By RICHARD RAY
Today’s fire service is resilient and relentless in the pursuit of excellence when it comes to fireground operations. However, fireground success is measured differently from organization to organization. What do you consider fireground success to be? The answer is broad in scope at best and is dependent on many factors. The good and bad is that there are aspects firefighters can and cannot control that affect fireground success.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified five factors that contribute to firefighter fatalities called the “NIOSH 5.” These five factors are the following:
- Inadequate risk assessment.
- Poor communications.
- Inadequate command.
- Lack of accountability.
- Lack of standard operating guidelines (SOGs)/failure to follow SOGs.
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It is in these where we can find some of the answers to achieve fireground success while keeping firefighters safe. Four key elements will help create and maintain a safe and efficient fireground. These four key elements are the following:
- Size-up.
- Command and control.
- Resources.
- Fireground coordination.
Size-Up
All fireground operations begin with conducting a size-up. However, when does size-up begin for you? For many, size-up begins when the call is received. Ultimately, it is personal preference as to when your own size-up begins. However, for all firefighters, the size-up conducted on arrival sets the stage for how successful and efficient the fireground operation will eventually be. This is when applying SOGs, experience, knowledge, and decision-making ability will be put to the test.
Size-up is a topic that is mentioned at the onset of basic firefighter training. It is reinforced to new firefighters the importance of an accurate size-up and how it drives the incident. Students are taught acronyms for size-up such as the 13-point COAL WAS WEALTH (or BELOW). These are great. However, what is not taught is how the size-up for most firefighters begins at receipt of the call and the cognitive process that ensues.
When the call is received, firefighters typically will know the location and the characteristics of the area—i.e., types of structures, roads, water supply, and so on, which are all part of the size-up acronyms. When the size-up process has started, there is typically a discussion in the apparatus while en route, and firefighters should expect fire and victims and discussing the initial actions taken based on information received.
Once on scene, all firefighters should conduct a size-up. This skill is not just for the company officer or first-arriving chief; it is important for firefighters to understand that everyone sees things differently and that the size-up they conduct is just as important as the one the officer conducts. To that end, the information the firefighter gains from conducting a size-up is important for the officer so that he can make the best decision possible.
What aspects of the fireground should we be observing? That depends on the call type. However, for the purposes of this article, we will focus on structure fires, which means the focal points should be building type and occupancy, fire location and extent, location of potential victims, and water supply. So, what is the building telling us? What conditions do we have? Where is the fire located? What is your course of action? The information gathering and decision making will happen quickly; therefore, SOGs are critical for firefighters and will aid the firefighter/officer in a standard plan of attack to mitigate the incident based on information gained from the size-up. Additionally, the incident commander (IC) will benefit from this as well because it gives him a platform to build on for the incident.
When conducting the size-up, observe all sides of the building, when feasible. This will allow you to gain as much information as possible about the building, commonly referred to as “conducting a 360°.” While conducting the 360°, what are you looking to identify? The absolutes are presence of victims; fire; a basement or construction that reveals something different from the front; and any other potential hazards—i.e., liquefied petroleum gas tanks. When these attributes are found, communicate this information back to the IC and responding units. In photos 1 and 2, note the differences from the front of the structure to the rear.
(1) Photos by author.
(2)
Once you have adequately sized up the incident and gathered the pertinent information, the officer in charge can then make an informed decision and assess the risk. Many times, fireground ICs have limited information from an inadequate or incomplete size-up, which has an adverse effect on that incident—maybe not in the form of an injury or death but in unnecessary property damage or overextending personnel.
So, how can you make sure that you have all the information? Slow down a bit when conducting a size-up and move with purpose, but don’t get caught up in moving so fast that you miss critical aspects of the incident. Also, be descriptive when communicating the size-up. Use a common language that everyone understands. Use departmental SOGs to devise your plan based on the conditions found and to give direction to personnel.
