BECOME SAFE

Can the command and company officer truly make a difference in the outcome during structural fire combat? If they can make a difference - what tools are required to succeed? What are the relationships to?; Knowledge, Experience, Technical skills, Proficiency , Core values, Depth and degree of separation, Maturity and stability, Cue-based mastery, Learning curves, Variables of liabilities, Community-based risks There are basic sets of parameters that can provide all operating personnel at structural fire operations with effective tools to increase operational effectiveness, safety and enhance incident stability and lead the forward progress towards event mitigation. This includes the effective integration of BECOME SAFE (Naum, 2004) concepts;
• Building,
• Evaluation,
• Construction/occupancy,
• Operational hazards,
• Manage time and elements,
• Engagement,
• Situational awareness,
• Assessment and analysis-fluid,
• Fire behavior and effects,
• Evaluate and execute

The best defense firefighters have against building collapse is to understand the principles of building construction and the effects that fire has on a building; then apply this information on the fireground. Sometimes collapse indicators are evident in the initial size-up, but more often they are discovered by members operating in and around the fire building.