Incident officer SOP and opposing streams
John Novak
Staff Instructor
Dover Township Fire Academy
Toms River, New Jersey
I have a question and comment about “Incident Officer: Don`t Forget the Basics, ” by Tom Garrity (March 1996).
Garrity says the SOP for routine fires in row and attached dwellings in Philadelphia is first- and third-due engines report to the front of the fire building, while the second- and fourth-due engines report to the rear. This appears to promote opposing hose streams by engine companies for an initial fire attack.
Can the author please elaborate more on the SOP regarding the opposing fire stream situation?
Tom Garrity replies: Because of the potential for fire spread along the rear of row properties, the second- and fourth-due engines (in lieu of other orders) go to the rear. This SOP anticipates fire spreading along the rear of adjoining properties and allocates half of the first-alarm resources to cover this position. Preassigning positions reduces the time it takes for a company to get to a position and ensures that the IC does not overlook exposure properties in the rear. This does not mean that companies assigned to the rear of a row house attack the fire through the rear door.
The most typical scenario is that the first-due engine company attacks the fire through the front door; the second-due engine, with an independent water supply, stretches a 134-inch line to the rear and reports conditions in the rear to the IC. If the fire is spreading along the rear, they`re in a position to cut it off. If needed, the IC assigns the third- and fourth-due engines to check the interior of the exposure properties left and right. The first-in engine, having knocked down any fire on the first floor, moves up the interior stairs to the second floor. The IC can then direct the second-in engine through the rear door into the first floor and up the stairs, covering the first-in engine`s back.
Some row homes have basement doors in the rear yard. The rear yard basement door is usually on the same level as the basement floor. For a basement fire in this type of property, the IC may use the second-in engine to attack the fire through the rear basement door. This saves the first-in engine from the difficult and dangerous task of going down the interior stairs to attack the basement fire below. The first-in pumper takes a position on the first floor, near the top of the basement stairs, to cut off the fire (simply closing the basement door is an easy way to reduce fire spread), while the second-in company attacks the fire below.
The engine company in the rear provides the IC with the tactical flexibility to control a fire spreading in the rear of a property, to attack a fire from the rear if needed, or to use the company as the situation dictates. There is a risk of opposing hose streams at any fire scene when multiple attack lines are in service, just as there is a risk of fire spreading at any fire involving a structure in close proximity to other structures. Since we instituted this SOP more than 20 years ago, spreading fires in the rear of the row properties are usually quickly confined, and reports of opposing hose stream incidents are infrequent.
