Structure Fires Flashcards
Tactical Objectives
The Tactical Objectives (listed in order of priority) are:
A. Remove endangered occupants and treat the injured.
B. Stabilize the incident and provide for life safety.
C. Conserve property.
D. Provide for the safety, accountability, and welfare of personnel. This priority is ongoing throughout the incident.
The Eight (8) basic functions of Command
- Assume, confirm, position command. (Goal) Quickly establish and confirm a single IC and place that individual in the most effective initial – command position.
- Situation evaluation “size up”. Size up is a systematic process consisting of the rapid, yet deliberate, consideration of all critical incident factors.
- Initiate, maintain, and control the communications process.
- Deployment management. (Goal)To provide and manage a steady, adequate, timely stream of appropriate resources.
- Identify strategy / Develop an incident Action plan. (Goal) Use a systematic method to make basic strategy decisions, and to develop and initiate a tactical incident action plan.
- Incident organization. (Goal) Develop an effective incident organization using the sector system to decentralize and delegate Geographic and functional responsibility.
- Review, evaluation, and revision (as needed). (Goal) Confirm that the current incident action plan is meeting the tactical requirements of the incident and adequately provides for the safety of the workers.
- Continuing, transferring, and terminating Command. (Goal) Provide the required duration of command necessary to complete the tactical priorities, to standardize how command is transferred and upgraded.
Transfer of Command
Transfer Command
A. The Officer assuming Command will communicate with the person being relieved by radio or face-to-face. Face-to-face is the preferred method to transfer Command.
B. The person being relieved will brief the Officer assuming Command indicating at least the following:
1. General situation status: a. Incident conditions (fire location and extent, Hazmat spill or release, number of patients, etc.) b. Incident Management Plan. c. Completion of the Tactical Objectives. d. Safety considerations. 2. Deployment and assignments of operating companies and personnel. 3. Appraisals of need for additional resources.
C. The person being relieved of Command should review the tactical worksheet with the Officer assuming Command. This sheet provides the most effective framework for Command transfer as it outlines the location and status of personnel and resources in a standard form that should be well-known to all members.
After completion of the objectives assigned to a Sector All personnel shall be:
Positioned in Staging.
Assigned to a task or operating within a sector.
Be assigned to a Resource, Staging, or Rehabilitation Sector if the crew has completed their assignment and no other assignment is available within a tactical sector until such time as they can be reassigned to an operating sector or released to in-service status.
The safety of firefighting personnel represents the major reason for an effective and well-timed offensive/defensive decision and the associated write-off by Command. THE TWO STRATEGIES ARE BASED ON A STANDARD RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN, THAT IS TO BE EMPLOYED AT ALL STRUCTURE FIRES. Which States:
WITHIN A STRUCTURED RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN
- WE MAY RISK OUR LIVES A LOT TO PROTECT SAVABLE LIVES
- WE MAY RISK OUR LIVES A LITTLE TO PROTECT SAVABLE PROPERTY
- WE WILL NOT RISK OUR LIVES AT ALL TO SAVE WHAT IS ALREADY LOST
In extremely hazardous situations (flammable liquids, LP gas, hazardous materials, etc.) Command will
engage only an absolute minimum number of personnel within the hazard zone. Unmanned master streams will be utilized wherever possible.
When operating either above or below ground level, establish at least how many separate escape routes?
When operating either above or below ground level, establish at least two (2) separate escape routes/means where possible, (such as stairways, ladders, exits, etc.), preferably at opposite ends or diagonal corners of the building or separated by considerable distance.
The Hot Zone will be defined as
any area that requires an SCBA, charged hoseline, special protective clothing, or in which Firefighting Personnel are at risk of becoming lost, trapped, or injured by the environment or structure. The following situations would be included inside the Hot Zone
Entering a structure reported to be on fire
Operating in close proximity to the structure during exterior operations
Confined Space or Trench Rescues
Operating close to crane operations or close to swift water operations
Building collapse areas
Operating close to helicopter operations
Extrication operations
ALL FIRE FIGHTERS WORKING IN THE HOT ZONE SHALL BE IN CREWS WITH A MINIMUM OF TWO PERSONNEL. THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM WILL BE IN PLACE.
The Warm Zone will be defined as
just outside of the Hot Zone where the firefighters start their operations on the fireground. This zone is where the fire fighter is not at risk of becoming lost, trapped, or injured by the environment or structure. The following functions could be done in this zone:
• Forward fire apparatus working the incident (i.e.; engines, ladders)
• Laying lines
• HMRT and TRT developing tactics and strategies
• Utility truck operations
• Special equipment needs
• Accountability Officer
• Fire Investigations
If at any time firefighters in the Warm Zone become threatened, then this would become a Hot Zone.
The Cold Zone will be defined as
outside of the Warm Zone where no one is at risk because of the incident, The following functions could be done in this area:
- Command
- Level I & Level II staging
- Support and Staff personnel
- Canteen
- Rehab
- Media
- P.D. Liaison
- INTERVIEWING THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Signs of building collapse may include:
- Sagging or otherwise distorted rooflines.
- Time of fire involvement.
- Cracks in exterior walls.
- Bulges in exterior walls.
- Sounds of structural movement–creaking, groaning, snapping, etc.
- Smoke or water leaking through walls.
- Flexible movement of any floor or roof where firefighters walk.
- Interior or exterior bearing walls or columns–leaning, twisting or flexing.
The following construction features or conditions have been known to fail prematurely or to contribute to early structural failure when affected by fire.
Contributing Factors:
- Buildings with lightweight truss, bar joist, or bowstring truss, roofs.
- Buildings supported by unprotected metal–beams, columns, etc.
- Parapet walls.
- Large open (unsupported) areas–supermarkets, warehouses, etc.
- Large signs or marquees–which may pull away from weakened walls.
- Cantilevered canopies–which usually depend on the roof for support and may
- collapse as the roof fails.
- Ornamental or secondary front or side walls–which may pull away and collapse
Buildings containing one or more of the above features must be constantly evaluated for collapse potential. These evaluations should be of major consideration toward determining the tactical mode, i.e. offensive/defensive.
Command should consider the option of placing firefighters on adjacent unaffected roofs or on an elevated aerial device to monitor roof conditions for signs of weakening or collapse.
Basic tactical priorities are as follows
#1 - Rescue #2 - Fire Control #3 - Loss Control (Property Conservation)
Rescue = The activities required to protect occupants, remove those who are threatened and to treat the injured.
Fire Control = The activities required to stop the forward progress of the fire and to bring the fire under control.
Loss Control = The activities required to stop or reduce primary or secondary loss to property and the negative psychological and emotional impact of the event on the customers.
The objectives of each priority are reflected in the following benchmarks of completion:
#1 - Rescue – (Primary search) (all clear) #2 - Fire Control - under control #3 - Loss Control (Property Conservation) - loss stopped
All three tactical priorities require somewhat different tactical approaches from both a command and an operational standpoint.
While Command must satisfy the objective of each function in its priority order, Command must, in many cases, overlap and “mix” the activities of each to achieve the current benchmark. Notable examples are the frequent need to achieve interior tenability with active/extensive fire control efforts before getting on with primary search, or the need to initiate loss control operations while active fire control efforts are being extended
The strategic mode will be based on:
- The rescue profile (savable occupants/survivability profile)
- The building (type of construction, condition, age, etc)
- Structural integrity of the building (contents vs. structural involvement)
- The fire load (what type of fuel is burning and what’s left to burn)
- The fire and/or smoke conditions (extent, location, etc.)
