RECOGNIZING THE VETERANS of the “Iron Man” era is easy: You see the limps and the grimaces from chronic pain.
I am the shift battalion chief for a small fire department situated between Sacramento and San Francisco. My department’s service area encompasses a typical bedroom community, including an agribusiness hub with commercial food and lamb processing facilities, row and orchard crops, and vast open lands that comprise 340 square miles.
When I joined the department 23 years ago, the daily staff roster amounted to four members split between two companies. I was one of three original firefighter paramedics added to the roster, bringing the total number of staff for the department to a mere five members a day. Even though extra positions were added, the minimum daily staffing remained at five for 19 years. It was during this time that we developed what was referred to as “Iron Man firefighting.”
The on-scene staff was forced to multitask. They took on fighting fire, overhauling, and performing salvage operations, often using multiple air cylinders without a break. The department was an island, with the closest cities and fire stations well over 10 minutes away in either direction. For years, the bulk of the staff were volunteers, with a self-sufficient department. The paid positions grew from a single, daytime position to a two-person company. The volunteers’ inability to respond to the increasing number of calls while meeting the ever-increasing training demands put a stress on the department’s operations, and the need for more paid positions was clear.
Today, the department operates from one station with two paramedic engine companies. The number of staff working at one time is now regulated at a minimum of six members, with a battalion chief placed as the shift commander. There are 21 full-time line positions, three battalion chiefs, a deputy chief, and a chief.
Exhausting the Flame of Iron Man Firefighting
During my time as an original firefighter paramedic, the fire always went out. It rarely extended beyond the original occupancy because of the continued push for members to work up to the point of exhaustion and injury. The city’s leaders saw the results and thought all was well. From their perspective, the department was functioning normally, succeeding in operations, and therefore did not require any more staff.
The fire department’s ability to problem solve—and continue to do more with less— undoubtedly contributed to the 19-year delay in advocating for the minimum number of staff to increase. With an increase in the daily staff number, both companies now had an officer, engineer, and firefighter operating independently.
The chief officers worked a 40-hour, five-day schedule. After hours, they responded from home to any significant incident. The chief often only arrived later in the call to spectate, providing limited support at the incident. With the delay in the chief’s arrival, one of the company officers would default to the role of incident commander (IC), leaving only five members left to perform fireground tasks. The department has since added a shift battalion chief, but most fires still only get an initial attack force of six.
Life and Fire
Simply stated, the main problem arises when both life and fire occupy the same space. To solve this, you must use your water supply to prioritize saving lives or removing the fire from the space. With two- or three-person companies, the ability to accomplish anything beyond basic fireground operations becomes problematic. My department is not the only agency facing this challenge, as many departments across the United States have recruitment and retention issues and face daily challenges to manage more frequent and complex incidents without adequate staffing.
Before responding to any fire, an agency must take many steps, including the following:
- Recruit the right people.
- Train the staff.
- Ensure that a risk assessment of the response area has been completed.
- Based on the above risks, provide the correct equipment and training to mitigate as many risks as possible.
The biggest challenge most agencies face is completing a thorough self-assessment. In the past, my department felt as if it could handle any incident without any outside assistance. This was a perfect example of the Iron Man mentality.
My department remained on an island with a large service area. As a consequence, we had extended response times for our truck company and mutual-aid engines to arrive at the fire.
We stepped back and looked at what we could do to provide better service. Our focus turned to managing the modern fire- ground based on evidence-based tactics. Creating a better management system started with identifying the problem and then prioritizing actions to solve it. We still attempt to be the all-risk fire department, providing paramedic service, fielding a FEMA Type 2 Urban Search & Resue team, and fighting fires of all types. We have identified our issues, addressed the risks, and are now focused on perfecting our initial attack operations.
An honest assessment should begin with determining what a team can bring to a fire in terms of both apparatus and personnel. The first-due engine must be in good repair and equipped to mitigate the risks in a community. Departments often copy a neighboring department’s engine setup, simply filling hosebeds and cabinets without considering the unique needs of their own response areas.
Reflect on the knowledge, training, and experience that the responding staff members have. As a combination agency, my department has well-trained members, but with both career and volunteers responding on the apparatus, we have various levels of experience that may impact our operations.
Volunteer departments have a greater challenge. The crew is rarely a consistent team, and those who respond often lack knowledge in the latest training and operations. I know this fact firsthand, as I have also been a member of my volunteer company for 32 years.
