Here’s an exercise you can share with the troops at your next drill or company training opportunity. Take a look at a particular building and occupancy and examine it from a risk and size-up perspective from the street. The building you see in the photographs has a number of unique features, construction, material and layout conditions that will affect fireground operations in the event of an incident response.

Your group assignment is to provide your insight and perspective on what you see, what you can identify with and what you can assume about this building and occupancy.

Perceptions may be deceiving; Assumptions may be detrimental; Reality under combat fire suppression may be fatal.

Take a look at the building from a variety of perspectives, from the Company Officers view point, the Firefighter’s, the Commander, the Engine Company, the RIT Officer, etc.

Discuss the issues, operationally, from a safety and risk standpoint and what types of strategies and tactics might be deployed. Here are some things to look at or discuss. I don’t want to limit you towards any specific areas of discussion or issues, provide us with YOUR perspectives, concerns and observations.

Suggested Risk Profiling and Size-up:

 Building Type
 Occupancy profile
 Age issues
 Condition
 Accessibility
 Risk Features
 Construction features
 Expected building assembly systems, materials
 Expected building performance under fire
 Collapse and integrity
 Special Hazards
 Special Building features/internal
 Layout and configuration
 Access and Egress
 RIT/FAST issues
 Hose line movement
 Search and Rescue factors
 Occupant escape and removal
 Ventilation aspects
 Horizontal/ Vertical/ PPV
 Forcible entry issues
 Expected fire spread
 Expected fire flow demands
 Collapse Zones, internal/ external
 Exposures
 Operational Perimeter
 Water Supply
 Offensive/Defensive/Marginal Profile
 Laddering Issues
 Air Management
 Command Management
 Staffing and Resource Needs
 Firefighter Safety Profile
 Incident Command Organization
 Interior/Exterior Operations