By RICHARD RAY
Volunteer firefighters comprise 71 percent of today’s fire service in the United States; however, the number of available volunteer firefighters is steadily decreasing. Volunteer fire departments face a staffing challenge that is different from combination and career departments; personnel availability is based largely on when the emergency occurs. Because of work schedules and family and other responsibilities, there are limits on when volunteers can respond. So, how can you ensure that the fireground functions are prioritized and done safely and in a timely manner when staffing is limited? It takes preparation, training, and execution.
Preparation is a fundamental element of success. For the volunteer fire department, preparation involves having departmental standard operating guidelines (SOGs) that are relevant and applicable to the department and its response area. SOGs set the stage for a fireground that reduces freelancing and overwhelming the incident commander (IC)—two key aspects that lead to fireground failure for volunteer fire departments.
In addition to SOGs, mutual-aid agreements must be in place. In these mutual-aid agreements, you must identify personnel and resource allocation. It is critical for an IC to know and understand the available resources neighboring departments can provide to aid his fireground decision making; it allows command to prioritize and coordinate tasks, which equates to a safer fireground for personnel. Unfortunately, volunteer fire departments that do not have SOGs and mutual-aid agreements still wonder why their fireground is dysfunctional and out of control.
Using on-scene resources available at a residential structure fire and the initial actions performed will determine the outcome of the incident. Completing fireground tasks can be difficult for volunteer firefighters. Once on scene at a residential structure fire, do you have the firefighters and the equipment to safely and effectively accomplish fireground tasks? What are the tasks you must accomplish? How do you prioritize these tasks?
Initial actions performed by first-arriving members are the cornerstones of accomplishing fireground priorities such as life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation. However, without the appropriate staffing and resources, critical tasks/actions will not be performed, which leads to failure on the fireground in the form of injury or death and loss of property. There is a two-part solution for this problem: appropriate staffing and performing the right tasks. When staffing is the hardest for volunteers, fireground success occurs when the right tasks are performed at the right time. The basis for prioritizing fireground tasks includes identifying rescue potential, the building, fire volume, equipment, and available personnel. Many times, there are not enough firefighters or resources at the beginning of the incident to accomplish all the necessary fireground tasks. Effectiveness is lost, and firefighter safety is compromised because on-scene personnel try to perform too many tasks rather than prioritizing and completing them.
Many tasks performed on the fireground are either engine or ladder functions. Engine company tasks include initial line placement and size, available water supply, the second line, and any additional lines. Ladder company tasks include search, forcible entry/egress, ventilation, salvage, and overhaul. So, for the volunteer fire department with minimal staffing and minimal resources, size-up, command, rescue, forcible entry/egress, fire suppression, search, ventilation, rapid intervention teams (RITs), salvage, and overhaul must be performed for all residential structure fires. Without the appropriate staffing and resources, failure to complete these tasks will create an unfavorable outcome for victims, firefighters, and citizens.
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| (1) Note the smoke exiting the building from the soffit area of the structure and minimal smoke exiting from where the firefighters are entering. This could indicate an attic fire or a fire that has extended to the attic. (Photo by author.) Click here to view video |
Scene Size-Up
Everything starts when the first-arriving officer or chief accurately sizes up the incident and identifies needs. Once the scene has been assessed and the needs determined, establish command. The IC should implement a risk management plan that calls for help early, makes the toolbox (apparatus) available for equipment and effective deployment of lines, establishes a positive water supply and a RIT team, and figures reflex time for accomplishing fireground tasks with limited personnel. He also must understand departmental responses based on the time of day as well as the nature of the mutual-aid response. Members must communicate their schedules and availability prior to the incident; this critical information helps the officer prioritize tasks. Too many times, the uncertainty of staffing creates doubt within the officer’s mind. Effectiveness and control are lost on the fireground when there is uncertainty of the ability to accomplish the necessary tasks based on staffing.
Fireground tasks are prioritized and completed through an accurate size-up. When performing size-up, use the 13-point acronym COAL WAS WEALTH (Construction, Occupancy, Area, Life hazard, Water supply, Apparatus and equipment, Street conditions, Weather, Exposure, Auxillary appliances, Location, Time, Height) or the five-point acronym ELBOW (Extent and location of fire, Life hazard, Building type, Occupancy type, Water supply). However, the volunteer firefighter should add the letter “S” to these acronyms for Staffing prior to the incident. On any given day, a volunteer fire department should know who can and cannot respond based on the day and time of the incident. When the call comes in and the response is initiated, personnel should consider staffing as part of their size-up. Once on scene, perform a survey of available personnel just as you would a survey of the building and fire. With this basic information, you can form a strategy, allowing you to identify and carry out the tactics to accomplish that strategy.
