Under active fire conditions the dangers are extreme and the stakes are high. Upon the declaration of knock-down the fire should be out, victims saved, and acute hazards controlled.

The game is not over. The long term carcinogenic by-products of combustion remain and may even be worse than under active fire conditions. When overhaul begins think of it as the beginning of overtime in a playoff game. The stakes are high, and the dangers, although different, remain. You wouldn’t show up on the ice/court/field in overtime without your ‘A’ game, so let’s not do it in overhaul.

Overhaul as a hazmat? Monitoring, ventilation, proper PPE, crew exchanges (rehab), decontamination (up to and including dirty turnouts) should all be taken into consideration prior to the close of an incident.

Any personal experiences or comments appreciated.

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