inside the command post: the seat of command · 2020. 2. 25. · in march 2004, the firefighter...

INSIDE THE COMMAND POST:

THE SEAT OF COMMAND

Mike Alder

Division Chief (Retired)

City of San Bernardino Fire Department

Chief, Crafton Hills Regional Fire Academy

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES

• A little about me. Not expert but a very diverse background in multiple areas

• This class evolved from an attempt to fix some risk taking on the fireground.

• The fire service culture is very powerful and it takes real leadership to change a safer fire service

OUR EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS…

LET’S GO BACK A FEW YEARS

A LOOK BACK

• SBFD – A strong “Let’s go get it” mentality

• Several years of observations and an increase in “risk taking” on the fire ground

• A realization that just because we did things and got away with them, was not an indication that we were doing them safely

THE FIRST PLACE WE LOOKED TO GET SOME ANSWERS

What is the rest of the Fire Service doing and what do the Facts and Stats say?

Overall, the same number of firefighters that are dying today per fire incident is the same as it

was 20 years ago.

IS SAFETY just a buzz word?

NIOSH Top 5 Causes of firefighter deaths

• Lack of incident command

• Inadequate risk assessment

• Lack of firefighter accountability

• Inadequate communication

• Lack of SOPs

NIOSH Investigation of Structure Fires

• Compiled facts from 84 trauma-related incidents at structure fires. 1998 to 2008:– 118 firefighter fatalities

– 126 serious injuries

• 75% of the deaths and 86% of the injuriesoccurred in structures that the firefighters knew or suspected were unoccupied.

NIOSH Investigation of Structure Fires

• Of the 84 incidents, 65 involved offensive firefighting tactics.

Level of risk needs objective, smart size up.

Manage the risk using your experience and knowledge of alternative tactics.

Slow down?

NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION

In March 2004, the Firefighter Life Safety Summit was held in Tampa, Florida to address

the need for change within the fire and emergency services. Through this meeting, 16 Life Safety Initiatives were produced to ensure

that Everyone Goes Home.

http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/initiatives.html

Everyone Goes Home

First Four of Sixteen Life Safety Initiatives

1. Leadership for Cultural Change:Define and advocate the need for a cultural change within the fire service relating to safety; incorporating leadership, management, supervision, accountability and personal responsibility.

2. Accountability for Safety:Enhance the personal and organizational accountability for health and safety throughout the fire service.

3. Manage the RiskFocus greater attention on the integration of risk management with incident management at all levels, including strategic, tactical, and planning responsibilities.

4. Everyone Can and SHOULD Stop an Unsafe OperationAll firefighters must be empowered to stop unsafe practices.

THE INTERNAL STRUGGLE AS A FIRE GROUND COMMANDER

• The previous facts and stats were not in line with the observations on the fire ground

• A feeling that the “let’s go get it” culture was dominating common sense

TRAINING VS. CULTURE

• K St. Incident – This incident opened the door to understanding the strength of a culture

• Subsequent Dept. Training Plan Implemented

• 6 months later – Temple Incident - This incident opened the door to understanding dysfunctional momentum and operant conditioning

Why would a smart guy like Ben get himself in a situation like this?

• The problem is Ben. He wasn’t thinking and should have known better.

• The problem is the organization's culture. It made him believe that this kind of behavior was OK. Maybe even desired.

• The problem was the situation. Things move too fast during emergencies. There was no way to see this coming.

What’s the Problem??

Organization

Person

Situation

Culture of Safety=

Safe Behavior

Composure

When you have it . . .

• You can take in more information

• You can process it logically and critically.

• You can communicate it effectively.

• Your calm catches on.

When you don’t . . .

• Your “vision” narrows.

• You overlook critical information and don’t integrate new inputs well.

• Your communication fragments, is hard to follow, and disorganized.

• You scare people!

WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE COMPOSURE

IT CAN BE PRETTY UGLY

WHEN YOU DO HAVE COMPOSUREIT CAN MAKE ALL THE

DIFFERENCE

Conventional Wisdom

Don’t let your emotions get in the way!

Decision Making Under Pressure

Don’t get emotional vs

• Understand the origin of emotion.

• Capitalize on what emotions do for us in the emergency decision making process.

• Recognize emotional states (in yourself and others) and work within them, don’t try ignore them.

Rational Thought

Emotional Thought

Maintaining Composure

• PRACTICE “Thinking about thinking”

– Understand the source of anxiety in the context of the event.

