FIRES HAVE a predictable level of complexity, challenges, and hazards. A fire’s ability to go sideways in an instant is especially important in commercial buildings, due to their substantial size and structure. These buildings can be any of the following:
- Strip malls.
- Factories.
- Taxpayers.
- Industrial buildings.
- Complexes.
We expect our firefighters to drill hard on the technical skills required to effectively operate at these jobs, mastering tasks of advancing and operating 2½-inch handlines, completing rope-assisted searches, maximizing water supplies, implementing master stream operations, and softening the building. However, I have witnessed many departments across the nation who have neglected to discuss how to command these fires. It is time to shine light on how to better prepare our officers for complex situations (photo 1).
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We must accept that commanding a commercial fire requires a strong understanding of the department’s incident command system. As a chief officer, it is understood that we are always multitasking. Our responsibilities include managing the following (and more):
- The department calendar.
- Staffing.
- Inventory.
- Maintenance.
When you oversee a fire of any magnitude, you probably prefer to follow a commander vs. a manager. No matter which incident command system your department has adopted, all personnel must be trained in that system—and they must each understand their roles. The training can be formal, such as the Emergency Management Institute’s ICS-100 through ICS-800-level programs, computer-based scenario training, informal tailboard talks, or kitchen table drills. Without a system, chaos will reign and, with that, tragedy follows.
Commanding the Fireground
Incident commanders (ICs) have different philosophies on how they run their fires. Some are comfortable working on the direct scene of the fire, portable radio and notepad in hand. Others are more prone to set up in the cab of their command vehicle, more isolated from the clamor of the fireground. Many ICs establish their command post at the rear of their vehicle or at a portable command table/ board (photo 2).
Options should be based on departmental guidelines, along with the IC’s personal preference. The IC must understand that as these fires progress, accountability of units and personnel increases in importance. Always document and monitor the identity and locations of companies and their assigned tasks.
The IC must set up a fixed command post as early into the incident as possible and begin the documentation of fireground activities. As the incident evolves and more alarms sound, you’ll require more incident command tools. These will include larger mobile command apparatus that can accommodate additional command staff and more technology to communicate and coordinate with fireground officers.
And as wonderful as technology and equipment are, personnel remain the most critical resource. A chief’s aide is an invaluable addition to the command team. If a department doesn’t have this position, enlist another chief or command officer to help monitor the fireground radio and tactical operations or serve as the officer documenting fireground activities. The person in this position may have several responsibilities, including the following:
- Operating the command board.
- Completing fireground sketches.
- Taking notes.
- Assisting with a separate command channel.
Communication, Coordination, and Cooperation
The scope and complexity of fires involving commercial buildings compared to basic one- and two-family dwelling fires emphasize the need for additional command level officers. Begin to fill out the command charts drilled within ICS training programs. These include the following:
- The overall footprint of the building.
- The number of floors and subfloors.
- Other pertinent structural characteristics of the involved building or buildings.
Next, determine your level of need for additional command officers. Another factor for you to consider is the type of occupancy. Your plans for a fire in a bodega or corner store will differ from those involving a big-box store or industrial processing facility.
Just as you determine the need for additional alarms of engines, trucks, and specialty companies based on these parameters, a good IC will anticipate the need for additional command help and include that need in an incident action plan. And although many of us have dealt with fires where we felt a greater need for more firefighters than officers, you must plan for larger fires accordingly by employing more firefighters and officers.
Also, consider assigning sector chiefs, including the following:
- A roof-sector chief.
- A fire floor-sector chief.
- A safety chief.
- A staging chief.
- A water supply chief (possibly).
The need for command-level officers on all sides of the building cannot be overstated, as monitoring operations in the rear of these structures is critical for success. Each sector chief should have all responsibilities clearly delineated based on the department’s standard operating procedures.
Changing Structures: Remodeling Awareness
Local response models (including run cards, box alarms, mutual-aid plans, and more) must reflect your projected needs for commercial fires. If you determine these models in advance, you’ll avoid making rash decisions at the incident. Any critical response across the country must reflect the best-trained and best-equipped units.
Although they may exist in pockets of the fire service, the days of calling for companies your department is friendly with, aka leaning on “buddy boxes,” must become a thing of the past. This approach will not serve you well in a major commercial structure fire.
