Fireground Strategy and Offensive Fire Attack

Fireground Strategy

• Fireground strategy is determined by the Incident Commander based on risk management plan.
• Two primary fireground strategies: Offensive (centered on rescue) and Defensive (structure considered lost)
• Strategy is based on building type, structural integrity, fire load, fire and smoke conditions, rescue potential.
• The Incident Commander is responsible for ensuring all personnel operate within the chosen strategy, which provides overall incident scene safety.

Offensive Fire Attack

• Offensive fire attack focuses on rescue and requires safe building entry.
• Involves assigning an IRIC team prior to entry for immediate rescue efforts.
• The first attack line is crucial, forming a safety barrier between victims and fire for rescue and escape.
• Companies must analyze fire conditions and extent before starting fire operations, considering unburned areas for fire control and extension prediction.
• Command must assess the 7 sides of the fire (front, rear, both sides, top, bottom, and interior) for effective fire control.
• Ventilation is critical for concealed space fires, with openings made in the fire area.
• Protective tactics for exposures should start with the most dangerous direction of fire spread.
• Attack operations consider location, size of the attack, and supporting functions.

Marginal Fire Attack

• This strategy is adopted when there are unclear offensive/defensive conditions.
• An initial offensive interior attack is launched while setting up defensive exterior positions.
• It's constantly evaluated, abandoning the offensive approach if necessary.
• Command should abandon marginal attacks if a primary all clear is attained, the roof is unsafe, interior forces encounter heavy heat, or when heavy smoke pressure is increasing.

Defensive Fire Attack

• The choice of a defensive strategy implies conceding the structure as lost for personnel safety.
• A defensive strategy announcement is made as Emergency Traffic and all personnel should withdraw from the structure, maintaining a safe distance.
• A Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) is mandatory after any switch from offensive to defensive strategy.
• Interior lines are to be withdrawn and repositioned during a defensive strategy.
• The highest priority in a defensive strategy is personnel safety, followed by exposure protection and then controlling the fire.
• Master streams are the preferred tactic in defensive operations.
• "Fire under control" is announced once forward progress of the fire is stopped and the remainder can be extinguished with the resources available.
• Command needs to initiate a PAR report from all sectors and crews.
• In defensive scenarios, there might not be a primary search completed for the affected structure, but all buildings should be searched later if possible.