MYTH: “Good high-stress decision makers have less fear, know more about the emergency, and don’t get excited easy”.

What we really need in emergencies: Resiliency, not perfection


• PRACTICE “Deliberate Calm”

– A process of engaging in a deliberate and focused awareness of your surroundings learned through conscious effort and regular practice.


• PRACTICE Dealing With:

– Unconventional challenges

– Unpredictable outcomes and,

– Developing flexible, innovative solutions

Solving Problems or Following Directions?

Acronyms, Mnemonics, and Rules• SLICERS

– Size-up, Locate, Identify, Cool, Extinguish, Rescue, Salvage

• REVAS – Rescue, Evacuation, Ventilation, Attack, Salvage.

• RECEO-VS– Rescue, Exposures, Extinguish, Overhaul, Ventilation,

Salvage

• SCREEO– Size Up, Call for help, Rescue, Exposures, Extinguishment, Overhaul.

• SLEEVS – Situation, Life safety, Exposures, Extinguish, Ventilate, Salvage.

• COAL WAS WEALTH – Construction, Occupancy, Area, Life Hazards; Weather, Apparatus/Manpower, Special Conditions; Water Supply,

Exposures, Age/Access, Location, Time, Height.

• FIRE SCALDS– Fire Weather, Instructions, Right Things First, Escape Plan, Scouting, Communication, Alertness, Lookout, Discipline,

Supervision

• WALLACE WAS HOT – Water, Area, Life hazard, Location-extent,

Apparatus-personnel, Construction-collapse, Exposures, Weather, Auxiliary appliances, Special matters, Height, Occupancy, and Time.

• BEERS– Basement, Exposure, Electrical/gas, Rescue, Seat of fire

• CHAOS– Chief Has Arrived On Scene

• TEQUILA

Rational Thought

Emotional Thought(Limbic system)

A LOOK AT THE YOUNGER BRAIN IN ACTION

I am totes slaying the dragon right now

Controlling Incident Momentum

1. Start Early!

2. Create the pause

3. Don’t fall in love with your plan

4. Practice Humility

5. Be a decisive leader

Start Early5 Early Signs of Dysfunctional Momentum

1. Decreased or ineffective communication between crewmembers and/or IC during periods where incident activity is increasing.

2. Incident conditions are not improving or are getting worse in spite of tactical efforts, but adjustments are not being made in response.

3. Crewmembers begin engaging in higher risk tactics that do not match the potential gain of using them.

4. Team members begin to fragment from the established organizational structure. More independent action, less teamwork.

5. Crews or individuals opt to engage in operations without adequate resources in place to safely support them, even when there is time to get these resources in place.

Create the Pause

• A calculated, brief, intentional, mental retreat to reevaluate your direction.

Lt. General Hal Moore

Lt. General Hal Moore

• “In battle, I periodically detached myself mentally for a few seconds from the noise, the screams of the wounded, the explosions, the yelling, the smoke and dust, the intensity of it all and ask myself: What am I doing that I should not be doing, and what am I not doing that I should be doing to influence the situation in my favor?”


Don’t fall in love with your plan

Colonel John Boyd, USAF

Forty Second Boyd, Genghis John, The Mad Major, The

Ghetto Colonel

The OODA Loop

• The nature of any given system is continuously changing even as efforts are directed toward maintaining it in its original form.

• The key to survival is the ability to adapt to change, not perfect adaptation to existing circumstances.


A Little Humility Goes a Long Way!


Be a Decisive Leader

(Keep Grandma Out of the Command Post)

3 Younger Brains

&

Risk Taking

Rational Thought

Emotional Thought(Limbic system)

Survey of younger firefighters

• “ . . . 80% of the junior firefighters surveyed said that they would not report a dangerous condition to command officers, even though it might effect firefighter safety. This was mainly because they felt that command already knew of the situation and did not want to hear from the junior firefighters”

(Lubnau and Okray 2001)

After the Burn over

Several subordinate members of the crew stated that they noticed clues that the fire situation was getting dangerous, but did not make an issue about it since

more senior crew members did not seem to be alarmed.

After the Burn over

The I.C. trainee seemed to be in denial that the fire would overrun them. After the fire, he was quoted as

saying , “ the hair on the back of my neck never stood up” and that he “had never lost a fire.”

Operant Conditioning

If you commit an unsafe act enough times, and nothing bad happens, you begin to think it’s actually not

unsafe after all!