By knowing the available staffing, the initial-arriving officer can better read the building and the fire volume to begin prioritizing fireground tasks. The ability to compare and contrast smoke exiting from different openings, smoke volume, and the rate at which the smoke is exiting are indicators for fire volume and potential. To accomplish this, perform a 360° walkaround of the structure to see the “big picture.” The first-arriving officer should also note if there are people standing in the yard, cars in the driveway, toys on the lawn, open windows with the screen missing, and so on to help indicate the possibility of occupants. Next, identify the location of the fire. Reading the smoke and the building also provides additional pieces of critical information. Understanding the building’s construction and design can simplify this aspect of the size-up.
Remember, the buildings and the fuels that are inside these structures have changed. Today’s houses are not compartmentalized like the houses built just a few years back. Newer homes have open floor plans, lightweight construction materials, and synthetic fuel loads, which present greater challenges. Building knowledge is critical, and understanding fire behavior is just as important to first-due officers. The fire growth is faster, and there is a greater presence of fire gases because of a larger presence of plastics. With today’s building construction and fuel loads, the stages of fire have been compressed, and the toxicity within the structure is deadly. Once you determine the life hazard and fire volume, begin prioritizing fireground tasks.
Locating Victims
Trapped victims are your top concern; you must give them the best chance for survival. Depending on their location, this can be a tremendous challenge for initial-arriving units with minimal personnel. The victim’s location will dictate the task that you must perform. First, address the known locations of victims, which is done through performing vent-enter-isolate-search or by laddering the building to remove the victim from a window or rooftop. Another option for rescue is fire extinguishment. Do this by correctly positioning the line and extinguishing the fire. Each situation will be different; there is no one-size-fits-all solution. However, you can increase your survival chances and those for your victims by positioning the hoseline in the paths of egress. Also, remember the basics of a search: checking behind doors, searching high-priority areas of the structure, and creating egress points.
Controlling the Fire
You can also effect rescue through extinguishment. Accomplish this with the initial attack line, which saves lives by controlling the fire by stopping the smoke production. Quick water on the fire equates to a better chance of survival for occupants. Firefighters must also place the line between the fire and possible victims.
If rescue is not an issue, then fire suppression becomes your priority, which is accomplished by stretching and advancing the appropriate line for extinguishment. If staffing is minimal, then commit the staffing to the initial attack line. The mentality on the attack line should be “kill the fire, completely extinguish it.” To accomplish extinguishment, the flow has to exceed the British thermal units generated. Positioning the line, stream selection, and understanding fire behavior are critical to the extinguishment. Limiting ventilation affects fire propagation and can also aid with extinguishment. So, when the line is committed to the interior for fire attack, door control is vital. If staffing allows, commit a firefighter to door control and slacking hose for the advance.
Line placement is also key. Typically, the line is placed through the front door for an unburned to burned or a transitional fire attack. Each method has pros and cons. When you decide to place the line at the front door, your first thought is to place the line between the fire and the egress to help victims escape. This method makes it an easier stretch; requires less hose; eliminates fences, dogs, and swimming pools; and so on. Also, if the fire is on the second floor, this eliminates the need for firefighters to search for stairs. The unburned to burned fire attack is used to get ahead of the fire and to push it back. The purpose here is to create less involvement to the structure by cutting the fire off.
The transitional fire attack means attacking the fire from the exterior through a window by directing the stream to the ceiling of the room. It will not push fire, and it takes away from fire spread. But, which of these attacks is the best choice for limited staffing? There is no simple answer; each method has its place. If two-in/two-out cannot be met, then a transitional fire attack may be the preferred option. However, if two-in/two-out can be met, it may be quicker to commit the line to the interior for fire suppression. Although each method has its place on the fireground, the tool that allows firefighters to get water on the fire the quickest and safest way possible is the one that you should choose.
The blitz attack is another form of fire attack that volunteer fire departments use from time to time. Many times, it is a preferred method because of fire volume and limited resources on the fireground. There are some varying methods to this style of fire attack. Some departments use the deluge gun on the apparatus to blitz the fire. Others use a blitz nozzle that is designed to be used with 2½- or three-inch hose; they prefer the mobility that the nozzle gives them over the deluge gun. In a rural setting, this type of fire attack can be tremendously effective if the gun or blitz nozzle is positioned correctly. If the nozzle is positioned incorrectly, the department wastes water, and the fire inflicts further property damage.
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| (2) Firefighters have positioned the line to the front door of a well-involved structure. This line position is critical for departments that are short staffed because it is an easier stretch and it allows the line to be positioned between the fire and potential occupants. (Photo by Julian Harrison.) |
Water Supply
Once you commit the line and additional personnel are arriving, you can complete additional tasks, the next being water supply. The initial water supply comes from the booster tank. However, you should establish a more positive water supply. For the rural volunteer firefighter, this can be difficult. If a hydrant is close by or if the hydrant’s supply line is provided by another unit arriving on scene, you can establish the water supply with minimal staffing. In the absence of hydrants, if the additional unit arriving is a tanker/tender, the IC must make decisions: What is the most efficient and effective water supply to establish? Are drop tanks used? Or, is “nurse feeding” a better option? Fire volume, the building, and the number of available personnel needed to establish the water supply determine the best method of attack. The most reliable way to accomplish this is with rural operation drop tanks with a water shuttle. Again, training is critical, and apparatus placement is key to this portion of the fireground operation. Many times, establishing a water supply is a great task for those volunteer firefighters who may not be suited to perform the fire attack.
