensification of the fire.
Dark smoke often indicates ____
rich conditions due to restricted air supply. When flaming or smoldering combustion is occurring, these conditions result in black smoke.
Lighter colored (white) smoke is produced when ____
the solid fuel is heated to the pyrolization temperature (an elevated temperature in the absence of oxygen).
Pyrolysis is a precursor to _____
flashover
Grey smoke generally indicates ____
that at least some smoldering combustion or flaming combustion is present. Where there is a mixing of dark smoke from flaming combustion with the white smoke of pyrolysis, grey smoke can be the result.
Brown smoke indicates ____
the fire is in the early stages of pyrolization of timber products, and the tar content is being released.
The visible smoke volume, and location are ____ indicators of the location, size, or stage of development.
not always reliable
Smoke forced out under pressure usually indicates ____
that the exit point is close to the fire source.
Lower buoyancy smoke could indicate ____
relatively low compartment temperatures, or it could be caused by cooling that has occurred as the smoke has traveled through uninvolved section of the structure.
The air track is ____
the flow of air toward the base of the fire and the movement of the heated combustion products up and out of the compartment.
Bidirectional flow of the air track is ____
the heated gases flowing out of the top of the opening and cool air flowing in through the bottom of the opening.
A total and sudden inward movement of the air track could indicate ____
rapid fire progression.
Smoke or flame being discharged from the entire height of ventilation openings usually indicates ____
that it’s an outlet and that the ventilation inlet is in another part of the structure.
Unidirectional flow of the air track is ____
a ventilation opening has only air flowing inward or heat, smoke and gases flowing outward.
The flow of the air track can be ____ or ____
turbulent or smooth
A slow and laminar air/smoke interface of the air track could indicate that ____
the fire is in the early stages and most likely fuel-controlled.
If the air track is fast and turbulent, this could indicate ____
a working fire that is in the ventilation controlled phase.
Smoke seen pulsing out of small openings can indicate ____
variations in pressure from a limited air supply.
Whistling sounds are a classic indicator of ____
backdraft
What are some visual signs of heat?
- Blackening of windows with no flame showing, often accompanied by oily deposits on the inside of windows
- Cracking or crazing of glass. Crazing (a network of fine cracks is seen when heat buildup has been slower)
- Blistering or discoloration of paintwork.
- Rollover
The color of flames is ____ of the products burning in todays modern structure fires.
an unreliable indicator
What should checklist be utilized for during real time incidents?
to make sure all items are covered and in low frequency, high risk incidents. They will also help with accurate scene documentation and reporting.
The fire coordination triangle is a model that is utilized on the fire ground to ____
help commanders see the big picture on managing tasks and coordinating all tactics to make for a safe fireground for everyone.
What are the components of the fire coordination triangle?
- Fire attack, Search and Rescue, and Ventilation around the outside, with Fire Ground Safety in the middle.
What mnemonic did Loyd Layman introduce to help remember fire ground tactics, what does each letter stand for, and how is the mnemonic intended to be used?
RECEO-VS
Rescue Exposure Confinement Extinguishment Overhaul
Ventilation
Salvage
- The first 5 tactics are meant to be completed sequentially while the last 2 are intended to be actions of opportunity.
The International Society of Fire Service Instructors introduced what new memory aid for fire ground tactics in 2014? What do the letters stand for, and how is the mnemonic intended to be used?
SLICE-RS
Size up Locate the fire Identify and control the flow path Cool from a safe location Extinguish the fire
Rescue
Salvage
*The first 5 tactics are meant to be completed sequentially while the last 2 are intended to be actions of opportunity.
In the SAW CSS RECEO VSS mnemonic, what is the additional mnemonic for size up, and what does it stand for?
FPODP
Facts Probabilities Own situation Decision Plan of operation
What is the most thorough mnemonic for fire ground operations and what does it stand for?
SAW CSS RECEO VSS
Size up
Apparatus placement
Water supply
Command
Strategy
Safety
Rescue Exposures Confinement Extinguishment Overhaul
Ventilation
Salvage
Support
The goal of operational mode is ____
to mitigate the incident as quickly as possible and have the greatest positive impact on the life safety of the civilians and firefighters.
