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What the Incident Commander Wants to Know

Adapted from a Fire Engineering article by Frank C. Montagna, FDNY. What the Incident Commander Wants to Know. Firefighting: Science vs. Art. Science BTUs, Flow Rates, Building Construction, Flame Spread Ratings Decisions are based on complete information Art

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What the Incident Commander Wants to Know

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  1. Adapted from a Fire Engineering article by Frank C. Montagna, FDNY What the Incident Commander Wants to Know

  2. Firefighting: Science vs. Art • Science • BTUs, Flow Rates, Building Construction, Flame Spread Ratings • Decisions are based on complete information • Art • Variables that force decisions to be made based on incomplete information • Weather, previous structural damage, building contents, occupants, inadequate water supply

  3. The Hardships of the IC • Standing alone in front of the fire building must make life and death decisions • Life and death decisions are based on incomplete information • Life and death decisions must be made with no more than a few moments of deliberation

  4. Gathering Information • The better the information collected, the more accurate the decisions will be • “Garbage in – Garbage out” • IC must define the specific set of problems faced at that particular fire/incident

  5. What do I have? • Building construction • Occupancy • Fire location and extent • Smoke conditions • Life hazard

  6. Where is it going? • What direction is the fire traveling? • How will it extend? • Where is the smoke going? • What is happening inside and outside the building as a result of the fire?

  7. Where are the people? • How do we get to them? • How do we protect them? • How do we get them out?

  8. Where are the firefighters? • Who is on scene and where are they? • Accountability

  9. What has been done? • What actions have been taken that will affect the outcome of the incident for better or worse? • Lines stretched (what size?) • Broken windows • Raised ladders • Forced doors • Removed victims

  10. What is the progress? • Lines stretched to correct position? • Correct size lines for amount of fire? • Are they putting water on the fire and is it having any effect? • Where are the ladders placed and are there enough? • How are searches progressing? • Has entry been made? • Ventilation complete and was it done correctly?

  11. What do I need? • Do I have enough firefighters? • Do I have enough apparatus, the appropriate apparatus, and enough tools? • Do I need more help from mutual aid departments? • Do I need help from other agencies (police, highway department, EMS)?

  12. What must I do? • Incident Priorities • Life Safety, Incident Stabilization, Property Conservation • What actions, given existing conditions, must be taken to fulfill our mission while safeguarding our firefighters?

  13. Where do we find the answers? • Size-up • Pre-plans or prior knowledge reduces information-gathering burden • The rest usually comes from communications with the crews at work • You can’t see all sides of a building at one time • You can’t see or feel the conditions on the inside

  14. Communication • Good communication is vital to decision making • It can peel away the outer skin of a building and let you see what the troops see inside • The IC must be an good listener as well as a skilled interrogator

  15. “Listening is more than just hearing what is said.” • You must listen to what is not said • You must be able to cut through the jumble of fireground “noise” • You must actively seek required information

  16. Patience • One of the more difficult fireground tools to master • Time moves slowly standing out front • Repeatedly asking if the fire has been knocked down will not make it so • Do not pester the crews or they will likely tune you out

  17. Training • Two sides to the coin • Training for Incident Commanders in what information is essential to decision making and how to gather that information in a timely and effective manner • Training for crews and crew leaders in what information the IC wants and needs to know • Crews that have been trained to regularly give progress reports will not constantly be asked for updates

  18. Remember what it is like to be on the crew. • You should know from your experience as a firefighter how long things take • Allow a reasonable amount of time to pass before you request results

  19. Fire Scenario • What do I have? • Where is it going? • Where are the people? • Where are the firefighters? • What has been done? • What is the progress? • What do I need? • What must I do?

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