Incident Size Up
Joe Lachowski
Grand Teton National Park
Joe_Lachowski@nps.gov
Incident Size Up
• Say it like it is
NEED FOR A
LOGICAL THOUGHT
PROCESS
Develop a decisionmaking process you go
through from dispatch through making the initial
decisions on the incident scene.
Some of the more frequently used methods are:
Scream and panic
Moth to flame
Stand and stare
Transfer command
The Emergency Scene Can be Confusing
• High demand to take immediate action.
• Limited resources on arrival.
• Many decisions to be made with minimal
information.
• Radio traffic at its peak.
COMMAND SEQUENCE
COMMAND SEQUENCE
Incident Priorities
• Life safety, incident stabilization, and
property conservation.
INITIAL SIZE-UP
A rapid mental evaluation of
various factors related to an
emergency incident.
What should initial size-up
include?
What do I have?
What should initial size-up
include?
What do I have?
Where is it going?
Be Pessimistic
Murphy’s Law is always on the incident.
What should initial size-up
include?
What do I have?
Where is it going?
How do I control it?
Brief Initial Report
First-arriving unit should paint a vivid
word picture of conditions.
What do I have?
• Incident description
• Building description and occupancy type
• Description of conditions
What am I doing?
Actions being taken
What do I need?
• Instructions to other responding resources.
• Request for additional resources.
Who is in Command?
• Designate who has command.
• Designate command by incident name.
• Eliminates confusion during simultaneous
alarms.
Explosion
Middle of the night MCI
Pickup extrication
• Develop an attack plan
– Communicate in the order you want it
accomplished
ONGOING
SIZE-UP
Ongoing Analysis of the Progress
of the Incident
• What has happened?
• What is happening?
• What is going to happen?
Ongoing Analysis of the Progress
of the Incident
• Determine if current plan is working.
• Identify changes or modifications that may
need to be made to action plan.
COMMAND SEQUENCE
Initial incident commander
• Size up
• Report on conditions
• Action (attack) plan
• Size up
Size up scenarios
Give initial report on conditions
Insert slide # 34 from module 4
Van Accident
• M1 respond to Highway 1 for a report of a
van verses a tree.
Smoke showing
• E2, M2 respond to College Dorms for a
smoke alarm with smoke showing.
Insert slide # 46, module 4
Highway accident
• M1 respond to Interstate 80 for a report of a
two vehicle accident, unknown injuries.
Loud Crunch
• M1 respond to the area of 123 Homeowner
Drive for a report of a loud crunch heard
next door. No further information at this
time.
MVA
• E2, M2 respond to the Corner Convenience
Store for a report of a MVA involving a
bus, unknown injury, unknown road
blockage.
K-Mart Fire
• E1, E2 respond to K-Mart for a report of a
fire.
Stuck in the Water
• E1 respond to 123 Homeowner Drive for a
report of a vehicle stuck in the water.
Unknown injuries, no further information at
this time.
Trapped
• M1, E1 respond to the PD parking lot for a
report of a person trapped inside a vehicle.
Unknown injury or mechanism at this time.
Vehicle Fire
• E2 respond to 123 Homeowner Drive for a
report of a vehicle fire.
Truck v. Car
• M1 respond to 555 Construction Drive for a
report of a truck verses car, unknown
specifics.
Homeowner Drive
• E1, E2, M1 respond to Homeowner Drive
for a report of a small garage fire, unknown
occupants.
Rollover
• M1 respond to Sagebrush Drive for a report
of a single vehicle rollover.
Mansion Fire
• E1, E2, E42, M1, M2 respond to
McMansion Drive for a report of a structure
fire, unknown occupants.
Pizza Fire
• E2, E1, M2, M1 respond to Leeks Pizza for
a structure fire, flames showing, unknown
occupants trapped.
Insert slide # 47, module 4
Construction Fire
• E1, E2, E42, M1, M2 respond to Buffalo
Valley Road for a report of a structure fire.
Building is a large structure under
construction. All workers are reported to be
clear at this time.
JLL Dorm Fire
• E1, E2, M1, M2 respond to College Dorm 7
for a report of smoke showing. Security is
not on scene. Unknown extent or
occupants.
Insert slide # 49, module 4
Any Questions?
• Joe Lachowski
• National Park Service
• Joe_Lachowski@nps.gov