Hoffman Estates Fire Department Incident Management Guidelines PDF

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT – 001 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG...

HOFFMAN ESTATES FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES SOG Category & Identification Number: EFFECTIVE DATE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT – 001 January 1, 2022 NIMS COMPLIANT SOG Title: Incident Priorities Revision: 2 APPROVED BY: NUMBER OF PAGES: Re-evaluation Date: Alan Wax January 1, 2026 Fire Chief 4 PURPOSE In order to stabilize any emergency situation, three basic incident priorities must be accomplished. These priorities establish the order that basic activities are performed in any emergency. These priorities will be accomplished through the use of the Incident Management System and by whoever is Incident Command (IC). POLICY The basic incident priorities are:  Life Safety - the activities required to protect occupants, remove those who are threatened and treat the injured and conduct a primary and secondary search of occupied structures.  Incident Stabilization - the activities required to stabilize the emergency scene as: stopping the forward progress of the fire and to bring the fire under control, hazardous material mitigation, site isolation, removing the hazards present, etc.  Property conservation - the activities required to stop or reduce additional loss to property. These functions should be regarded as separate, yet interrelated, activities that must be dealt with in order. However, in many cases, an officer must overlap and mix the activities in order to achieve an objective - notable examples are the need to gain interior tenability with active/extensive fire control efforts before conducting with a primary search, or the need to initiate salvage operations while active fire control efforts are being extended, or the need to ventilate a structure in conjunction with an aggressive interior attack. Establishing your priorities starts with a good size-up of the incident. The first-in officer's size-up should: Identify the problem(s)  Establish the priority order in which they need to be addressed  Identify the resources needed  Establish a plan on how those resources can best be utilized 1 With any incident, we know that our first priority is the protection of lives. Our second priority is to stabilize and control the incident, and our third priority is the conservation and preservation of property. The incident priorities are initially established through the on-scene report, size-up and tactical strategic decision making. PROCEDURE LIFE SAFETY The Hoffman Estates Fire Department will do a primary search in all involved and exposed occupancies that can be entered. Primary search means that companies have quickly gone through all affected areas/floors and verified the removal and/or safety of all occupants. Time is a critical factor in the primary search process and primary search operations must necessarily be extended quickly during initial fire stages. Although time is a critical factor in a primary search, it must be conducted in such a manner to assure as thorough a search as conditions allow, and that we consider the safety of our personnel involved in the search. Once a primary search has been completed, the search team will report via radio "Command from Tower 22 Primary Search Complete - All Clear" which means no victims found. The rescue functions that follow lengthy fire control activities will be regarded as representing a secondary search. A secondary search will be completed through all affected areas/floors and verified by companies. Thoroughness rather than time is the critical factor in secondary search. Once again, the search team will report their findings "Command from Tower 22 Secondary Search Complete - One Victim Found." In smoke showing and working fire situations, fire control efforts must be extended simultaneously with rescue operations to gain entry and to control interior access to complete primary search. The officer in charge must be aware the operation is in a rescue mode until primary search is complete regardless of the fire control required. In cases of fully involved buildings or section of buildings, immediate entry and primary search activities become impossible - the survival of occupants is improbable and no primary search is expected. All initial attack efforts must be directed toward supporting rescue efforts and hose lines must be placed in a manner to control interior access, confine the fire, and protect avenues of escape. Normal means of interior access (stairs, halls, etc.) should be utilized to remove victims whenever possible. Secondary means of rescue (fire escapes, ladders, etc.) must be utilized in their order of effectiveness. INCIDENT STABILIZATION It is a standard operating guideline to attempt to stabilize fire conditions by extending wherever possible an aggressive interior (offensive) fire attack. A critical command decision (both initial and ongoing) relates to the offensive/defensive mode of the situation: 2  Offensive Strategy - Interior attack and related support directed toward quickly bringing the fire under control.  Defensive Strategy - Exterior attack directed to first reduce fire extension and then bring the fire under control. The (IC) must define offensive/defensive mode based upon:  Fire extent  Structural conditions  Entry Capability  Resources  Ventilation profile  Rescue ability of occupants Basic Offensive Plan  First line fast, aggressive interior attack  Provide support activities - rescue, ventilation, ladders  Do primary search  Second line back-up first/additional lines  Exposure protection  Evaluate success and react Basic Defensive Plan  Evaluate fire spread; write-off lost property  Identify key tactical positions  Prioritize fire streams  Provide for big, well-placed streams  Surround and drown The IC must consider the most dangerous direction and avenues of fire extension particularly as it affects rescue activities, confinement efforts, and exposure protection. In some cases, the most effective tactical analysis involves an evaluation of what is not burning rather than what is on fire. The unburned portion represents where the fire is going and should establish the framework for fire control efforts. Offensive fires should be fought with the intent to enter the structure. This includes a transitional attack where we “re-set” the fire from the outside before entering. Determine fire location and extent before starting fire operations (to the extent possible). Write-off property that is already lost and go on to protect exposed property based on the most dangerous direction of spread. Do not continue to operate in positions that are essentially lost. The decision to operate in a totally defensive mode indicates that any offensive attack strategy has been abandoned for reasons of personnel safety, and the involved structure has been conceded as lost (written off). The announcement of the change to a totally defensive mode will be made as "Emergency Traffic" and all personnel will withdraw from the structure and maintain a safe perimeter. Company 3 Officers and/or Division Supervisors/Leaders will account for the safety of all personnel under their command. PROPERTY CONSERVATION It is a standard guideline to utilize whatever fire ground resource that is required to reduce property loss to an absolute minimum. The activities that relate to effective property conservation require the same early and aggressive action as both Rescue and Fire Control. All members are expected to perform in a manner that continually reduces loss during fire operations. When basic fire control has been achieved, the IC must commit and direct companies into "stop loss" activities; such activities generally include:  Evaluating damage to overall fire area  Evaluating the salvage value of various areas  Committing companies to salvage functions  Reducing hose lines from control functions to salvage functions Salvage functions should be integrated into the cause determination phase. DEFINITIONS EXCEPTIONS REFERENCES MABAS Illinois Policies and Procedures current online reference MABAS Division 1 Operating Guidelines/Policy Statements End of Document 4