Objective 10- Firefighter Safety, Scene Control, and Communication Strategies

Situational awareness

Recognizing hazards, remaining mindful of changing conditions, evaluating changes against safety, and communicating what you see.

Primary role of a firefighter

Safely and efficiently perform the tasks assigned by the supervisor, crew leader, company officer, or Incident Commander.

Why communicate changing conditions?

New information may cause supervisors or Command to change orders or strategies.

Conditions to observe at every incident

Fire location and proximity, fire behavior/spread/growth, structural integrity, wind direction and strength, and hazards not identified during size-up.

Structural fire scene safety

Follow supervisor orders and SOPs, wear appropriate PPE, work as a team, communicate, perform risk/benefit analysis, use safe tactics, never operate alone, and maintain situational awareness.

Risk/benefit analysis

Consider the risks and benefits of an action before performing it.

Scene security

Responders typically secure an incident scene by establishing control zones.

Control zones

Hot zone, warm zone, and cold zone.

Hot zone

The area where trained personnel work to resolve the problem.

Who enters the hot zone?

Only personnel directly involved in resolving the problem.

Warm zone

The area immediately outside the hot zone where personnel directly support hot-zone operations.

Warm zone personnel

May operate hydraulic tool power plants or provide emergency lighting and fire protection and should be in full protective clothing/equipment.

Cold zone

The area immediately surrounding the hot and warm zones.

What may be located in the cold zone?

The Incident Command Post, RICs, Public Information Officer, rehabilitation area, and staging areas.

Cold zone outer boundary

The control line for the general public, also called the crowd-control line.

Environmental conditions affecting operations

Temperature extremes, heavy rain, wind, and lighting can affect operations and the length of time personnel can perform assigned tasks.