Emergency Incident Management

Unit 6

Chapter 13

1

Introduction

• Incident Action Plans

• Strategy, Tactics & Tasks

• Size up

• Building Construction

• ICS Overview

2

Objectives

• Explain the need for a plan at every incident• Differentiate between offensive, defensive,

and transition modes of attack• Explain the need for organized thought

processes in incident assessment• Describe the strategic priorities at an incident• Explain the terms strategy, tactics, and tasks

3

Objectives (con’t.)

• Explain the need for size-up of an incident• Explain how a size-up is performed and what

information must be communicated• Describe the NIIMS Incident Command

System• Explain the need for unified command on a

multijurisdictional incident

4

Management Responsibility

• First-in officer initiates the plan• All firefighters at scene must:

– Remain alert

– Be aware of the plan and the hazards present

• Standard rule– “Victims do not arrive at the scene in fire

trucks”

5

Fireground Operations & Terminology

• Great deal of confusion– Too many “experts” going off in different

directions– Too much terminology that is very similar

• Strategy• Strategic objectives• Strategic priorities• Attack modes• Tactics• Tactical objectives 6

Fireground Operations

• Simplify:– There are 3 levels of decisions/actions

• Strategic• Tactical• Task

– Who functions at each level? • Strategic - Chief• Tactical - Company Officer• Task - Firefighters 7

Incident Planning

• Every incident must have a plan– No plan = incident out of control

• May not realize it, but we make plans w/o thinking• IAP = Incident Action Plan

– More complex incidents require more complex plans

• cf. Dumpster fire v. train derailment with hazmat release requiring mass evacuation

8

Incident Planning for the Desk-Top Commander

• Step 1 in Incident Action Plan

• Establish goals (strategic objectives)

• Step 2 in IAP development:• Determine strategies to accomplish objectives• What are strategies?

– Attack modes

9

Incident Planning for the Desk-Top Commander

• Step 3 in Incident Action Plan development:– Determine tactics

10

Attack Modes (Strategies)

• Offensive –Aggressive, direct interior attack

• Defensive –Protecting exposures, indirect or exterior attack

• Combination –• Using different modes on different areas of the

incident• Carefully coordinate to avoid conflicting tactics• Requires clear communication

11

Attack Modes

• Besides “Combination” mode there are:– Marginal– Offensive-Defensive– Defensive-Offensive

• Why bother making the distinction between modes?– Every FF on scene must know what mode

is being used and perform accordingly12

Strategic Priorities

Developed by Lloyd Layman• Rescue• Exposures• Confinement• Extinguishment• Overhaul• Salvage • Ventilation

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Strategic Priorities • RECEO SV

• Rescue– This is first strategic priority.– “May have to be delayed while hose lines

are placed between victims and fire”• Is this statement correct?????• Placing hose lines may be one way of attending

to our strategic priority of “Rescue”14

Strategic Priorities

• Exposures– Prevent fire from spreading to adjoining

structures or improvements– How do we do this?

• Play water on the exposure

• Confinement– Attack from unburned toward burned– Cut off spread of fire

15

Strategic priorities

• Extinguishment– Overcome BTU’s produced– Fire flow formulas

• 1 lb of wood = 8000 BTU’s• 1 lb of plastic = 16,000 BTU’s

• Overhaul– Search for hidden fire– Make sure all fire is out

16

Strategic priorities

• Salvage– Save contents– May be concurrent with other operations

• Ventilation– May have to happen before any of the

other priorities are attempted– Use when necessary

17

Tactics

Methods to accomplish strategy• Interior search (team search)• Laying supply lines (forward or reverse)• Advancing hose lines to seat of fire• Ventilate roof to release smoke and heat• Spreading salvage covers, building chutes

or removing property

18

Tasks

Individual jobs performed• Force a door• Don SCBA• Advance hose lines• Raise (throw) ladders• Cut holes• Operate equipment

19

Size up

• Ongoing mental process that results in a plan• Components

– Facts– Probabilities

• Function of experience & training

– Situation– Decision – Plan of operation (IAP)

20

Size up

• Continues as operations are carried out because situation is constantly changing

• Always critique incidents afterward– Look for what went right– Look for what went wrong

• Don’t make the same mistakes twice

21

Construction Types

• Indicated by Roman numerals– Type I: Non combustible – Fire resistive – Type II: Non combustible– Type III: Ordinary construction– Type IV: Heavy Timber or Mill– Type V: Wood Frame construction