The recruitment and retention of firefighters, both career and volunteer, has been difficult. A volunteer department, likely desperate for responders, must choose new members who are—or are willing to become—trained to serve the community. I always tell new members that the only thing they volunteered to do was walk through the door. It is expected any responder will eventually meet the training requirements and perform to industry standards whether they are volunteer or career firefighters.
Typical standards include job performance requirements and training requirements dictated by statute or industry standards such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1010, Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters. All firefighters must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the use of personal protective equipment (including self-contained breathing apparatus), the selection and use of hoselines, nozzles, ladders, and rescue and emergency medical skills. This list includes only a few of the requirements needed to meet industry standards. Training will help build knowledge, skills, and abilities, but it is on the fireground that competency in performing basic fireground tasks will make or break an operation.
Fireground Tasks
On the scene of a fire, the department has several tasks to complete:
- Maximizing effectiveness.
- Task breakdown.
- The initial attack line.
- Primary search.
- Two out.
- 360°/C side.
- Secondary search ventilation.
For an agency to maximize its resources at a fire and perform even a fraction of the tasks with minimum personnel, training and preplanning are critical. The training must be realistic and relative. If the nearest high-rise building is 50 miles away, then high-rise training may not be relevant. However, if the area has many balloon-frame dwellings, then building construction and fire behavior training is more relevant.
Departments often lose focus on the bread-and-butter operations. It does not matter if you see one fire a year or a fire every day. The public expects that the team can perform in a competent manner every time. The preplanning process will provide crucial information that will expedite the rapid deployment of hoselines and identify any potential challenges for accessing the building and the occupants inside.
Maximizing Effectiveness
The alarm sounds for a dwelling fire and the size-up process starts. If an agency has preplan documents, or a known history of issues with the building, an action plan can be created based on that knowledge. For a volunteer company, size-up may also include the response team, their location, and information about delays and possible mutual aid.
Let’s circle back to the problem: A department arrives at an occupied dwelling that is on fire. With minimum staffing, you must consider the best course of action and make decisions based on your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
To accomplish the most successful operation, you must quickly decide whether to first rescue the victims or put the fire out. As you gain experience, the time needed to plan—and act—becomes shorter. Time remains the ultimate deciding factor in success: Was the victim rescued and the fire’s progress slowed, or did you fail? The goal is to avoid failure, but with so many incident-driven variables impacting fireground operations, it is difficult to have a plan for each scenario.
1. A prearrival photo of a structure fire on East A Street in Dixon, CA. The initial attack force consisted of five staff members who brought the fire under control within less than 31⁄2 minutes of their arrival. (Photos courtesy of author.)
2. A working fire required the initial attack crew to transition from advancing the line and knocking down the fire to opening up the roof to check for extension into the attic space.
Review all incidents with a critical eye and complete an after-action review. The purpose of this is to identify areas of success and understand what still requires improvement. You’ll never stop being a student of the fire service.
Task Breakdown
The first step is a rapid assessment of the situation. A good size-up, completing a 360°, and seeing all sides of the fire building aids in determining the threats, access, and egress issues. A size-up can provide information to expedite the rescue or hoseline advancement. After visualizing the building and quickly gathering and processing information, a rapid decision of the incident priorities must be made.
3. & 4. Images of fire conditions on arrival at a rural compound fire in Dixon, CA, that went to two alarms. Additional water tenders were called to the scene The first-due engines, staffed with three people each, worked the fire with tank water, protecting exposures until mutual-aid resources arrived.
The Initial Attack Line
An initial attack line typically requires three people: an officer, a firefighter, and an engineer (operator). With limited resources including people, apparatus, and water supply, the timely and effective deployment of the initial attack line will make or break an operation. Additional lines may be required, but operating a line effectively requires two people when it is handled with a limited staff.
Primary Search
Every building requires a primary search, even if an individual is not reported in the building. The crew who is on the initial attack line may be able to search in addition to working the line. Having a crew handle several tasks at once is only acceptable for a small dwelling or an isolated portion of a larger dwelling. Time is a victim’s enemy.
Many fire fatalities are located far from the actual fire location. Often, victims die from toxic gas exposure. An example of this is the 1980 MGM Grand fire in Las Vegas. That fire caused 85 fatalities from toxic fumes. The crew whose focus is the hoseline may not be the best solution for effecting the primary search. An adequate primarysearch will require at least two additional members to conduct the operation, meaning that five of the six task-oriented members are working to solve the problem.
