Fireground Strategy Quiz

Fireground Strategy

• The purpose of this document is to outline a fireground strategy for use at structure fires.
• The strategy will be either Offensive or Defensive, based on a Risk Management Plan
• The Incident Commander chooses the strategy considering:
  • Building type, condition, age, etc.
  • Structural integrity
  • Fire load
  • Fire and/or smoke conditions
  • Rescue potential
• The Incident Commander is responsible for determining the appropriate strategy.
• The Incident Commander must ensure all personnel operate within the chosen strategy.
• The Incident Commander must control the fireground strategy to provide overall incident scene safety
• Avoid simultaneous offensive and defensive strategies in the same fire area.
• Match the appropriate strategy to the fire conditions, minimizing risk to firefighters.

Offensive Fire Attack

• Only initiate when the structure is considered safe to enter.
• Offensive fire attacks are centered on RESCUE.
• Assign a IRIC team prior to entry.
• Direct initial attack efforts towards supporting primary search.
• The first attack line must go between the victims and the fire to protect avenues of rescue and escape.
• Determine fire conditions and extent before starting fire operations.
• Consider unburned portions of the building to anticipate fire spread and plan fire control activities.
• Consider the 7 sides (or sectors) of the fire: front, rear, both sides, top, bottom, and interior.
• Fires are not considered under control until all 7 sides are addressed.
• Open concealed spaces such as attics, ceiling areas, and construction voids.
• Initiate early ventilation in concealed space fires.
• Consider where the fire will be when attack efforts are ready to go into operation.
• Write off property that is already lost and protect exposed property based on the most dangerous direction of fire spread.
• Variables relating to attack operations involve:
  • Location/position of attack
  • Size of attack
  • Support functions

Marginal Fire Attack

• Only operate in Marginal Situations for rescue.
• Marginal situations are when offensive/defensive conditions are unclear.
• Command must consider the 7 sides (or sectors) of the fire
• Command must initiate an offensive interior attack while setting up defensive positions on the exterior.
• Marginal attacks should be abandoned when:
  • A primary all clear is obtained and the situation is still marginal.
  • The roof is unsafe or untenable.
  • Interior forces encounter heavy heat and cannot locate or make progress on the fire.
  • Heavy smoke is being forced from the building under pressure and is increasing.
• Command must assign a Roof Sector as early as possible during marginal situations for rapid evaluation of roof conditions.
• Consider not committing crews to the interior of a structure unless the Roof Sector reports the roof is safe to operate on and under.

Defensive Fire Attack

• Defensive operations indicate that the offensive attack strategy has been abandoned due to personnel safety and the involved structure has been conceded as lost.
• The announcement of a change to a defensive strategy is made as Emergency Traffic.
• All personnel withdraw from the structure while maintaining a safe distance.
• Obtain a PAR (Personnel Accountability Report) after switching from offensive to defensive strategy.
• Interior lines are withdrawn and repositioned when changing to a defensive strategy.
• Retreat with hose lines, but if unsafe, abandon hose lines.
• Protect all exposures (both immediate and anticipated).
• Defensive operations priorities are:
  • Personnel safety
  • Exposure protection
  • Knocking down the main body of fire.
• The most effective tactic for defensive operations is master streams.
• Once exposure protection is established, attention may be directed to knocking down the main body of fire and thermal-column cooling.
• "FIRE UNDER CONTROL" means the forward progress of the fire has been stopped and the remaining fire can be extinguished with on-scene resources.
• Fire is not completely out when it's under control.
• Obtain a PAR (Personnel Accountability Report) from all on-scene sectors and crews.
• If defensive operations are conducted from the onset of the incident, advise dispatch that a primary search will not be completed for the affected structure(s).
• ALL buildings should be searched at some point in operations, as long as the building allows this.