Firefighting Risk Management and Safety Quiz

10 Questions

What is the primary consideration in assessing risks of the functional fire company?

The survival possibilities, probabilities, and certainties of the search

What should the decision-making process progress to when assessing risks?

Aggressively identifying all risks to firefighters and fire victims, personal and operational capabilities and limitations, building construction, fire and smoke conditions, flowpaths, and other assessible conditions

How in-depth can the process for determining an acceptable level of risk for a task be?

It can be either in-depth or basic, depending on the person's choice

When is it justifiable to take essential risks in the functional fire company?

When there is a possibility of saving a life in small occupancies

What can survivability often depend on?

Whether or not the fire is compartmentalized

What will result in the chances for civilian survival being relinquished?

Indecision or slow, poorly executed tactics or tasks

What do fire service leaders need to understand about their actions?

Their actions have an influence on philosophy and mindset

What is necessary to close communication and perception gaps?

Aggressive action

What should be included in discussions about defining success and implementing a chosen culture?

Two-way trust and a clear operational philosophy

What does being safe mean?

Managing risks and recognizing hazards

Study Notes

Experience in identifying incident problems and risks is important for assessing risks in the functional fire company.
Sizing-up search based on survival possibilities, probabilities, and certainties is a primary consideration in the risks of the functional fire company versus the risk management model.
The decision-making process should progress to aggressively identifying all risks to firefighters and fire victims, personal and operational capabilities and limitations, building construction, fire and smoke conditions, flowpaths, and other assessible conditions.
The process for determining an acceptable level of risk for a task can be as in-depth or as basic as you choose for it to be.
Splitting the truck company to address search and ventilation, initiating a fire attack using tank water, searching ahead for water cans, charging the line with the protection of isolating rooms on the opposite side of the fire from the fire attack group, and searching these rooms are essential and justifiable risks if there is any possibility of saving a life in these small occupancies.
Survivability will often depend on whether or not the fire is compartmentalized, which is often difficult to determine from the street or even after performing a 360-degree size-up.
Indecision or slow, poorly executed tactics or tasks will result in the window closing and the chances for civilian survival being relinquished.
Fire service leaders need to understand the influence that their actions have on philosophy and mindset.
It is important that chiefs understand that communication and perception gaps exist and that aggressive action is necessary to close the gaps.
Two-way trust, a clear operational philosophy, and how professionals should balance safety and duty must be included in discussions about defining success and implementing a chosen culture.

The definition of safety has been vague in the past.
Safety practices can be seen as unrealistic or lack proper training.
Safety policies should be specific and have a defined method for implementation and enforcement.
Being safe means managing risks and recognizing hazards.
Firefighter safety should not compete with victim survivability.
The fire service is expected to reduce risk and provide rescue and control of fires.
Concussions in football are equivalent to cancer in the fire service.
The challenge is to protect firefighters while allowing them to perform at a professional level.
The fire service is committed to addressing cancer concerns and providing safety measures.
New firefighter job applicants are warned of the risks associated with the job.