NORTH EAST FIRE COLLABORATIVE
MODEL STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE
SUBJECT:
STRUCTURAL FIRE ATTACK TACTICAL
PRIORITIES FIRE CONTROL
REVISED:
JANUARY 1, 2011
PAGE(S):
3
City of Blue Ash Fire Department ___________________________________
Chief Richard Brown
Loveland Symmes Fire Department __________________________________
Chief Otto Huber
City of Sharonville Fire Department __________________________________
Chief Ralph Hammonds
Sycamore Township Fire Department ________________________________
Chief William “BJ” Jetter
City of Mason Fire Department ________________________________
Chief John Moore
STRUCTURAL FIRE ATTACK
January 1, 2011
Tactical Priorities/Fire Control
PAGE 1 OF 2
This guideline provides Department procedures for fire control options.
Fireground operations generally fall in one of two modes of attack or strategies:
OFFENSIVE or DEFENSIVE. Firefighters are expected to stabilize fire conditions
with a well placed, aggressive, offensive, interior fire attack, whenever possible.
This effort should be supported with the resources and actions necessary to
reduce fire extension and to bring the fire under control. However, it is recognized
that an interior attack is not always possible. Therefore, several fire attack
strategies exist based upon presenting conditions, giving firefighters several
options to safely mitigate fire incidents. A tactical strategy s hould be selected,
based on the presenting conditions, in accordance with a structured risk
management plan.
OFFENSIVE STRATEGY:
Interior attack and related support quickly bringing the fire
under control.
DEFENSIVE STRATEGY: Exterior attack directed to first reduce fire extension
and then bring the fire under control.
INVESTIGATIVE STRATEGY: Exterior and interior investigation of a scene to
determine severity of the possible emergency.
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER SHOULD DETERMINE THE OPERATING MODE
OR STRATEGY BASED UPON CONSIDERATION OF THE FIREGROUND
FACTORS.:
The Incident Commander should match the strategy (and available resources) with the
conditions. The Incident Commander controls overall incident scene safety by
determining the proper strategy to be used.
While considering the level of risk to firefighter and occupants, the Incident Commander
is responsible for determining the appropriate tactical strategy to be used at the fire
scene based on the above factors. Once the appropriate strategy is initiated for the
conditions that are present, it is the responsibility of the Incident Commander to ensure
that all personnel are operating within the strategy. Managing fireground strategy is
expected to start with the arrival of the first company and should be constantly monitored
and evaluated throughout the entire incident by the Incident Commander. The chosen
strategy can change with conditions (i.e. switch from offensive to defensive due to
impending structural collapse) or because certain tactical benchmarks (i.e. a change
from offensive to defensive after an “ALL CLEAR” has been given) are obtained.
STRUCTURAL FIRE ATTACK
Tactical Priorities/Fire Control
January 1, 2011
PAGE 2 OF 2
When selecting a strategy, the Incident Commander should remember to get ahead of
the fire. The Incident Commander is expected to make critical decisions that relate to
cutoff points and develop a pessimistic fire control strategy. It takes a certain amount of
time to get water to a location, and the fire continues to burn while the attack is being set
up. In a multiple occupancy structure it may be possible to have both strategies in place
at the same fire scene. (i.e. Defensive on the main fire occupancy and offensive on the
exposures.) Command should consider where the fire will be when attack efforts are
ready to actually go into operation; if misjudged, the fire may burn past the attack/cutoff
position before resources and personnel are in position. Command should consider a
blitz attack with portable monitors in order to get an initial knock down on the fire. This
could allow companies to get hand lines into position for an offensive attack without the
fire advancing beyond the first arriving companies ability to handle it. Don't play "catch
up" with a fire that is burning through a building. Project your set-up time, write off
property and get ahead of the fire. Set up adequately ahead of the fire, and then
overpower it.
If the Incident Commander does not change strategies from OFFENSIVE to
DEFENSIVE until the building is disassembling itself due to structural damage, the
Incident Commander is late in strategy determination and on the receiving end of the
building's decision governing the new strategy to be employed. Often times when the
building gets to make strategic decisions, fire fighters become traumatized (physically
and/or emotionally). THE INCIDENT COMMANDER DETERMINES THE STRATEGY,
THE BUILDING SHOULDN'T.
Upon arrival at a working fire, it shall be the responsibility of the initial Incident
Commander to include the fireground strategy in his/her on-scene report. When any
change in strategy occurs, it shall be the responsibility of the Incident Commander to
notify all personnel operating on the fireground. The fireground strategy CANNOT be a
mystery to anyone. Everyone operating on the fireground should be operating in the
same strategy in order to safely and effectively carry out the chosen plan of attack. It
should also be noted that with any change of strategy, a PAR should be completed on all
companies working in the hazard zone area.