In addition to the obvious victims at windows not visible from the street, look for open windows that seem out of place, such as an open window in the middle of winter. The company officer making a quick lap around the structure should keep a keen eye for any obvious (or not-so-obvious) indications of a victim at a window or doorway remote from the front of the structure. ![]() While modern fire research has demonstrated that the rapid application of water may provide the best immediate overall tactical benefit for victims trapped throughout the structure, identifying any victims in an accessible position in need of immediate rescue is critical upon the arrival of first-due apparatus. People: Life safety always has been and always will be the primary strategic consideration on the fireground. The fire service is certainly in no dire need of more acronyms, but the big points for company officers to remember while making a quick trip around the building can be easily summed up with PAL: People, Access, and Location of the fire. There are dozens of important general size-up factors to evaluate rapidly upon arrival. Even more importantly, though, is that officer’s ability to quickly and decisively change their company’s course of action if necessary, based upon what is found on the back or the sides of the structure. While topography, building size/layout, physical barriers and various arrival factors can certainly challenge or limit the “textbook” 360, the most prudent fire officers realize that it’s worth the time to make a quick lap while the initial attack handline is being laid out or while members are forcing the front door. Not making it around to get a full view of the rear of the structure has been a direct contributor to several firefighter fatalities and countless near misses. tactical benefit like a 360-degree size-up.Įxperienced fire officers will be quick to concede that there are many barriers that can hinder a full lap around the building, but many will note time and time again that significant tactical alterations have been triggered by findings on the Charlie side. How to conduct firefighter primary search trainingįew actions in the initial moments following arrival of the first-due apparatus can tip the balance of time spent vs. Other immediately important fireground factors – victims at windows on the sides or rear, indicators of multiple occupancy, the presence and status of utility meters, and paths of immediate ingress and egress – all point to need for the company officer to make it to the rear of the structure. ![]() Identifying the presence of a basement, along with any indications of fire conditions below and a more direct access, simply cannot be shortcut by the first-in engine or truck officer for the tempting expedience of rushing directly to the front door. The list of firefighter line-of-duty deaths (LODDs) for basement-fires-turned-tragic is long and often-studied. Increasing heat in the blackness with no apparent seat of the fire, radio calls from the outside of fire below, and fire licking up through floor vents or burn-through holes are all signs that should stop any officer in their tracks to reevaluate their current position. As a company officer, operating above an unrecognized basement fire is one of the single most precarious positions for your crew.
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