SOGs and SOPs
Standard operating guidelines (SOGs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are essential components of fire department training and operations. They spell out the do’s and don’ts for fire department personnel, sometimes as strict requirements and other times as recommended best practices.
Kansas City Fire Chief Ross Grundyson issued a directive in February to eliminate confusion about NFPA standard, FD guidelines after fatal crash in 2021
A Long Beach Fire Department (Calif.) fire captain was killed and another firefighter and civilian were injured in a shooting
Not all firefighter injuries will be prevented; planning for the inevitable is key to dealing with a firefighter on-duty injury
On her way back from a call, an 18-year-old firefighter lost control, overcorrected and crashed a 28,000 pound tanker
A NIOSH report says an incident safety officer and rapid intervention team weren’t readily available at the scene
Firefighter Christopher Wheatly died last year when he fell 53 feet from a fire escape ladder while responding to a restaurant fire
Firefighters have said they did not enter the water because they were not certified to carry out water-land rescues
The silo exploded and killed an assistant fire chief after he closed hatches at the top of the structure
One of the first officials on the scene was Gatlinburg Fire Chief Greg Miller, a certified instructor in the National Incident Management System
Keeping communication open lets you know if your plan is being carried out, and if it’s having the impact you’re hoping for
Volunteer Fire Police Captain Donald Mellott was hit by a vehicle while responding to a two-car crash last year
Instead of trying to determine frequency and severity of uncertain situations, we should choose pre-determined courses of action and then engage in serious and continuous self-critique
However your department accomplishes the RIT function, make sure those crews are highly-trained, well-equipped, and diligent
Firefighter John B. Glaser died May 22 last year when he removed his SCBA to clear vomit from the equipment
A Prince George’s County investigation found the firefighter frantically searched for an exit and removed his PPE without issuing a mayday
The chief was killed when the vintage 1960’s off-road vehicle he was driving rolled down a steep slope, pinning him
Five firefighters were on the second story of a house when the floor tilted, causing three firefighters to fall
An overhang collapsed and trapped a firefighter in San Francisco, leaving him with burns and a broken leg
We have to be careful with NIMS as with the many other blind orthodoxies we are encouraged to accept
A firefighter became trapped in a room with the patient who suddenly brandished a gun toward the four firefighters who were there to assist her
Investigators say crews failed to recognize signs of an imminent flashover; firefighters were between the fire and ventilation points
Three firefighters were injured at a house fire; the first citation is for the lack of an accountability system for tracking firefighters
Battalion Chief Steve Prziborowski, of the Santa Clara County, Calif., Fire Department, proposed his own version of the acronym
Captain Chris Villarreal emphasized the importance of firefighters being able to spot the first signs of rapidly deteriorating conditions
Two firefighters were killed and 115 firefighters suffered a variety of injuries in the 2007 fire; no water supply for over an hour
Stephanie Stephens died after paramedics refused to take her to the hospital in the first of two visits to her home after she experienced breathing problems
The Fire Services Liaison Group report points to differing standards for training and readiness for British Columbia’s 350 fire-rescue services
Karen Owens, emergency operations assistant manager at the Virginia Office of EMS, gave 4 main purposes for pre-plans
Captain James Harlow and Probationary Firefighter Damien Hobbs were killed during interior operations
Firefighters acting without their full crew and accountability problems contributed to the deaths of two Buffalo firefighters, a report found
Firefighters had set up a positive pressure ventilation fan and should have asked the utility company to immediately cut power, investigators say
The chief swerved to avoid a vehicle at an intersection, crashing into a tree
Crews struggled to locate Lt. “Chip” McCarthy; more than an hour and a half passed before they radioed Firefighter Jonathan Croom was also missing