When choosing your fire attack mode, remember the goal is ____
to flow water on the fire the quickest way possible.
Decisions about operational modes must match ____
the conditions and resources available at all times.
A defensive operation is established when ____
the fire has extended beyond the control of responding resources, when the fire exceeds the available gallons per minute, or when the structure has deteriorated to the point that it is not safe for entry.
Offensive mode places the assumption that ____
there are sufficient resources on-scene to initiate an interior attack.
Transitional mode is an updated version of ____
the blitz fire attack and is an offensive mode.
One of the hardest pieces of a fire scene for a commander to manage is ____
appropriately assigning tasks to the members who are on scene.
Command officers must learn early on to delegate assignments based on ____
a priority decision making model.
As the IC you must know what Units ____ and ____ at all times.
- should be available
* responding
As the commander you need to decrease the ____ of your mutual aid companies.
reflex time
Reflex time is defined as ____
the time it takes from the receipt of the alarm until the first hose team discharges water on the fire.
The windshield size up should include ____
- who you are
- where you are
- what you have
- what you need
Following the initial report, within ____ or ____, a more detailed report should occur.
- the first few minutes
* as soon as the 360 is complete
Reporting nothing showing means absolutely nothing in todays fires because ____
contraction of gases may not allow the smoke and gases to be visible from the exterior.
Examples of conditions in a can report.
- where are you at
- any obstacles you encounter
- Smoke and heat conditions
- Interior visibility
- Entrapped Patients
- Container Type
- Whats burning
- Number of patients
Examples of Actions in a can report
- Completing assigned objective
- Knocking down fire
- Completing primary or secondary search
- Beginning Stabilization
- Plugging and Diking
- Performing salvage
- Performing Triage
Examples of Needs in a can report
- Urgent help
- Reinforcement
- Relief
- Support to current assignment
- Tools of equipment
- Cover other areas
- More line, more water
- More ambulances
A command officer should expect ____ from the crews with every transmission.
the crews location within the building
What acronym can be used as a mental checklist before making any radio transmission?
DIMWIT
Does It Matter What I'm Transmitting
What vital incident questions do time benchmarks help the incident commander answer?
- Progress or lack of progress
- Resources
- Building Stability
- Water Weight
NFPA 1500 indicates the dispatch center shall notify the incident commander at every ____ increment with the time that the resources have been on the incident until the fire is knocked down or the incident becomes static.
10 minute
Key objectives of NFPA 1584 On-scene rehabilitation are:
- Relief from climate conditions
- Rest and recovery
- Active and/or passive cooling or warming as needed for incident types and climate conditions
- Rehydration
- Calorie and electrolyte replacement, as appropriate, for longer duration incidents
- Medical monitoring
- Member accountability
- Release from rehab to return to duty
When controlling the electrical circuits, shut down ____
only the main breaker and not individual circuits.
Even though the IC does not have time to console the homeowner and occupants in the first few moments of an incident, valuable information needs to be obtained from them immediately. What is that information?
- Is everyone out of the building?
- Where is the fire?
- What is burning?
- Are there any access issues?
- Remember, this building is their home, and they have the most knowledge of it.
Following the incident, the IC must take the time to assist the occupants with the next steps in recovery. What are some of these next steps?
- Finding a place to sleep
- Establishing a relationship with the American Red Cross
- Cleanup contractors
- Insurance agents
- Insurance adjusters
- Never recommend a specific company.
The key to a thorough investigation is having an IC who is ____ and crews that are ____.
- in tune to the needs of the investigators
* educated how to do their jobs properly without spoiling evidence
At the conclusion of every fire, completing a tailboard review of the incident before companies are placed back in service is a great way to ____. This is also a perfect time for the commander and company officers to ____
- briefly review the incident
* gauge their department members emotional well being before they leave the scene.
The culture of safety is taught and fostered ____
during training, not on the fireground.
If the IC must remind someone to wear their personal protective equipment properly on the fireground, then ____ are failing.
your training division and company officers