Once you secure the water supply, place into operation additional hoselines as needed (at all working incidents, place two hoselines into operation). The backup line protects the initial attack line, or it serves as the interior line if a transitional fire attack is in operation. You can use backup hoselines for exposure protection or for second-floor operations. For these hoselines to be effective, you must have a positive water supply.
By now, the fireground has several tasks that you have completed; hopefully, additional personnel are now on scene. Searches are still needed to ensure that no one is inside the structure. The attack crew can complete initial searches, which includes primary and secondary searches. Information received from the occupants or neighbors will help the IC address the search and location of possible victims.
Establishing RITs
Statistics show that most fireground Maydays occur within the first seven to 10 minutes of the operation. So, establishing a RIT is another priority, but this may be difficult with limited staffing. Rapid intervention is one of the most important assignments a firefighter could receive, but the effort to assign for it is minimal; some volunteer fire departments never even consider RITs. Correct this problem with SOGs, mutual-aid agreements, and hands-on training. Some volunteer departments rely on mutual-aid departments to cover this fireground task. This is acceptable if there is a timely response from the mutual-aid department to the scene and rapid intervention training has been conducted between the two departments.
Perform ventilation (to be coordinated with the attack crew) once you have gained control of the fire. The IC should understand that ventilation does not always equal cooling in the event’s early stages. In fact, it can cause fire spread and injury to the attack crew if performed incorrectly. However, when performed correctly, ventilation aids with search and overhaul. It also increases firefighter safety by increasing visibility and removing the toxic gases left over from the fire and smoldering fuels. This type of ventilation drives the number of firefighters needed to complete the task. If you need to vertically vent, it will require more firefighters than horizontal ventilation or when setting up a fan at the front door, which can be done by the apparatus driver, the staging firefighter, or a firefighter not actively involved with the fire attack.
Tactics and Equipment
Using the right tactics and equipment on the fireground is imperative. Equip the engine with the right tools and hose to simplify operations when a department is short-staffed. In addition to the equipment, determine minimum flows, and deploy hose with a single firefighter, if possible. Choosing the right hoseload for the preconnected hosebeds will impact the speed and effectiveness of the hose stretch. One firefighter can stretch the flat load, the minuteman, and the triple layer loads. The flat load and minuteman loads are preferred because they are shoulder loads that allow the firefighter to stretch with minimal hangups, and they help maintain the working length of hose at the entry point as opposed to using it for travel length. Preconnected loads usually work well because they are a set length, but problems arise when the preconnected load comes up short. Firefighters must know how to stretch from the rear hosebed and how to estimate the stretch.
Nozzle selection is also key. Choosing the right nozzle for flow and stream selection will affect fire suppression. The smooth bore nozzle is a great nozzle because it features lower operating pressures and a solid stream, which allows for better penetration and extinguishment. However, fog nozzles are, for some, the preferred nozzle. Many departments use the lower-pressure fog nozzles for the same reason as they do smooth bores: The lower-operating pressure is a bit easier to manage when staffing is limited and the line is being managed by one firefighter. Both nozzles allow for a higher flow at a minimum 150 gallons per minute.
For an advanced fire on arrival, a higher flow is needed. A 2½-inch hoseline requires a minimum flow of 250 gallons per minute. The smooth bore with a 11⁄8-inch tip is the preferred nozzle. If managed correctly, one firefighter can work this line, which should be stretched dry to the right position and then charged.
The modern fire environment requires higher flows from handlines and firefighters with a mindset of flowing water for complete extinguishment. Once the fire is extinguished, everything gets better for all involved (the occupants and the fire department).
As previously stated, there is no one-size-fits-all tool to address all fireground problems. Knowing when to apply the right tactic/tool for the right job comes from experience and continuous training. Understanding how and why limited staffing affects fireground performance is critical to fireground success. Volunteer fire departments can overcome these challenges through realistic, continuous, and habit-forming training programs and by being proactive in their recruitment and retention programs to ensure adequate staffing.
The job of firefighter requires you to be professional in your attitude, skill, desire, training, and equipment. The citizens you serve expect you to handle their problems with knowledge, ability, and speed. Think about your department: Does it display professionalism through preparation, knowledge, technical competence, and personal commitment? If not, it is up to YOU to make the change.
RICHARD RAY is a 22-year fire service veteran and has served in volunteer and career departments. He is a member of the Creedmoor (NC) Volunteer Fire Department, where he is a captain and the training officer. He is a career firefighter with the Durham (NC) Fire Department, where he is a training captain. He is a certified instructor and teaches leadership skills, strategy and tactics, live fire, rapid intervention/firefighter self-rescue, and engine company operations.
Richard Ray will present “Prioritizing the Volunteer Fireground” on Wednesday, April 22, 3:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m,. at FDIC International 2015 in Indianapolis.
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