by Jim Mason

We all have different perspectives when we view a situation. This applies to the fireground as well. One member of the response may see a possible interior attack, whereas another member may see a defensive operation. The way in which we interpret the information on the fireground depends on many things, including experience, rank, and training.

Sometimes the information on which we have to base our decision on the fire scene is limited by our position. A classic fire story of lost perspective is a structure fire in which the incident commander (IC) makes the decision to change attack modes in the middle of the operation. When this happens, the chief orders everyone out of the building. There is the radio transmission in response from the engine company inside saying the hose team "has got it." This wasn't a request, but an order. The chief broadcasts a few choice words on the radio and urges them to exit. When the hose team finally exits the building and takes off their SCBAs, one look up shows them that the next two floors above their heads are burning wildly and the building is a lost cause.

In this example, the engine officer can't make an informed decision about the overall situation because he can only assess the conditions on the first floor. It's dangerous to assume that this limited view of a hose team's advance inside a smoky fire building can provide an understanding of the entire situation. The engine officer has what I call "inherent tunnel vision." The officer can see only through the SCBA face piece, and outside the plastic is smoke. It's tunnel vision because it's just plain smoky inside the fire building.

The interior position has a limited perspective for the strategic assessment of the situation. For this reason, communications on the fireground are critically important. Radio transmissions from several sectors/divisions of the scene help the entire team operate in a coordinated manner.

(1) At this fire, the IC has made the decision to go to a defensive attack. The company officers inside cannot make an informed assessment of the situation because they lack overall perspective. Photo by Steve Reddick.

Communicating effectively keeps others, who cannot assess the situation effectively, from getting injured. If the engine company in our anecdote had not received the order from someone who could make the correct decision, there might have been a different end to the story.

What is learned in one sector or division of the operation can affect others on the scene. A report from a single firefighter that has a good perspective on a dangerous condition should be enough to make the IC change or even stop the entire operation. The tactics and the communications on the fireground must be coordinated so the operation can work smoothly.

Perspective is often not reality. This is especially true when information for a decision is gathered from only from one position on the scene. It takes everyone's radio report to get a good idea of what is happening to make the operation run well. This core value of commonsense leadership is to get (and give) reports on what is happening from all perspectives on the fireground so that effective decisions can be made.

Jim Mason is 21-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant with the Chicago (IL) Fire Department.

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Subjects: Leadership, fireground communication, incident command, officer development