Understanding and Preparing for Structural Firefighting Phases

摘要

How we approach each structural fire depends on numerous variables. Routinely, our approach is a model based on Lloyd Layman's seven fundamental steps of firefighting (size-up, call for help, rescue, cover exposures, locate the fire, control the fire, and overhaul) such as rescue, exposures, confinement, extinguishment, and overhaul (RECEO). Using a model, the incident commander (IC) considers the building or buildings impacted, the contents burning, the location and size of the fire, the exposures, the environmental variables, and the life hazard. The IC combines these variables to provide situational awareness of the incident and then factors in resource realities with the situational awareness to quickly create and implement a plan to manage the fire. This plan must include a quick risk/benefit analysis. In reality, the plan implemented is most often based on past practices of the local department and what has worked well for that IC in the past.