A Near Miss?Lessons from the aerial ladder

After Action ReportTwo key findings

1. The injured firefighter had done the same thing before, didn’t get hurt, so he kept doing it!

OPERANT CONDITIONING

“After the incident, several department members relayed stories of the same thing almost happening to them. These stories ranged from simply scuffing the toe of a boot, to actually having the boot get

pulled into the rung”

After Action ReportTwo key findings

Near-Misses vs Remote-Misses

• Near-miss response

– Survive, but deeply affected by the incident. Reinforces a more careful approach in the future, productive fear.

• Remote-miss response

– Psychological consequences are ”the exact opposite of the near-miss group. Their survival comes with an excitement associated with the attack and a feeling of invulnerability. A near miss leaves you traumatized, but a remote miss makes you believe you are invincible.’

Times we got it

right

95%

Times we didn't

get it right

5%

Where do we focus our attention?

Where we like to focus

Where injuries and fatalities take placeWhere real learning

takes place

What defines us as members of the fire service?

How We See/Define Ourselves Can

Get us all Jacked-Up

Firefighters are not normal people!

Occupational Safety Logic

• The more we reduce risks the safer the environment is for those around us.

Fire Service Logic

• If I take risks, I can increase the safety of the environment for those who call for service.

Public Expectation

Esperanza Burnover Report

Contributing Factor #1

“The public (social and political) and firefighting communities expect and tolerate firefighters accepting a notably higher risk for structure protection on wildland fires . . .” (pg. 43)

Things we do that work contrary to our own best interest

• Overconfidence– Overestimate our capacity.

– Underuse the capacity of others

– Too many “remote-misses”

• Overly motivated to accomplish strategic tasks.– Failure to recognize, or accept, deteriorating

conditions.

• Acquiescence to social pressure

What are we really looking for?

Consistent, reliable

SAFE BEHAVIORS

Clearly Defined Scope of Duty

Identification and Understanding

of

Risks Involved

Safety Systems Adequate

and

Appropriate to Address Identified Risks

Safety Culture

Safe Behaviors

If you identify it, train on it, and prepare for it, you CAN do it.



of

Risks Involved


and


Safety Culture

Symptoms of absence• Management actions not congruent

with meaningful safety initiatives.

• Role modeling of unsafe behavior.

Components• Management offers visible evidence of

safety commitment by modeling safe behaviors.

• Safety is a deeply held organizational value

• Safe behavior is rewarded.

• Rewards systems for safe behavior congruent between formal and informal leaders/groups.

Safety Culture

Firefighter Phillip Townsend Denison TX. Fire Department

December 30, 2006

“Everything was going well . . .

. . .until the Chief showed up”

President of Local 951

Identified Collapse Zone

The Fire Chief Arrives

Symptoms of absence• Management actions not congruent

with meaningful safety initiatives.

• Role modeling of unsafe behavior.

• Near misses underemphasized or ignored.

• Management commitment to safety is seen as inconsistent, leading to low credibility.

Components• Management offers visible evidence of

safety commitment by modeling safe behaviors.

• Safety is a deeply held organizational value

• Safe behavior is rewarded.

• Rewards systems for safe behavior congruent between formal and informal leaders/groups.

Safety Culture



of

Risks Involved


and


Safety Culture

Leadership

Intervention

Critical!

Safe Behavior

Barriers to Effective

Command & Control Failure to make proper

decisions on the fire ground by Incident Commanders. Why?

Not understanding the responsibility of managing the strategy, resources and the risk

Not understanding the functions of command

Not understanding fire behavior, building construction and the changing fire ground

The Eight Essentials to Effective Command

1 Be competent

2 Bring value to the incident

3 Effectively communicate

4 Formally declare the strategic mode

5 Set good tactical objectives

6 Organize the incident

7 Monitor the triangle of communication

8 Continually question & be pessimistic

#1 - Be Competent

• Understand fire behavior and building construction

– The fire ground has changed. Modern vs. Legacy (UL & NIST Studies)

• Realize the importance of really knowing your craft

• Realize what needs to be done if your weak. Reality check – We all are!

STRATEGIC & TACTICALCONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY’S

FIREGROUND

Cincinnati Ohio2003

Standard Measure: BTU

The amount of energy needed to heat 1 pound of

water 1 °F

1 Lb. of Wood =8,000 BTUs

16,000 BTU• 1 Lb of Plastic =

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit

The change per unit time as a result of the conversion of

the chemical energy of a fuel to heat in a combustion

process.

Heat release rate is typically reported in kilowatts (kW) or

megawatts (MW).

It is, in effect, the most pertinent measure

of the size of a fire.