Two Out
Statute dictates the two-out component of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration respiratory protection standard. Meeting the requirement for two out can be a challenge for small, understaffed departments. For my department, the remaining member is the operator of the second engine, engaged in supporting the water supply and other tasks. Both engineers typically remain out of scenarios that are immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH). It is not a preferred solution, but those engine operators may be pressed into the two-out role. The caveat is that the additional duties of the two out should not negatively impact the overall goals of rescuing the victims or attacking the fire.
360°/C Side
My department’s operation begins with the first-due fire company slowing the apparatus as it approaches the fire building. Gaining a solid view of the fire allows the company officer to see at least three sides of the building, leaving at least one side, the C side, unseen. A review of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) firefighter fatality reports detailed the five most common fireground errors that have led to a firefighter’s injury or death. The NIOSH 5 addresses the need for getting a full 360° view of the building. Often, the lack of a size-up, including seeing all sides of a fire building, results in a situation that exposes responders and victims to unexpected and life-threatening conditions. Not only is the officer or firefighter who goes to the C side gathering pertinent information from the unseen side of the building, but he may also be able to locate a victim, find the fire, and secure utilities.
Secondary Search
The secondary search, like the primary search, remains a standard function of the fireground. It is a more comprehensive search, which is not typically conducted under IDLH conditions. The search must be conducted by a separate crew than the crew who performed the primary search, as it is human nature to be blind to one’s own work. The crew who performed the primary search may overlook the potential victim because of bias. They may say, “We already searched, and we did not miss anything.” The secondary search must be completed shortly after the fire is controlled, especially if any building occupants have not been accounted for.
The Dangers Within Ventilation
To truly maximize efforts with a small staff, don’t include ventilation on the initial attack list. If it doesn’t go well, you will see an adverse impact on the fire environment. Current FSRI studies have demonstrated that unless vent operations are timed with a fire attack (within 110 seconds of each other), you have a high probability a hostile fire event will occur. With a small force, you actually want the apparatus to focus on searching before venting. Most small or volunteer departments do not have enough sets and reps to be good at vertical ventilation. The lack of experience, coupled with modern construction techniques, makes working over a fire exponentially more dangerous for responders.
Other Tasks to Consider
In addition to the items above, the following tasks deserve your time and consideration:
- Water supply.
- Scene safety-secure utilities.
- Salvage and overhaul.
- Investigation.
The Chief Officer’s Effect
In my experience as a chief, I have seen the impact, both positive and negative, that a chief officer can have on an incident. An old joke questions the meaning of CHAOS, as it stands for “Chief Has Arrived on Scene.” Both my companies and I respond from the same house, but I typically let the companies respond first. My SUV, packedwith a water can and incident command system vests, preferably arrives after the companies spot the apparatus and begin to deploy lines. This type of response may be contrary to how others operate, but we have well-rehearsed operations and well- trained officers who make well-informed decisions.
5. A lone firefighter worked to stop the fire’s progress at a rural compound fire in Dixon, CA.
As the IC, it is my responsibility to fill in the gaps as needed. I am responsible for accountability, resource ordering, strategic alignment, and objective setting. I am an air traffic controller, acting as both the safety officer and the voice of the incident. With my expert view, I forecast the needs of the crews and predict how the incident may expand.
Putting It All Together
There is no right way to manage a fire. We must have objectives that are measurable, manageable, and achievable to be successful in any operation. When we arrive at a fire with a limited force, we must focus on what we can accomplish safely, effectively, and efficiently. Using tools such as RECEO are a favorable starting point, as our primary goal is life and safety, followed by limiting the fire’s growth.
We are responsible for recognizing the problem: If a fire is in the same space as people, we must either remove the victims or put out the fire by mounting an effective initial fire attack and rescue operation- despite minimal staffing.
REFERENCES
Brush, Brian, and Anthony Kastros. “The NIOSH 5: Beyond Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths.” Fire Engineering, April 2023, bit.ly/4dDImuY.
Laymen, Lloyd. Fire Fighting Tactics. National Fire Protection Association, 1953.
NFPA 1010, Standard on Professional Qualifications for Firefighters. National Fire Protection Association, 2019.
JASON BARKER is a retired battalion chief and training officer for the Dixon (CA) Fire Department. He has served in Dixon for 23 years. Barker has been a licensed paramedic since 1991. He also serves as the assistant chief for his volunteer department, Willow Oak Fire, in Woodland, CA, where he has been active for 32 years.