• May also have additional information• Type IV 2 hour rating

• Type IV unprotected 22

• Correct location

• Size

• Fuel type

• Slope and aspect

• Rate of spread

Size up wildland

23

Size up – wildland

• Exposures in path

• Potential

• Additional resources needed

• Objectives

24

Size up structure

• Correct location

• Height/stories

• Size

• Type of structure (Construction)

• Location and area involved

25

Size up – structure

• Exposures

• Additional resources needed

• Your actions

• Obtain an “all clear”

26

Incident Command System

• National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS)– Developed by National Wildfire Coordinating

Group– National Interagency Fire Qualification System

• Qualification, training, and certification of personnel– Took FIRESCOPE ICS– Built a training & credentialing system around it

27

Incident command system

• ICS based on the “6 Principles of Command” (Ch. 7)

• Provides a basic organizational structure for all types of emergencies– Large or small incidents– Simple or complex in nature

28

Incident command systemComponents of the ICS

• Common terminology- Uses clear text – no “10-codes”

- No “agency specific” terms

• Modular organization- Expands and contracts in a logical manner- Use only what you need

29

Incident command system• Integrated communications

- Uses common radio channels

• Unified command structure- Regardless of jurisdiction or function- All stakeholders participate in strategic

decisions• Consolidated action plans

- Unified objectives30

Incident command system• Manageable span of control

- 3 to 7 with 5 optimum

- Pre-designated incident facilities- Command Post- Staging- Base

31

Incident command system

• Comprehensive resource management- All agencies resources are pooled- All report to a common staging area and are

considered incident assets- Example: Providence, East Prov. & No. Prov. All

go to Smithfield for a major incident- Each agency will use same staging area

- Single resource

- Strike team

- Task Force 32

Incident command system

Resource status• Assigned: in use at the incident• Available: able to respond in 3 minutes or

less• Out-of-service: not ready for immediate

deployment. Still subject to recall to available status. Does not mean mechanical failure.

33

Command staff

L IA IS O N O F F IC E R S A F E TY O F F IC E R IN F O R M A TIO N O F F IC E R

IN C ID E N T C O M M A N D E R

34

General staff

O P E R A TIO N SC H IE F

P L A N SC H IE F

L O G IS TIC SC H IE F

F IN A N C EC H IE F

IN C ID E N TC O M M A N D E R

35

Operations section

S TA G IN G

D IV IS IO N S G R O U P S S IN G L E R E S O U R C E S

B R A N C H (E S )

O P E R A TIO N S C H IE F

36

Planning section

R E S O U R C E SU N IT

S ITU A TIO NU N IT

D O C U M E N TA TIO NU N IT

D E M O B IL IZ A TIO NU N IT

TE C H N IC A LS P E C IA L IS TS

P L A N SC H IE F

37

Logistics section

S U P P L YU N IT

F A C IL ITIE SU N IT

G R O U N D S U P P O R TU N IT

S U P P O R TB R A N C H

C O M M U N IC A TIO N SU N IT

M E D IC A LU N IT

F O O DU N IT

S E R V IC EB R A N C H

L O G IS TIC SC H IE F

38

Finance section

TIM EU N IT

P R O C U R E M E N TU N IT

C O M P E N S A TIO N /C L A IM SU N IT

C O S TU N IT

F IN A N C EC H IE F

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Simple command structure

E N G IN E 1 E N G IN E 2 TR U C K 1

IN C ID E N TC O M M A N D E R

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Divisions/groups

Divisions are geographic.• Floor, area, etc.

Groups are functional.• Rescue, ventilation, salvage, etc.

41

Multi-story structure

D IV IS IO N 1(F IR S T F L O O R )

D IV IS IO N 2(S E C O N D F L O O R )

D IV IS IO N 3(TH IR D F L O O R )

IN C ID E N TC O M M A N D E R

42

Incident command system

Incident type sections added • Hazmat• Multi-casualty incident (MCI)• Urban search and rescue (US&R)• High-rise

Sections have organizational structures and position descriptions.

43

Unified Command

• Fire Department may not be in charge of all incidents that they respond to– Police incidents - police are in charge– Multi-Jurisdictional incidents

• We don’t establish our own command structure– We work within the existing command structure

• Unified Command Concept - all “players” have a say– Meet in CP or EOC – Jointly develop the IAP

44