Heat Flux: Flow of energy per unit of area per

unit of time (W/m2)

The intensity of the thermal environment to

which a sample is exposed when burned.

Heat release rate(GPM)

Heat Flux(Velocity/Pressure)

Object

In IDEAL circumstances, rated for:

5 minutes in 500 degrees F (NFPA 1971)

Does NOT take into consideration:

Heat flux (measured – kW/m2)

Rate of heat transfer due to the velocity of

convective flows.

NIST Research:

Just prior to flashover, the heat flux from the upper hot gas

layer to the floor approaches 20 kW/m2.

Post flashover heat flux ranges from 60 kW/m2 to 160

kW/m2

Survival time for firefighter in full structure gear exposed

to 500o F combined with heat flux in excess of 20 kW/m2

is:

Less than 30 seconds

126 126

The contents of a

single-family home.

Now dominated by

synthetic materials.

Source: National Geographic

Magazine

127 127

26% of Houses built in 2008

were greater than 3000 ft2

SMOKE IS FUEL

Dual pane glass failed in about 5 min. at about

650o.

A ventilation limited (fuel rich) condition

developed prior to the failure of the windows.

Oxygen depleted combustion products filled the

rooms of the structure.

Once the window failed, the fresh air provided the

oxygen needed to sustain the transition through

flashover, which caused a significant increase in

temperature.

Externally applied water:

Fog and solid stream patterns through the window for 60 sec

at about 150 GPM:

Heat Factor Fog Stream Solid Stream

Temperature 20% decrease 40% decrease

Heat Flux 30% decrease 40% decrease

SS had little or no impact on gas velocity in

corridors outside fire room

Offensive or Defensive

Transitional Attack:

Quick attack of the fire from an exterior

position with a straight stream to hold the

fire in check , coordinated with a subsequent

offensive attack.

Transitional Attack Guidelines• A structure fire is pre or post-flashover with visible

flames venting from one or more openings.

• The time or resources required to make an offensive attack will allow the fire to:

– Reach flashover, or

– Extend to uninvolved rooms, or

– Extend to structural components.

• In the absence of an “imminent rescue”, and resources are insufficient to comply with 2-in/2-out.

When NOT to use T.A.

• When an offensive attack can be made safely and effectively, or

• An offensive attack is needed to affect rescue (known rescue).

• The location of the fire is unknown.

• When the amount of fire or structural conditions are such that defensive attack is the only safe alternative.

UNDERSTANDING FLOW PATH/AIR TRACK

Flow Path – “every new ventilation opening provides a flow path to the fire and vice versa. This could create a very dangerous condition when there is

a ventilation limited fire.“

This requires that firefighters be aware of flow path and air track. Flow path is the course of movement that hot gases follow between the fire area and exhaust openings. It affects the movement of air into the fire.

Air track is considered closely related. Air track is the observation of the movement of both air and smoke as observed from the perspective of

inside or outside of the structure. Air track terminology describes a group of fire behavior indicators. These indicators include direction and intensity of smoke, velocity and turbulence and movement between the upper and

lower boundaries of thermal balance

#2 - Bring Value to the Incident

• Understand the need for an increased level of situational awareness. Your job is to watch and listen and see what the troops are not seeing

• Understand the fire service culture of risk taking. We often work harder/faster and not necessarily smarter when pressed.

• Manage the fire ground momentum

Principles and Concepts which Help with Awareness & Decision Making

• RPDM - Recognition Primed Decision Making

• Humility

• Balance

• Diligence / Vigilance

• Team Effort

• Trust but Verify

Terminology

Slowing down does not mean moving slowly

It means managing the momentum of the incident.

# 3 - Effectively Communicate

• Articulate your arrival report utilizing the 4 big critical fireground factors

• Proper use of tactical channels. Don’t get overloaded

• Increased use of CAN (Conditions, Actions and Needs) reports

• Consistent vocabulary and terminology

CRITICAL FIREGROUND FACTORS

No Sprinkler System


• Building – SFD, Small Box Commercial, Strip Mall, Center Hall Apt, etc

• Occupancy – What type of occupancy and is it occupied?

• Fire Conditions – Room & Contents, Well-involved structure fire, fully involved

• Arrangement – Where is the fire, where is it going and what obstacles are in our way to extinguish it (forcible entry, exposures, attic fire, etc)


• Life Hazard

• Resources Needed

• Action that needs to be taken

• Special Circumstances

SIZE-UPGood size-up and IAP is based on identifying the critical fire

ground factors such as:

– The building

– The occupancy (BOFA)

– The fire

– The arrangement

– Keep in mind that there are obviously other fire ground factors but always get the big 4

VERBAL REPORTAFTER B.O.F.A.

