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Section 600.05
Tactical Guidelines
I. Scope:
This standard shall regulate the management of all emergency incidents to which the department responds. It was created to:
A. Establish rules and procedures to manage fire control and rescue activities.
B. Produce standard and predictable fire control and rescue results.
II. Goals and Objectives:
A. A fire is the direct result of a failure of our fire prevention efforts. The best fires are the ones that never get started. Therefore, it is the goal of this department to prevent fires and to save lives and property.
B. In pursuit of this goal, it shall be the policy of this department to:
1. Do no harm! Take no action that will cause any further injury to a person.
2. Be safe! Always obey all the safety rules and procedures created by the department.
3. Be thoughtful! Always treat each other and members of the public with respect.
III. Operational Priorities:
Three priorities must be addressed at every incident to which the department responds. These priorities are discussed below in order of importance.
A. Life Safety/Rescue:
1. Primary Search: It shall be standard procedure to extend a primary search in all involved and exposed occupancies that can be entered safely. The completion of the primary search process is reported using the standard radio reporting term “All Clear”.
2. Rescue Efforts: Extend rescue efforts in the following order:
a. The most severely threatened.
b. The largest number of people.
c. The remainder of the fire area.
d. The exposed areas.
3. Firefighter Safety: Due to the hazardous nature of firefighting, the safety of firefighters is of primary importance. Therefore, the following safety rules are to be observed:
a. All persons entering firefighting or other hazardous situations shall wear full PPE. No one, regardless of rank, shall enter a hazardous atmosphere without SCBA.
b. The incident commander shall be responsible for members operating in hazardous locations and shall make sure that all personnel are accounted for.
4. Victim Recovery: The department shall conduct a secondary search after the fire is out and shall assist in the recovery of all fire victims. On recovery, the appropriate authorities shall be notified and at no time shall the names of the deceased be mentioned.
5. Re-hab: The rescue unit will double as a re-hab unit in an uncongested area when deemed necessary. The incident commander will provide whatever support is available at his discretion.
6. Safety Officer: At least one member will be assigned as safety officer by the incident commander at a working incident. The safety officer shall have the authority to correct any violations of established safety SOG’s. Following the incident, all violations will be reported to the Incident Commander in writing. In the event of a minimum manpower response, the officer in charge is the safety officer as well.
B. Fire Control:
1. It is standard procedure to attempt to stabilize fire conditions by extending wherever possible, an aggressive, well-placed and adequate interior (offensive) fire attack effort and to support that aggressive attack with whatever resources and action may be required to reduce extension and bring the fire under control.
2. Initial attack efforts must be directed toward supporting primary search and rescue operations.
3. Fire streams are to be operated only on fires, not into smoke.
4. The following operations are to be initiated at every incident:
a. Size-up.
b. Rescue/life safety.
c. Exposure protection.
d. Confinement.
e. Extinguishment.
f. Property conservation.
5. Write off property that is lost and protect exposed property based on the most dangerous direction of spread. Always attack structure fires from the unburnt side! Do not continue operations in positions that are essentially lost.
6. Fire Stream Management:
a. It is the responsibility of each responding pumper apparatus to provide its own uninterrupted, adequate supply of water. “Provide” does not necessarily mean to lay a supply line or pump the water, but rather to get an adequate, reliable supply of water into the pump by whatever means available.
b. When in doubt, lay hose. The apparatus officer shall make this decision. Remember, it is better to pick up a dry line that wasn’t used than to need a line that wasn’t laid out.
c. Factors relating to the type of line pulled:
(1) Size
(2) Placement
(3) Speed
(4) Mobility
(5) Supply
d. Hoselines of 38mm shall be the minimum size pulled as the first line on a working fire (structure, automobile, etc.).
e. Hoseline placement:
(1) Place the first stream between the fire and the persons endangered.
(2) If no life is endangered, place the first stream onto the fire and the most severe exposure.
(3) The second line should be taken to the secondary means of egress.
(4) A third line should back up the first.
(5) Assist rescue.
(6) Protect exposures.
(7) Support confinement.
f. Operate master streams, if necessary, but not when an interior attack is taking place. Do not combine interior and exterior attacks. Before master streams are operated, the incident commander will advise all personnel via the radio.
g. Shut nozzles down when necessary. Do not operate into ventilation holes!
C. Property Conservation
1. After rescue and fire control considerations, it shall be standard procedure to commit whatever fireground resources are required to reduce loss to an absolute minimum. All members are expected to perform in a manner that consistently reduces loss during fire operations.
2. Property conservation activities shall include but are not limited to:
a. Prompt interior and exterior fireground lighting.
b. Proper ventilation.
(1) Mechanical.
(2) Natural.
c. Salvage.
d. Overhaul.
e. Proper fire stream management.
3. If necessary, the incident commander shall call for fresh or additional personnel to complete property conservation activities.
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