To determine the type of apparatus you need, survey the structures: the size, shape, hazards, uses, and construction types that require protection. Then formulate the plans based on that data. Remember, a smaller structure may only require one ladder truck to cover the building. A larger structure will need more truck companies for master stream operations. Having more truck companies can also help cover searches in the occupancies and additional means of egress from the roof. Finally, more engines may be required due to the complexity of the stretches and the need for additional water.
You may add rapid intervention teams to the assignment based on the overall size of the structure or the complexity of the incident. For example, in the community where I returned to volunteer, we have a busy downtown section with taxpayers; strip malls; and smaller, stand-alone businesses such as auto repair shops, medical offices, and various services. The buildings have various types of construction and are in an area with a sufficient municipal water system. However, in a vast majority of the township, there are no hydrants, and water supply must be set up via water tenders along with drafting operations from irrigation ponds, creeks, or lakes. The structures in this area are typically large barns, garages, and even some industrial buildings, along with retail stores and strip malls.
As you build out your response plans, you must address the nonhydrated areas with an increase of mutual aid for water supply in addition to the extra engines, ladder companies, and specialty units required for the operation. In my experience, having a preset plan and being ready for activation not only save critical time and take the guesswork out of the dispatcher’s hands, but they give officers and companies a structured framework from which we can base our training programs.
As our structures continue to transform throughout our communities, so must our awareness as ICs. We have a growing list of scenarios and situations to be aware of. The community or first-due area and where mutual aid is accessible are the factors that determine each category.
Taking stock in situations is a key component to the successes or failures you face as an IC—or any other designated fireground position. For example, a fire officer in the Northeast must be well-versed in strategies and tactics involving Type III mixed-occupancy construction with basements and cellars that often have major exposure concerns, whereas their counterparts in the Southeast or on the West Coast must prepare for Type II single-story strip malls and stand-alone businesses (photos 3 & 4).
Those who have worked in large communities with a great diversity of construction types and a wide variety of uses have come to realize that we simply cannot all be experts in everything. ICs must have a general knowledge of the building construction types in their areas (tilt-up construction, prefabricated structures, platform, container construction) and collaborate with individuals who have specialized knowledge of the building or facility involved.
When you respond to an industrial processing facility, the building engineer or plant manager at the command post could serve as a reputable technical advisor. If you are working a fire or hazardous materials incident in a research facility or laboratory, the scientists or engineers who know the types of hazards present would prove invaluable resources. As the IC, you must set aside your ego and understand that you don’t have all the answers. Working with people who have knowledge of the facility’s operationscan lead you to the information necessary for a successful outcome.
Emerging Technologies
Do not be afraid to use new and emerging technologies when you’re dealing with large-scale incidents. By preloading your commercial target hazard information into your dispatch or preplan software systems and keeping them consistently updated, you have a distinct advantage. You don’t want to be caught flying blind.
Available technology provides an excellent basis to establish training and offers a much clearer picture when you’re on the scene. Using visual aids like satellite imagery provides another great advantage when you’re trying to gather the full scope of the situation. Additionally, the advent of fire department drone units can make a world of difference in these types of fires, as the ability to get real-time footage and actually see your progress, or lack thereof, is incredibly important to an IC. Pair this with thermal imaging capabilities, and you’ll see you are far better equipped to put your forces in the right places to do the right things (photo 5).
As one of my mentors, the late Captain (Ret.) Michael Clark of the Dover (NH) Fire Department, often stated in his training programs, “If we want fire- ground success, we must have communication, coordination, and cooperation.” Combining collaboration, emerging technologies, and strong training programs will allow for far more commercial fireground competence and success.
AARON J. HELLER began his fire service career in 1984. He recently retired as a deputy chief in the Hamilton (NJ) Fire Department, where he was assigned to oversee the training division. He previously served as chief for Hamilton Township (NJ) Fire District #9. Heller is a N J Level 2 instructor and fire official. He is a past chief of the New Egypt (NJ) Volunteer Fire Company and past chair of the Plumsted Township (NJ) Board of Fire Commissioners. Heller has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from Columbia Southern University. He is a senior instructor with the Mercer County Fire Academy. Heller instructs and has been a presenter at several national, regional, and local training events throughout the United States and abroad. He has been published in Fire Engineering and is the owner of On Scene Training Associates, LLC.