Name the Incident

Establish Command

Command Post Location

Establish A Side

Actions Being Taken

Needs – Additional Resources

Declare Strategy backed up by 360

Immediate Safety Concerns

Accountability Started

Arrival Example1st Arriving Company:

E-1 has arrived at 123 Main St, establishing Main Command. I have a single-story 4-plex, heavy fire & smoke conditions in the garage on the Alpha side, it appears to be an evacuated building from face to face reports from the RP. The fire has potential to move into an attic fire.

It currently looks like we can be in the offensive mode but will confirm on the 360. The Command Post is located on Main St and this is the A side of the fire.

Confirm the 360 Declare the mode and make sure it matches the SPR

Practice the arrival report using videos and pictures

Terminology

What does vacant mean?

NIOSH and IAFC Recommended Terminology

• Abandoned

• Vacant

• Unoccupied

• Evacuated

• Occupied (Risk a lot)


• Abandoned: Not being used for any purpose and not being maintained for future use. (Risk nothing)

• Vacant: Not currently in use, but could be used in the future. Has inherent property value, even though it may not contain valuable contents or human occupants. (Risk little)


• Evacuated: Building was occupied when incident occurred but all the occupants have self evacuated or been assisted out.

– How do we know?

• If you know, then it’s now only a propertyissue. Risk a little.


• Unoccupied: Not occupied by any persons at the time of the incident. Could be a business that is closed, or residential structure where the residents are at work, vacation, etc. May have inherent property value and contents value.

“But there’s no such thing as an unoccupied structure”

# 4 - FORMALLY DECLARING THE

STRATEGIC MODE

It is very simple… do not declare a mode until you have attempted to

get as many sides of the fire as possible!!!

7 SIDES OF THE FIRE & THE 360

• Your arrival will get you two & maybe 3 sides of the fire

• Just does not make sense to commit resources until we get info on as many sides as possible

• 4 sides, top and bottom & inside

A LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 360

Colerain Township Department ofFire and Emergency Medical Services

Line of Duty DeathFact Finding Committee

Preliminary ReportJuly 11, 2008

Captain Robin M. BroxtermanApril 16, 1970 – April 4, 2008

Firefighter Brian W. SchiraOctober 15, 1978 – April 4, 2008

Building Construction

Figure 1: Front (alpha side) photo of 5708 Squirrelsnest LN.

Rear elevations from the Bravo /Charlie corner showing the basement exterior door and window.

STRATEGIC MODES

• Offensive We are going in!

• Defensive All operations are outside of the hazard zone

• Transitional Quick attack of the fire from a position with a straight stream to hold the fire in check, coordinated with a subsequent offensive attack.

# 5 - SET GOOD TACTICAL OBJECTIVES

• In order to set good tactical objectives we all need to mentally slow down and think about what we really want to accomplish

• Be concise but specific with the requests

• Be realistic and take into consideration resources, training, experience.

• Never forget that TIME is ticking away

Remember…

All companies must have a

tactical objective

Tactical Objectives

RECEO vs. all the others

Don’t get too hung up on a new fire service

phrase

All Companies must have an assignment

# 6 - Organize the Incident

• Efficient use of the ICS. Don’t fear the ICS Police

• Understanding the Strategic, Tactical and Task functions and using them correctly

• Correct use of Span of Control

• Don’t ever leave staging empty. Be proactive

3000 square feet has been determined to be the

dividing line between small and large structures.

3000 square feet or less – Use Geographic

Divisions

More than 3000 square feet – Use Functional

Groups.

Known rescue in any size building – Use

Functional Groups.

Geographic vs. Functional

# 7 - Monitor the Triangle of Communication

Ventilation has to be coordinated

TRAINGLE OF COMMUNICATION

SAFE

OPERATIONS

IC

FIRE ATTACK

VENT GROUP

ALL THREE ARE TALKING AND COORDINATING

WITH EACH OTHER

All ventilation has to be coordinated through the IC…

PPV has to be thoroughly understood when to use and when

not to use

# 8 - Continually Question &

Be Pessimistic

COMPARING THE FIREGROUND WITH A MILITARY BATTLE GROUND

A LOT IS APPLICABLE TO OUR JOB

inside the command post: the seat of command · 2020. 2. 25. · in march 2004, the firefighter...

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