Firefighting Tactics Quiz

Size-Up, Risk/Gain Management, and Communications

• Size-up, Risk Management, and Communications are intertwined

• Officers must communicate changing conditions to assess risk from different geographic areas in the same incident

• Gain management involves saving human life and bringing troops home safe

• Size-up stages: Training and pre-planning, shift change, dispatch, arriving on scene

• Physiological obstacles officers face: Auditory exclusion, tunnel vision, adrenaline dumps, heightened blood pressure, limited capacity to process information.

• Visual stimuli during size-up: Building, smoke, flames, companies, occupants, bystanders, law enforcement.

• The incident constantly evolves and becomes more complex with multiple and sometimes irrelevant details

• Crews deploying in the field face physical (thermal insult, trauma, asphyxiation) and physiological obstacles in the field.

• Risk assessment, size-up, and communications are made more daunting by PPE and SCBA.

• Time stops for no one when responding to incidents

• Incident conditions might seem stable but are dubious, members might be injured/killed during overhaul.

• Review process: identifying things that worked well, opportunities to improve, and lessons learned, often happens informally by companies and more formally if warranted.

• Situational awareness (SA), defined as knowing your location and surroundings to make better decisions. Critical for quick and correct decision during emergencies.

• SA helps to determine if the situation is getting better or worse, based on actual conditions, rather than hopes.

• Factors in SA: Smoke and fire conditions, radio reports, and gut feeling.

• Size-up is a mental process including gathering information, assessing risk/gain, considering resources, and developing a preliminary action plan.

• A good size up doesn't mean perfect decision, but the best with the information at hand, that can be adapted as more information comes in.

• Size-up is different from an arrival report, as it's a continuous process before, during, and after arrival.

• Accurate and continual size-up is essential for firefighter safety and preventing losses of lives and property.

• When tasked, firefighters may miss critical size-ups, because they are heavily engaged with task based work.

• Tunnel vision and auditory exclusion can cause incomplete/inaccurate size-ups.

Nothing Showing Means Nothing

• It is important to thoroughly inspect a scene even when there's a lack of visible signs, especially at night
• Even when nothing appears to be visible, it is crucial to maintain awareness and vigilance about potential risks.
• Failure to recognize signs can lead to fatal consequences during fire emergencies involving civilians.
• Radio reports may indicate nothing is showing but it is important to recognize if conditions don't improve, this may indicate a hidden risk.
• Pre-planning and training are vital for handling any emergency event.

Training and Pre-Planning

• Pre-planning and training are vital in enhancing size-up skills for effective incident operations.
• Training allows for a clear understanding of a specific situation, time it takes to respond to different issues, and expectations of the crew.
• Pre-planning and training helps crews assess the potential of a situation and quickly adjust if needed.
• Practical training in pre-planning should include the time it takes for different tasks like a water connection, hose stretches, and entry to a specific area

Command of Personnel

• Firefighters regularly rotate between stations and companies, requiring well-defined procedures about how and when crews are assigned to specific tasks.
• Policy or Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) will outline how companies are staffed, based either on seniority, training, or a combination of both.

Dispatch and Response

• Initial size-up of the incident continues from dispatch preparation through the incident itself.
• Vicitms profile is a priority during dispatch, if victims have been reported, additional support (ambulance) should be allocated accordingly.
• Working fires, and potential danger of unknown victim counts (especially high-risk incidents).
• Multiple callers and visually apparent smoke can confirm a working fire, prompting urgent response, regardless of the caller's perspective or the caller's location.
• Fires are often dispatched to locations that are not the actual origin.
• It's crucial to verify the location and severity of the incident before committing resources.

First Company Officer

• The first arriving officer should decide whether to retain or pass command if the situation warrants.
• The initial responding officer should be ready to relinquish command based on the situation and additional resources.
• Officers that are in command need to clearly communicate their conditions to provide situational awareness and avoid conflicts/problems.
• Clear and concise communications ensure quick decisions, which are crucial in fast-paced emergency situations.

Victim Profiling and Survivability

• Victim profiling: identifying the presence, condition, and location of civilian victims during emergency incidents. It is important to look at these facts at the beginning and throughout an incident.
• It is vital in determining response strategies and priorities.
• The method of victim profiling can assist in establishing the risk/gain balance during emergency operations.

Smoke and Fire Conditions

• Fire conditions are characterized by volume, velocity, density, and color. These factors provide crucial information about fire behaviors and conditions.
• Volume assesses the size of smoke related to the building.
• Velocity measures smoke pressure (speed and flow). Heat causes greater velocity.
• Density relates to the thickness of smoke. Dense smoke may indicate advanced fire conditions.
• Color reflects fire heat in different stages.
• These characteristics of smoke determine the level and severity of the fire, helping to predict potential fire spread and other implications.

Construction

• Building and structure types are essential factors in pre-planning and incident response.
• Construction knowledge is crucial for assessing risks, for planning tactics and operations, and to predict fire behavior (spread, collapse, escape, etc.).
• Information about construction type, age, and design is important to ensure safety of the involved (firefighters and occupants).
• Structure types and styles affect fire behavior, and how firefighters should proceed in responding and assessing the risk of the involved structure.

The Senior Nose

• "Senior Nose" approach involves using observation and situational awareness to locate the source of fire or smoke.
• Employing senses including smell and observation are crucial components in locating incidents.
• Relying on gut feeling and observing trends is helpful in identifying risks and understanding conditions on a scene.
• Employing these senses and experiences in conjunction with technical tools and training, the "Senior Nose" approach enhances accurate identification of problematic conditions during a scene.

Command Post Location

• The incident command post (ICP) location needs to be well-communicated to all personnel.
• The location of the ICP is decided considering incident type, conditions, access, time of day, and traffic. The location of the ICP minimizes radio traffic and confusion amongst the crews.
• Location of the ICP is chosen to provide the commanding officer with the best view of the affected area.

Summary

• Size-up and communications are crucial to risk management in modern emergencies.
• Understanding factors like weather, construction, resources, time, and victim profile enable situational awareness and better decision-making during events.
• The NIOSH 5 (risk assessment, communication, incident command, accountability, SOG) are common challenges, which are addressed by tactical supervisors.
• Tools such as FPODP and IOCAN facilitate rapid, accurate, and effective incident management.
• Victim profile and survivability profile drive tactical decisions, focusing on gaining a balance of risk versus safety.

Review Questions (no answers)

• Explain tunnel vison and auditory exclusion...
• Describe the importance of pre-planning...
• What are the NIOSH 5?
• Explain victim profiling...
• What are the four critical aspects of reading smoke?
• Explain leaders intent.
• Describe the command transfer process.
• What are some differences, benefits, and challenges associated with different command post locations?