500 Doc Flashcards
Purpose of ICS
The purpose of the Incident Command System (ICS) is to provide for a systematic
development of a complete, functional command organization designed to allow for single or
multi-agency use, which increases the effectiveness of command and firefighter safety.
Functional organization major functions
major functions
being Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance.
Functional units purpose
handle the most important incident activities.
ICS is guideline driven for the following reasons
- Written guidelines reflect department best practices for incident management.
- Guidelines provide a standardized approach to managing any incident.
- Guidelines provide predictable approaches to incident management.
- Guidelines should be applied routinely.
- Guidelines provide a training tool for firefighter reference.
- Guidelines provide a baseline for critiques and review of incidents.
- Guidelines make the Incident Commander’s operations more effective.
Responsibility of command
Life safety
Incident stabilization
Property conservation
Environment protection
Risk Management
ICs primary duty is to determine life safety profile and apply most appropriate level of risk
Based on what principles?
Risk management should be based on the following principles:
1. significant risk to responders limited to situations where there is a potential to save lives.
2. Activities to protect property shall be recognized as
inherent risks to the safety of responders, and actions shall be taken to reduce or avoid
these risks.
3. No risk when there is no possibility to
save lives or property.
4. In situations where the risk is excessive, limited to
defensive operations.
Actions to assist in the management of risk
Training SOG Iap with contingency’s Evaluate the sit PPE Effecting incident management Good comms Utilize safety officers Adequate resources Ric Standby ambulance Rest and rehab Evaluate for changing conditions AAR
Building SA on a structure fire
What to look for
Structural Triage
Limited ways in and out
Can’t tell what the building is being used for
Can’t tell where the fire is
Has the potential to have been burning undetected
Can’t determine floor plan or layout (no pre-fire intel)
Construction Type (I-V) and features that frequently result in unexpected fire
behavior
Smoke Conditions Volume and density Pressure and velocity Color Rate of change View all sides of building (360 assessment) Compare volume in relation to building size Zero visibility
Fire Conditions Contents vs. structure Burn time Rate of spread Heat levels No ventilation
Lack of Progress
Progress not matching expectations
Repeated acknowledgment of Incident Clock
Delay in forcible entry
Delay in ventilation
Fire attack and ventilation not coordinated
Transfer of command pass down
Situation status Incident objectives and priorities (Incident Action Plan) Current organization Resource assignments Resources enroute and/or ordered Communications plan Prognosis, concerns and related issues
Who has overall responsibility of an incident?
The Incident Commander has the overall responsibility of managing an incident. Simply
stated, the Incident Commander has complete authority and responsibility for the incident.* If a
higher ranking officer wants to affect a change in the management of an incident, they must
first be on the scene of the incident, then the transfer-of-command guideline must be used.
*Anyone can affect a change in incident management in extreme situations relating to safety
by notifying the Incident Commander and initiating corrective action.
Mayday used when ?
Mayday_ “Mayday” shall be used as the designator to identify when a member is in a life-
threatening situation and in need of immediate assistance and can be declared by any
member who becomes aware of a member who is in a life-threatening situation and in need of
immediate assistance. “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” shall be broadcast followed by clear text to
identify the type of emergency “FIREFIGHTER/RESPONDER DOWN,
“FIREFIGHTER/RESPONDER MISSING,” or “FIREFIGHTER/RESPONDER TRAPPED,” to all
incident personnel.
Who can an IC assign to handle a Mayday?
RIC group supervisor
Emergency traffic
Emergency Traffic_The term “Emergency Traffic” is used to clear radio traffic for a significant
fire ground emergency condition. For example: “All units Emergency Traffic, we’ve had a
building collapse”
• All radio traffic should cease on any channel where “Emergency Traffic” has been requested
unless directly related to the “Emergency Traffic” situation.
The basic configuration of command includes three levels
Strategic level - Overall direction of the incident
Tactical level - Assigns operational objectives
Task level - Specific tasks assigned to companies
Normal span of control
Complex operations
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