Conducting the size-up is not limited to just the exterior of a building. A critical component to sizing up a building fire includes a size-up of the interior. All firefighters must size up the interior when operating inside, but that information is not always communicated. When making entry, firefighters must pay attention to the conditions they encounter. Crews should share all pertinent information with the IC to ensure the most effective strategy and tactics. Understanding fire behavior and building construction is critical when evaluating conditions on the interior. The ability to pay attention, understand changing conditions, and communicate conditions that are not necessarily seen but rather sensed is reduced when operating inside.
Command and Control
Arguably the most important aspect of any fireground is command and control. In his book Firefighting Operations in High-Rise and Standpipe- Equipped Buildings, Assistant Chief David M. McGrail of the Denver (CO) Fire Department states, “A strong and experienced incident commander is the single most important component to a safe and successful fireground operation.” When it comes to command and control, there is no more true statement. Command and control is critical to the operation because it works to coordinate operations on the fireground; prevent freelancing; and, ultimately, keep firefighters safe.
The IC’s success lies within his ability to focus on known facts and prioritize fireground actions based on resources and fire conditions. When giving orders, the IC should use a standardized methodology and language. This methodology and language should be language adopted and recommended by the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the department. It is also important for the IC to understand the capabilities and limitations of personnel under their command. This proves to be really challenging when operating with mutual-aid personnel and volunteer firefighters. The IC may not know the firefighter’s abilities nor have trained with them.
When should command be established on the fireground? For most fire departments, command is established at the arrival of the first officer/chief who arrives on scene. However, there are departments whose SOGs state that the first-arriving chief will establish command even if he arrives after the first unit on scene. In my opinion, the first-arriving unit on scene should establish command. They can still be mobile while conducting the size-up and directing the initial operation. From there, command can then be transferred to the chief or the next-arriving officer to establish a more formal command and the command post.
Once the command post is established, where should it be located? This has been a point of discussion in today’s fire service. There is an avenue of thought where the IC should be away from the incident inside a quiet environment so he can hear radio traffic and be without distractions. If this is your department’s preference, ICs must understand and trust what personnel say and request. The other choice is having the command post located where the IC can see the building. The IC should have eyes on the building as well as the personnel operating in and around the building; this allows him to continually assess the incident, ensure that the information received matches conditions visible, and have a proactive posture on the fireground.
When in command and controlling an incident, the IC should command the incident. A strong command presence allows the IC to lead the fireground rather than manage it. The IC should understand that he is leading personnel into a battle on the fireground! This battle requires the IC to step up, understand when to take risks, and lead. Depending on the incident, the IC may want to build layers by expanding the command system.
The IC may assign an operations officer or an officer who is responsible for a division on the fireground—for example, an officer in charge of the C side of the structure or an officer in charge of each floor. This allows for the span of control to be followed as well as reduces unnecessary radio traffic. Leaders on the fireground understand that big decisions involve big risks and when to take those risks. ICs who are leaders are poised, decisive, calm, and credible. They have the trust of their personnel, which is key to fireground success.
As an IC, it is important to understand that you are responsible for the good and the bad of the incident. You must be focused and maintain constant vigilance. Command and control is a big deal; avoid following a script. Meet the needs of the incident. Pay attention. Listen. Give clear and concise direction to the members operating. Remember, as an IC, it is okay to be a dictator. You are responsible! Try not to allow complacency, arrogance, or ego to get the best of you. It’s a team effort, and you are the leader!
Resources
Using the on-scene resources available—personnel and equipment—and the initial actions performed will determine the outcome of any incident. Without the proper resources, fireground actions are not played out, and the incident priorities of life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation are not achieved. What challenges does your department face when it comes to available resources? Is it staffing? Equipment? Apparatus? Funding? This differs from department to department.
In today’s fire service, staffing is a challenge that everyone seems to be experiencing in some form; even larger departments have staffing difficulties. Medium-sized and smaller departments are following the motto “Do more with less” more and more. This is unfortunate because it compromises firefighter safety. However, the good and bad is that firefighters will somehow find a way to get the job done but, unfortunately, take unnecessary risks to do it. However, it is what is required of us from time to time.
