With the many changes in today's society, we are encountering more and more "new norms" and are continually being asked to do more with less.  With this in mind, we as officers and senior firefighters need to rethink the factors that lead us to making that offensive or defensive attack.

We need to stay on top of the structures in our areas that are becoming vacant and abandoned due to the current economy.  This number is increasing on a daily basis with homeowners not being able to stay current on their payments and the homes going into foreclosure.  

Life safety still needs to be our first priority when making the offensive vs. defensive decision.  If upon entering a structure, the entry team is “greeted/faced” with a “hoarding” situation then the initial game plan needs to be readdressed as the fuel load has now increased exponentially and the entry team’s safety has now become the top priority. 

If we respond to a known vacant structure that is involved then we need to seriously think about taking a defensive stance so as not to risk the safety of our members.  Protect the exposures, then surround and drown.  Another reason for the defensive stance would be the distinct possibility that vacant structures are prime real estate for meth labs which creates another serious hazard for our members.  We as officers have to always keep the risk vs. benefit factor at the forefront when we’re making that offensive vs. defensive decision.