A firefighter’s first few fire scenes can be very exciting. The crew you are with will usually want to keep you on a short leash to keep you safe. They will be happy to give you a big piece of the action: you could force the door to gain entry to the structure, be the nozzleman on the primary hoseline and extinguish the fire, or actively perform the primary search where the whole crew quickly works together to ensure everyone is out of the building. While this is exciting, it can also be overwhelming. There are important details that can be forgotten on these first scenes. One of the most important is how, when, and what to communicate. For example, did you turn on your radio? Did you even remember to grab your radio when jumping off the truck? How do you navigate forcing the door in all your personal protective equipment (PPE) with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and mask that makes it challenging to hear your crew’s orders? How do you tell your officer you’re getting low on air or need to rotate to a different position on the hoseline?
The next few articles will focus on fireground tasks new firefighters will be expected to perform. No matter if the fire is large or small, in a residential or in a commercial structure, there are fundamental fireground skills every firefighter should know and be able to perform proficiently and confidently before jumping into specialty areas or “adding a personal technique.” It is important to remember this is a very high-level overview of fundamentals. If you are interested in learning more about fundamentals after reading this, there are volumes of resources available to provide more specifics in each of these areas.
Communication
Fire scenes are loud! There are sirens, the loud rumbles of the diesel engines and pumps, people talking: bystanders, homeowners, crews. A fire burning makes a lot of noise. When you are inside a burning structure with your PPE, SCBA, and face piece on, it can be extremely difficult to hear what is being said in your ear. It can be even more difficult to interpret what is going on over the radio even with new technology in place that makes it easier to hear and communicate while still being protected from the products of combustion. Due to all of these challenges, one of the fire scene fundamentals is to learn how to listen in this environment, hear what people are saying, and respond with the appropriate action. It is critical to understand how your radio works, what channel you are supposed to be on, when you are supposed to be on certain channels, and how to change channels. It is also necessary to learn what you need to do in order to be heard. For example, some people have very loud voices and can be heard clearly in any environment. If this is not you, take time to practice speaking in a louder voice, in a more confident manner, or closer to the radio. Simply put, every person will need to determine how to make this part of the communication piece work. You can ask your crew for feedback.
- Radio Messaging Under Warlike Conditions
- Understanding Emergency Communications
- Firefighter Training Drill: Face Piece Communications
- The Importance of the On-Scene Radio Report
There is specific communication vocabulary to learn and communication procedures that need to be followed. Some of these are for firefighter emergencies, Maydays, which we have covered previously. This is only one piece of the communication pie. There are many other slices required to make it whole. Most of the time, firefighters are operating on routine fire scenes. There is standard radio language for this and it is vitally important you learn the radio language your department uses. A fire call will often flow like this: you will leave the station on your apparatus and your officer will announce “en route” and then “on scene” once you get there. The first apparatus to go on scene will give a radio report of what they see. This is called an arrival report. It paints the picture of what is happening for everyone else who is coming to the scene. Most fire departments have a standard or templated way they give arrival reports because it helps people know what order information is being presented. This helps the listener be prepared. The first-arriving unit also establishes incident command. This means that they will be in charge of what happens on the scene until they pass the command to someone else.
It is very important for all incoming units to listen to the arrival report and any follow up reports the first-in apparatus transmits. These radio communications will assign a strategy, the overall plan for how the fire is going to be attacked, and tactics, the larger actions that will be taken to put out the fire. For example, if there is a large fire through the roof in a commercial structure, the first-in officer may declare a defensive strategy. This means that no one is going inside. The officer could then assign incoming crews to water supply, setting up master streams which are mechanisms mounted on top of engines that are set up to flow large amounts of water from one spot, and protecting exposures, anything around the building that could be harmed by fire. All these tactics can be used to suppress the fire in the defensive strategy. When your crew gets there and you know you are assigned to setting up the master stream at a specific location because you were listening to the radio, you all begin the tasks required to perform the tactic. This could include positioning the engine, securing a dedicated water supply, and attaching the correct nozzle to the master stream. This will all require communication with your crew and with others. It is important to practice performing these tasks—including communicating in formal radio language—before you show up on a fire scene.
Throughout the time on scene, you will hear and may be expected to transmit status reports. These are sometimes called CAN reports (conditions, actions, needs) because they ask you to tell, based on where you are at and what your crew is doing at that specific time, what the conditions are, what actions you all are taking are taking, and any needs you may have. For example, if you are on Engine 4 (E4) and have just completed setting up the master stream you could give the following report: “This is E4. The conditions show heavy smoke and fire in this corner of the building (more on building side designations later!). Master stream is set up and ready to flow 1,000 gallons per minute. Need E2 to charge the supply line.” At that point the chief will either tell E2 to open the hydrant or your crew will tell E2 to do it since that was your plan anyway. Departments will vary in their preference with things like this. Along with the CAN report, other radio traffic you may hear could be “working incident” which means this is actually a fire that requires additional resources; “loss stopped” or “under control”; and “fire’s out.”
Often, hours of work remain after “fire’s out” is transmitted, so don’t think you’ll be packing up soon! There is work to do to ensure the fire is completely out and won’t flare up again. There is also cleaning and assisting other crews with their remaining tasks. Be sure before you leave a scene that you actually have been dismissed and there is no more work to be done.
Knowledge of communication procedures and the ability to practice them consistently according to your department’s requirements is a fundamental firefighter skill. Next month we will look at the importance of hoseline deployment and nozzle control skills on the fireground. Stay safe!
Mandy George is a retired lieutenant in the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department. She has a master’s degree in emergency and disaster management, a master’s degree in professional writing, and an associate’s degree in emergency medical services. She is also a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP) and a Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services (VAOEMS) Education Coordinator.
FIRE SERVICE 101
Housework and Halligans: Pride of Ownership in the Fire Service
Firefighter Professionalism and Citizen Expectations
Introduction to the Fire Academy: Hoselines, Water Supply, and Academy Graduation