When I first joined the fire service in 1992, mutual aid was requested largely for more water on the fireground; there was ample staffing to perform all the tasks. Today, it is quite different. The need is personnel! For structure fire responses, my career department increased the number of units coming; if it is a working incident, additional personnel are dispatched, all because of minimum staffing.
In my volunteer department, we receive two additional fire departments when dispatched to any structure fire. When working with my career department, I know the number of personnel responding that I can use to accomplish fireground tasks. However, it is not that way for my volunteer department. The number of personnel responding from our mutual-aid departments varies from incident to incident and time of day. How does that compare to yours? We can all relate to staffing being that critical resource needed. Mutual aid is a vehicle that can help in that area.
Equipment and apparatus are resources that provide us with capabilities as well as show us our limitations—situations where mutual-aid agreements can aid departments that have limited resources. Mutual aid allows for departments to use and share resources. If your department doesn’t have a ladder truck, and there could be areas of your district where one is needed, or you need a tanker/tender in nonhydranted areas of your district, you may be able to count on a nearby department to supply one.
How efficient and effective is your department with its available resources? Are you training frequently? Is your training “fire focused”? Does your fire department excel in the basics? Do you have the appropriate mutual-aid agreements in place? Are there mechanisms in place at the communications center so that resources are dispatched? What is the department doing on the front end of the incident to ensure the right resources are going to arrive on scene to provide a professional, knowledgeable, safe, and effective service to their citizens?
Fireground Coordination
Coordination involves organizing people or groups so they work together properly. How is that applied to the fireground? When firefighters think fireground coordination, they typically think about engine and truck company operations accomplishing fireground tasks together. Fireground coordination is usually thought of as completing tasks simultaneously to achieve incident priorities. What happens when there are not enough available resources to perform those tasks simultaneously? The department will then have to perform tasks in a sequential order based on the needs of the incident.
Which fireground tasks should be coordinated? Fire attack, search, and ventilation are three tasks that are extremely critical and should be coordinated. Departments that have staffed engines, ladders, and rescues arriving together can usually coordinate these pretty well. The engine handles the fire attack; the truck company or rescue can handle the search while the other ventilates. This coordination can help the crews conducting the fire attack and search be more efficient and effective.
But what about smaller or volunteer departments? Some volunteer departments are staffed well and coordinating the fireground is not an issue. In my volunteer fire department, we do not always have the staffing or equipment to conduct these tasks at the same time; we need to perform these actions in sequence. The challenge is making sure that we perform the right tasks in the right order. For example, ventilation may take place deeper into the incident, specifically once more personnel arrive to make fireground coordination easier.
SOGs provide a framework for fireground coordination and a plan of action that all members should know and understand. SOGs reduce both stress for the IC and freelancing, which works against fireground coordination. A freelancing firefighter is different from a motivated, thinking firefighter. SOGs should be realistic to your organization and address most situations, and they must work.
Fireground coordination depends on the building, the fire, and the aforementioned elements. Without a proper size-up, an IC, and the right resources, fireground coordination, at best, will be difficult. Underwriters Laboratories’ Fire Safety Research Institute conducted Study of Coordinated Fire Attack in Acquired Structures. All firefighters must read the study. It will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of fireground coordination.
These four elements mentioned are not the only things that will create a safe and efficient fireground. However, they will provide a solid foundation on which to build the fireground so that we will not fall victim to one of the NIOSH 5 for firefighter fatalities. All firegrounds are different, yet they are similar in many ways. Prepare, plan, and be proactive.
RICHARD RAY is a 30-year fire service veteran who has volunteer and career experience. He is a captain with the Creedmoor (NC) Volunteer Fire Department and a battalion chief with the Durham (NC) Fire Department. He instructs on a national level and has written for Fire Engineering. Ray is also a member of the UL FSRI Residential Home Size-Up and Search and Rescue Operations Technical Panel.
