This feature is intended to spark the sharing of ideas, information and techniques to make firefighters safer and more effective. The following video and discussion points must not be used to berate, belittle or criticize those firefighters. Rather, in the spirit of near-miss reporting, please use this feature as another teaching tool to help you better do your job. Please leave your comments below and use this material in your own department. I hope you find this Reality Training valuable; stay safe and keep learning.
Fires in commercial and industrial properties are what Gordon Graham, a noted subject-matter expert in risk management for emergency services, refers to as, “high-risk, low-frequency” events.
When firefighters arrive at commercial and industrial properties and have visible fire conditions they must recognize these signs for what they mean: the fire already has a substantial head start and firefighters must proceed with extreme caution.
The initial incident commander must quickly establish an efficient and effective command structure so that from the on-set of operations the IC has strong tactical leadership on all four sides of structure. Once this has been done, the IC now has: (1) two-way communication from all sides of the incident, (2) a tactical leader to which they can direct incoming resources, (3) a tactical leader to direct tactical operations in each geographical sector of the incident, and (4) a safety officer in each geographical sector. In just about any NIOSH post-incident review for structural firefighting operations that resulted in a firefighter fatality, these four factors are among the noted deficiencies.
Note: Most pertinent operational activity takes place in the first 15 minutes of the video.
- As the video beings, what is your assessment of the incident conditions? What is your on-going assessment as the video continues?
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How would you describe the smoke conditions as the incident progresses?
- As the video begins, can you determine what mode of operation the incident commander implemented — is it offensive, defensive or marginal?
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Based upon your continuing size-up, would you consider the tasks being performed by the firefighters in the video to be in line with your strategy and tactics? If not, what adjustments would you make?
- What safety issues can you identify during the first 15 minutes of the video? Why are they safety issues? How do your department’s safety policies and procedures address these issues?
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Given what we currently know about the hazards of firefighter exposure to smoke, what actions would you take to remove and protect unassigned firefighters on a fire like this one?