By John F. “Skip” Coleman, Technical Editor
Incident command has been around since the mid-1980s (if not earlier out West). In Toledo, I wrote our first policy concerning the incident command system (ICS) in 1988. I believe ICS is one of the best concepts ever developed for the fire service. It fixed a lot of the fireground problems we were confronted with at the time.
Since its conception, ICS—like most other tools in the fire service—has evolved. From its original use as a tool to manage large wildland fires to its current “All Hazard” applications, ICS has given those tasked with running an incident a platform from which to manage resources in a standardized nationally accepted manner. ICS has taught us many valuable lessons, among them that incident commanders should remain at the command post, only one person should be in charge of any particular incident, and no one does anything on the fireground unless directed by command (freelancing kills).
One other valuable lesson I have learned is that it is truly “lonely at the top”! The more fires I ran, the more I liked having another chief officer arrive on scene to give me a second opinion and “watch my back.”
Command teams are now an accepted concept all over the United States. There are many variations and applications—federal ICS command teams as well as state and local teams.
Many departments now send more than one chief officer to a reported fire and have established specific procedures and actions the first-arriving chief and others are responsible for implementing.
Roundtable question: Does your department use command teams for structure fires? To post your comments, go to fireengineering.com/roundtable.html.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY: Firefighters from the Knoxville (TN) Division of Fire were called to a three-alarm fire at the Walker’s Crossing apartments. A three-story building was heavily damaged by fire. Careless smoking on a second-floor balcony was blamed for damaging or destroying all 24 units. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries. (Photo by Mike Watiker.) See more photos at http://www.fireengineering.com/photo-of-the-day.html. Send your Photo of the Day submissions to Peter Prochilo (peterp@pennwell.com). |
WEBCASTS
Join us for monthly Webcasts featuring the best of Fire Engineering authors and FDIC speakers. On July 19, Deputy Chief Rudy Horist, McHenry Township (IL) Fire Protection District, presents “Officer Development Programs: Making a Difference for the Future.” On August 16, Captain Michael Dugan, Fire Department of New York, presents “Ventilation, Entry, Isolation, and Search.” Webcasts are free, but you must register!
FIRE LIFE
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Watch Firehouse Chef Kipp Rix in his first cooking show, only on Fire Life. His recipes are inspired by the rich flavors of the Southwest, are easy to prepare, and have been tested and approved in the firehouse. Everyone knows that some of the best chefs around come from fire departments, so join him as he highlights a fire station and its members. Learn how to cook a meal fit for firefighters, prepared by firefighters. |
FEATURED ARTICLES
Chris Willis, firefighter, Falmouth (KY) Fire Department, writes in “Barn Fire Tactics and Strategies”: “Most firefighters would think barns hold nothing but farm equipment and livestock. What may look like a traditional barn used to house beef cows may actually have a second-floor loft with a full living area or a basement with a meth lab.” (http://bit.ly/LTVNH4)
James R. Kutz, lieutenant, Allentown (PA) Fire Department, writes in “Natural Gas Emergencies”: “Natural gas leaks and explosions are a growing problem across the country; because of aging infrastructure, they are becoming even more frequent. The Northeast region of the United States has the oldest infrastructure in the country.” (http://bit.ly/JAqDW4)
Gregory Havel, retired deputy chief/training officer, Burlington (WI) Fire Department, writes in “Structural Collapse”: “All structures of any type of construction are similar in that they can be damaged or destroyed by natural forces like earthquakes, floods, and high winds and by accidental or deliberate acts like fire, explosion, and impact.” (http://bit.ly/LTWb8s)
Mick Messoline, firefighter, Thornton (CO) Fire Department, writes in “The Engine Company Medic: Scene Management”: “Selecting the appropriate treatment path for any given patient is fundamentally the most important thing a paramedic can do. Deciding how to prioritize patient needs is fraught with controversy for the engine company medic.” (http://bit.ly/JuvqDN)
COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE MONTH
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Name: James McAllister. |
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