Chapter 19 Incident scene operations

Initiating operations

1. Establish command & communicate who is in Command

2. 360 degree check

3. Determine offensive or defense mode

4. Assign tasks

5. Communicate information & actions to en route resources

Establishing command

1. Specify acting I.C.

State all

2. name of the incident

3. location of command post

4. location of staging areas

5. Make initial assignments to available resources

6. Call additional resources

Initial assignments

Place company into action with remaining members

Assign crew members to work under supervision of another firefighter

Every effort to maintain company/crew integrity

NIMS-ICS

Resource management is essential

1. Apparatus

2. Personnel

3. Equipment

4. Materials

NIMS-ICS characteristics

• common terms for functional structure

• modular organization

• common communications

• unified command structure

• IAP: verbal and/or written

• span of control

• predesignated incident facilities

• resource management

• personnel accountability

Establishing communications

Initial IC establishes communications with resources and arriving units, relay info to higher ranking officer when they arrive.

Incoming IC must communicate

1. Periodic progress reports

2. Transfer command

3. Change in command post location

4. Progress (or lack of) toward incident stabilization

5. Direction of fire spread

6. Exposures by direction, height, occupancy, distance

7. Unanticipated/anticipated actions/events

8. Need for additional resources

Reports

1. Telecom center may provide periodic transmissions at certain intervals

2. Individual units provide tactical progress

3. Reports be accurate/concise

4. Form is based on SOPs

Conducting Size-Up

Incident Management

1. Life safety

2. Incident stabilization

3. Property conservation

Evaluate Emergency

1. What has happened (nature/scope)

2. What is happening

3. Likely to happen

4. What resources are available with initial response

5. What actions are needed affect control

6. What additional resources will be needed to mitigate incident

IC must integrate info gathered from size up

1. Info gathered while responding, 360 size up

2. Life safety info

3. Fire behavior indicators

4. Fire growth/development

Size-up while responding

1. Review building pre plan

2. Observe weather conditions

3. Amount, color, movement of smoke

4. Consider building occupied until otherwise

5. Be aware or resources responding/needed

Size-up on Arrival

Rapid assessment

1. Assessment fire, changes, resources, dangers

360-degree survey info

1. Smoke/fire conditions

2. Entry needs, hazards, construction, utilities

Fire behavior indicators

Air/Smoke flow

1. Indicators: velocity, turbulence, direction, movement of neutral plane

2. Causes: pressure differentials/differences in density between hot smoke & cool air

3. Flow path: connection between the intake/exhaust

Heat

1. Visual indicators: blistering paint, bubbling tar, crazed glass

2. Thermal imager/infrared sensor: data on internal temperature differences

Flame

1. Visible flames indicate size, location of fire

2. Size/extent of fire may indicate effect of fire streams on combustion

3. Flames visible to outside can allow firefighters to access flame indicators, ventilation, air flow

Factors that influence Command

1. Forecasting fire growth/development

2. Identify scene hazards

3. Identify ventilation flow path

Transmitting arrival report

1. Communicate IAP to personnel

2. Look at the scene from all sides 360

3. Evaluate resources

Initial risk assessment

First arriving should make decision based on acceptable risk

1. Should be on going

2. May influence incident goals/priorities

Condition indicators

1. Initial decision be based on accurate/complete info

2. Visual clues provide condition indicators

3. Company officers should seek confirming indicators when making critical decisions

Operational Assignments

1. Fire attack

2. Rapid intervention Crew (RIC)

3. Support Functions

4. Personnel Accountability

5. Rehabilitation

Operational Strategies

Risk-benefit analysis

Offensive

1. Benefits of fire attack outweigh risk to responders

Defensive

1. Offense would endanger firefighters

2. Conditions indicate trapped victims unlikely survival

3. Property not salvageable

4. No threat to occupant life

Resources

Offensive

1. Resources enough to accomplish plan to attack fire/rescue

Defensive

1. Amount of fire exceeds ability of resources

2. Lack of personnel/trained personnel

3. Inability to provide adequate water flow

4. Lack of appropriate apparatus/equipment

Structural Integrity

Offensive

1. 360 size up does not show structural collapse

2. Contents on fire but not spread to structural members

Defensive

1. Building in danger of collapse

2. Structural members are burning and part of fuel load

Wind conditions

Offensive

1. Attack can come from upwind

2. Wind conditions will not affect ventilation

Defensive

1. Attack has to be into wind

2. Wind increase potential of high temperature flow paths in building

Transferring command

Officer assuming Command communicates by radio or face to face with officer for relief.

Never transferred to anyone not at scene.

1. Name of incident

2. Incident status

3. Safety considerations

4. Goals/objectives listed in IAP

5. Progress toward completion of tactical objectives

6. Deployment of assigned resources

7. Assessment for additional resources

New IC assigns duty to initial IC

Coordinating unit operations

Crew leader responsibilities

1. Selecting tactics/tools

2. Monitoring safety

3. Coordinating resources

4. Remaining prepared to change tactics

Selection factors hoselines

1. Fire conditions, load, materials involved

2. Size of building, fire area location

3. Most important variable is flow rate

4. Initial attack line shall provide min. 100gpm (400 L/min)

Back up hoseline

1. Protect attack hoseline team from extreme fire/egress

2. Additional suppression

3. Same size and provide same flow as attack hose

4. Fog nozzle preferred

Hose appliances

1. Wye: one attack line is laid, two are needed

2. Siamese: hydrant not have LDH, allow combo of two 2 ½ inch connections from hydrant into LDH

3. Gate value: more than one attachment needs to be made to same hydrant. Second hose to connect without shutting hydrant.

4. Water thief: smaller line is needed but larger line active. Adapts large line to smaller line.

5. LDH appliance: multiple attack lines need water directly from hydrant. Known as portable hydrant

6. Fittings: connecting hose threads of different sizes, extending different sizes, connecting to different discharges.

Selecting nozzles

Factors

1. Fire conditions

2. Available water supply

3. Number firefighters available to operate hose line

4. Nozzle capabilities

Making entry

Pre-entry safety actions

1. Interior & attack crews must carry tools

2. Nozzle firefighter should check nozzle flow/pattern

3. Sate area near building & extinguish visible fires

4. Check door for heat

Door control

1. Door until hose line charged & crew ready

2. Crew stay low & out of doorway while forced open

3. Door open minimum distance need

4. Fire ventilation controlled and door opened, heat release rate can increase

5. Observe smoke movement, air flow

6. Apply water to hot gas before entry

7. Door control is important

Emergency radio traffic

Evacuation signals

1. Interior operations must cease and all firefighters must withdraw from building

2. Be familiar with SOPs for declaring evacuation signals

3. Radio message/audible warning devices

Mayday

1. All nonessential operations cease

2. RIC is dispatched to assist distressed firefighters

3. Local SOPs dictate traffic

Status reports

1. Personnel accountability reports (PARs)

2. Tactical progress reports

3. Hazard reports