Nicholas DeLia explains how using dioramas can better prepare first responders for the wide variety of incidents they encounter.
A strong command presence can overcome most issues in an emergency incident, writes David Polikoff.
Being able to make decisions within the “gray” area depends on your ability to manage risk and to truly understand your capabilities, writes Jim Silvernail.
Brian Zaitz discusses the concept of mirrored command, which is designed to build redundancy in command in the event of a firefighter Mayday.
Understanding how you make decisions and how to develop and maintain your situation awareness are keys to your success as an incident commander.
From time to time, you hear the phrase “Old-School Firefighting” and the need to return to our roots—i.e., hard-nosed, get-down-and-dirty, get-in-there-at-all-costs firefighting. Although many times this approach is warranted, failing to recognize when it is not warranted can and has cost firefighter lives. A cavalier approach to structural firefighting all the time, every time, displays a gross misunderstanding of risk management and usually results in more casualties than are acceptable (and none are acceptable!). No firefighter is tougher than a fire, a collapsing building, misbehaving electricity, or a moving vehicle. Your job as an officer is to keep your subordinates from testing that theory.