firefighting strategy

Ladder against fire building

Four Key Elements of the Fireground

Richard Ray deconstructs the strengths, deficiencies, and needs that fire crews will have when confronting the battlefield of the fireground.
Fire in multiple dwelling

Strategic Decision Making: Transitioning from Offensive to Defensive

Anthony Avillo examines cues for incident commanders to consider when transitioning from an offensive to defensive firefighting strategy.
Battalion Chief Danny Sheridan and Chris Naum

Podcast: First-Due Battalion Chief

Host Danny Sheridan and Chris Naum discuss their walking tour of New York City building construction and how these insights translate to the fireground.
Robert Callahan on fires in outbuildings

‘My ‘She-Shed’ Is on Fire!’: Response to Fires in Residential Workshops and Outbuildings

Fire department command staff must identify residential outbuildings in their district and develop response plans for them. Read more from Robert Callahan.
Fireground size-up

The Three Rs of Fireground Size-Up

The effectiveness of your size-up will depend on your ability to quickly and accurately read three key fireground factors, says Gary Bowker.
Will Thalheimer on multi-family conversions

Single-Family to Multifamily Home Conversions: The Hidden Monsters

William Thalheimer on the potential hidden dangers in fires at structures that have been converted from single- to multi-occupancy.

Revisiting Incident Action Plans and the Incident Management System

The most important tool in the incident commander's toolbox is an incident action plan, says Tim Kreis.
Fairfax County VA firefighters at a structure with fire blowing out the windows

Closing the Communications Loop on the Fireground

Dan Shaw looks at one of the most important aspects of fireground management—communications.