You’re first-due at a residential occupancy for a report of a fire on the number two floor. Sure enough, it’s pretty obvious upon arrival on scene, you confirm a working fire. Observations validate that you have heavy fire on the number two floor; Alpha-Delta side with the likelihood of extension. This is more than just a residential occupancy. The structure is in fact a multiple occupancy, it’s a late Saturday morning and you don’t have a good feeling about this.

You have a four staffed Engine Company, with a mixed crew of seasoned and new personnel, with the second due engine coming in right behind you. (this is a good day..) The first-due truck company has yet to call enroute. As the first-due officer, what’s your size-up and risk profiling of the building, the fire and the incident action plan (IAP) needs? Let’s categorize some of strategic and tactical mission elements for discussion;

Risk Profile and The Size-up

·         What is the Construction Type and characteristics? Describe the building.

·         How would you characterize the degree of observed fire involvement and its expected behavior?

·         What does reading the smoke tell you?

·         What is the probability of fire extension; where, when and how?

·         Occupancy Load Projections?

·         Fire Load Projections?

·         Survivability Profile for trapped or distressed Occupants?

·         Survivability Profile for your companies?

Incident Action Plan

·         Describe the basis for you Incident Action Plan (IAP) Real Simple-What are you going to do?

·         What needs to be done first-Strategically; What, why and where?

·         Resource Needs?

·         Time Considerations?

Tactical Objectives and Tasks

·         OK, you’re the Company Officer on the Engine Company; YOU know what the engine company’s function and responsibilities are. So what are you going to do from a Tactical perspective?

·         What can you do with the resources immediately available ( Two Engine Companies; Eight (8) staffed personnel-some new, some veterans, with a hydrant picked up at the corner upon arrival)

·         What is the projected fire flow needs for this size fire, based upon a street side five minute deployment time to get line(s) in place?

·         What else do you need in a timely fashion? What will happen if you don’t get it when you need it?

·         Describe the challenges to the Engine Company crew related to stretching lines into occupancies such as this and how you expect the lay out to be? What’s typical of these building types and occupancies.

Address any or all of the questions posed. Time’s a wasting, the fire isn’t going

to go out on its own..ohh by the way, that rookie looks like he’s ready to pull an

1.75 line off the rear bed…..