Chapter 3 structural firefighting, initial response, strategy, and tactics

Five steps of a decision-making process

1) Identify and prioritize the problems,

2) define the best solution,

3) implement the solution,

4) monitor the results,

5) adjust the plan as necessary.

To identify the problem, you must first do what five things?

1) Gather facts

2) check the pre-incident survey 3)assess your personal observations

4)check information relayed, and

5) assess your experiences.

Once you have identified the problem as a working fire, at this point, you must consider what three things?

1)Incident priorities of life safety,

2)incident stabilization,

3)property conservation

When determining the best solution results in the best outcome, the 3 following questions should be considered when making your decision:

1) Has the safety of everyone been considered?

2) Are there enough resources to correct the problem?

3) What will happen if I do not do anything?

This is not an option at an emergency incident

Indecision

Indecision on the part of an incident commander can result in

Freelancing

These _________ actions of the Paradise Fire liaison officer resulted in driveways and roads becoming impassable due to the firing operations and ignited vegetation around the house that was being protected by engine 6162 without the knowledge of the company members.

Freelancing

The United States government mandates that all fire and emergency service organizations that accept federal funds adopt the:

National incident management system, NIMS

As a result of Presidential Directive 5, this is required to be used:

NIMS

Essential to all emergency incident scene management is the management of emergency response resources (4)

1) Apparatus,

2) Personnel,

3) equipment,

4) materials

Common characteristics of the NIMS-ICS are (9)

1) Common terminologies for functional structure

2) modular organization,

3) common communications

4) unified command structure,

5) incident action plan, (IAP)

6)manageable span of control,

7)pre-designated incident facilities

8)comprehensive resource management

9)personnel accountability

command

The act of directing ordering, and or controlling resources by virtue of authority

Command Staff

Public Information Officer

Safety Officer

Liaison Officer

General Staff

Represents the major functional sections

section

Organizational level that has the responsibility for a major functional area of incident management, including:

*Operations

*planning

*logistics

*finance/administration

*information and intelligence

division

Organizational level having the responsibility for operations with a defined geographic area. Organizationally between Branch and single resources.

Information and intelligence

May be designated as a section, a branch within operations, or part of the command staff

branches

Is identified by Román numeral or functional area, (such as command or operations.)

branch

Organizational level having functional/geographic responsibility for major segments of incident operations

Group

Organizational level, equal to division, having responsibility for a specified functional assessment at an incident, (such as ventilation, salvage, and water supply)

Unit

Organizational level within the sections, that fulfill specific support functions, such as the resources, documentation, demobilization, and situation units within the planning section.

crew

Specified number of personnel assembled for an assignment

Single resources

Individual pieces of apparatus

task force

Any combination of resources, assembled for a specific commission or operational assignment.

task force

Once their tactical objective during an incident has been met, the force is disbanded.

face-to-face communication

Always be preferred method of exchanging information

Strike Team

Set number every sources of the same type (engines, ladders, trucks, bulldozers)

Strike teams

Remain together and function as a team throughout an incident

Incident Communications Plan

Assigns specific channels to specific functions or units

Everyone at the emergency scene must follow two basic________ rules

Communication

At an emergency scene, the two basic communication rules are:

1) identify themselves in every transmission,

2)acknowledge every message, by repeating the essence of the message to the sender.

What does an IAP do?

Establishes the overall strategic decisions and assigned tactical objectives for an incident.

A formal written IAP is required for what events?

Long duration events

The supervisor may want to increase the number of what in the span of control?

Subordinates

What must an accountability system include?

It should include a command officer, requiring constant feedback, plus updated personnel accountability reports (PAR)to track and maintain firefighter safety.

The IC

Responsible for managing the personnel accountability system employed by the organization.

What is the purpose of comprehensive resource management?

To provide the IC with access to and control over all available resources.

The supervisor may want to increase the number of subordinates in the span of control based on what 5 variables?

1) subordinates perform similar functions as other members of the team

2) subordinates work within sight of the supervisor for monitoring/

evaluation

3) Subordinates are able to communicate with other members of the team

4) subordinance are skilled in performing the assigned task

5) supervisor judges the incident to be relatively simple.

The personnel accountability reports system (PAR) should indicate what things?

1) individuals assigned to each apparatus

2) names of people responding individually

3)time of arrival

4) the assigned duty or unit

5) the time of release from the scene

Common types of personal accountability systems used at the emergency incident include:

1)Tag/passport systems

2)SCBA tax systems

3) barcode readers

Personnel operating in the ____________ environment must be assigned in crews of two or more, and be close enough to each other to provide immediate assistance in case of need.

IDLH immediately dangerous to life and health

Crew members must maintain constant communication with each other through what 3 things and have a portable radio to keep in contact with the IC.

1) visual

2) audible

3) physical means

Level 2 staging

Is enacted when a large number of units are responding to an incident.

Level one staging

Applied to the initial response of more than one fire department unit

These officers are responsible for keeping track of assigned resources

Company officers