Fire Command Procedures Quiz

First Arriving Unit Responsibilities

• Upon arrival, the first arriving company officer must establish command.
• Incident location identification can be achieved using the street or building name.

Building Orientation

• The Alpha side of a building is identified as the street address side.

Non-Officer Command

• If the first unit lacks an officer, command is established by a member in charge of the unit.
• When a fire department officer arrives, they must relieve any non-officer in command.

Mutual Aid Officers

• Mutual aid officers can only assume command when requested, not automatically.

Command Passing and Transferring

• Passing command can only be done by the first arriving unit, while transferring command must occur face-to-face.
• Command passing typically occurs when the first arriving unit commits all personnel to a task, such as rescues.
• Command by the first unit can only be passed once.

Tactical Operations Responsibility

• The original person passing command remains responsible for tactical operations even after passing command.

Command Assumption

• A senior officer or chief officer is responsible for assuming command upon arrival.

Briefings for Command Transfer

• Before a chief officer assumes command, they should have a face-to-face briefing with the current Incident Commander.
• Essential briefing details during command transfer include the location and extent of the fire, control efforts success, and unit assignments.

Additional Information During Transfer

• An appraisal of additional resources needed should be communicated during the transfer of command.

Communication Protocols

• If a face-to-face meeting isn’t possible, command transfer should occur using the fireground radio frequency.
• The new Incident Commander’s name must be transmitted to Fire Alarm during a command transfer.

Overall Responsibility

• The Chief Officer retains ultimate responsibility for all actions at the incident, regardless of command status.

Timing for Command Transfer Notification

• The transfer of command should be communicated to operating companies as soon as command is established.

Tactical Responsibilities After Command Transfer

• The original unit must continue to retain tactical responsibilities until the next unit arrives, even if command is passed.

Frequency of Command Transfers

• Command can be transferred as many times as necessary during an incident.

Test your knowledge on important fire command procedures. This quiz covers critical decision-making scenarios for the first arriving unit at a fire scene and the conditions under which command can be transferred. Assess your understanding of effective emergency management practices.