DOING MORE WITH LESS
RANDOM THOUGHTS ON
“Randomly speaking,” this title is nonsense, and maybe it’s about time someone said it. Staffing response vehicles with three, two, or (the ultimate horror) one fire service personnel is fine if you’re talking about chief cars, cascade units, ambulances, light trucks, foam or water tank supply, or command vehicles. If you’re talking about structural fire intervention vehicles, it borders on insanity. In fact, what we’re really accomplishing in that case only is delivering apparatus to the scene. The fine-tuned firefighting machine—the high-priced apparatus and a sufficient number of well-drilled, experienced personnel —really never gets in place.
This is America’s real fire problem. If it wasn’t yours, you would have put this page down long ago. But the reality is you’re there, with whatever personnel the budget or the response put there. You still have to function. There are a few ways that you can do more with less.
Preplanning and inspections. The data gathered and communicated during these activities cannot be effectively captured after the fire begins. Building construction can either afford you time to “catch up” or make risk analysis too great to mount and support offensive fire activities. Where are the interior stair shafts? What and where is the life load? Are there any occupancy or storage problems? Where is the water supply? Mow much time do you have to operate? What are your goals, depending on the location and size of the fire in this occupancy?
Getting help fast. We all seem to have a love affair with playing “catch up.” Call mutual aid or an additional alarm if you think you may need a third handline; if you have more than one occupied floor above the fire; if you have a large-area, one-story building or a top-floor fire; or if you have a security/access problem with strip stores or “taxpayers.”
Cross-training. Arriving personnel should be prepared for and also be trained to perform any function. They should be able to relieve, fill out, or support virtually any tactical objective that’s indicated on arrival. Form teams that make apparatus and equipment already on the scene functional, instead of tying personnel to your personal delivery vehicle—your apparatus.
Automatic mutual-aid agreements are only that if cross-training in each other’s districts is not in place.
Ensure, through training, that each arriving firefighter knows the entire operation and his individual or team place in it.
Personal radios. A personal radio should be on every responder’s shoulder. If you’re forced to commit to so many functions all at once, you must be able to remain extremely flexible and communicative. All should know
rapid fire information of what was what wasn’t done, changing conditions based on fire conditions, anefc size-up information as soon as possible. Strategy shifts and tactical support for them are virtually impossible without the ability to communicate with each firefighter at the scene. In this case, there are such few per sonnel on the scene.
Apparatus. If you’re considering buying your first aerial device or replacing one, get a tower ladder! Set up your engine units and train for more than one hoselay. The argument “We always stretch the preconnect” will eventually “always” cause trouble. Set up compartments of each apparatus as mirror images of one another.
Position is everything! Having an apparatus out of position because of poor response procedures, lack of communication, or lack of training or understanding has the same result as leaving it at the station.
I’d rather operate at any fire with two pumping apparatus with four or five firefighters assigned and one ladder company with five or more assigned than with a fleet of apparatus with not enough firefighters on each.
Just as you can run out of things you are able to do on the fireground with personnel restrictions, I’m running out of things to share because of limited space. So until next time, remember: Minimal personnel is our natinal fire problem. And I just thought I’d just offer my two or three minimal cents.
