 ® |
August- September 2000 |
Communication Misunderstanding
There is a deadly misunderstanding about life-threatening communications in the fire service. This misunderstanding kills firefighters each year. The misunderstanding concerns who is responsible to discover and communicate life-threatening dangers during a fire operation. The firefighter believes this is the fire chief's responsibility and the fire chief believes the firefighter is responsible. Who is correct?
As long as these two important people on the fireground do not agree on who is responsible to discover and communicate to others life-threatening information — such as collapse dangers, rapid increase in fire conditions or potential explosion hazards, we will never reduce firefighter deaths and injuries on the fireground.
Communication flow of life-threatening information
 |
Fire chief |
|
How could such a deadly misunderstanding have been created about such an important life-saving procedure; that is, who looks for and communicates to others unusual life-threatening events during firefighting operations? I have a confession to make. Fire chiefs have unwittingly created this deadly misunderstanding. Fire chiefs, myself included, over the years have given the impression they can detect or see fireground hazards about to happen at fires. They do, sometimes, if they have knowledge of firefighting strategy and tactics and fireground safety. However, even with this knowledge, a fire chief will not discover and communicate most life-threatening dangers during a fire. Actually, firefighters must understand that they, along with company officers and sector officers, are responsible to discover and communicate to others life-threatening dangers during a fire.
The deadly misunderstanding in the fire service is thinking that the fire chief, standing at the command post directing operations, knows the structural stability and fire and explosion dangers inside and around the perimeter of a burning building. The real truth is the fire chief does not know this.
The fire chief at the command post may never have seen the structure before the fire. He probably did not have time during the hectic initial stages of the fire to survey the structure for stability. The fire chief definitely cannot see inside the building, the roof of the building or the rear of the building. Actually, the fire chief is depending on firefighters, company officers and sector officers to discover any fireground dangers and report them to the command post. The firefighters and officers are the eyes and ears of the fire chief. The fire service must acknowledge this reality: Firefighters and company officers are the ones who discover and communicate life-threatening dangers at a fire, not the fire chief. The fire chief is concentrating on hose line placement; evaluating the resource needs, apparatus and manpower; protecting exposures; and giving fire progress status reports. Fire chiefs do not discover life-threatening dangers in or around burning buildings. Firefighters do this.
The other part of the misunderstanding about life-threatening dangers during a fire is who notifies whom? It is erroneously thought that reports of life-threatening warning signs travel from the top down; from the fire chief down to the firefighters Some falsely believe the fire chief tells the sector officer of the life-threatening danger; then the sector officer notifies the company officer, and the officer tells the firefighters. Hogwash! Don't believe it. When you're working at a serious fire and fire conditions are getting bad, the word to get off a burning roof or evacuate a cellar during a spreading fire is not going to come from the fire chief at the command post. The truth is you must give the word to back out! It is you who must identify and communicate this danger to the command post, after you take action to safeguard yourself and other members in the area of danger. The communication flow of life-threatening information goes like this: The firefighter sees a danger; he or she reports it to his or her officer. The company officer evaluates the danger, decides it's not a danger or it is, and takes necessary action to safeguard all firefighters under his command. He then notifies the sector officer of the danger and safety actions taken. The sector officer re-evaluates the danger and the action taken. He decides if the action taken by the company officer is sufficient, or he takes additional safety precautions to safeguard other companies operating under his sector command area, and then notifies the officer in command of the danger. He notifies him of the danger and also the action taken to safeguard companies working in the sector. So, the real truth is, life-threatening information originates with the firefighter, company officer and sector officer at most fires. Not the officer in command. Fire chiefs should inform the fire service of this truth. And most importantly, they must encourage communications of life-threatening warnings from all firefighters and officers in their command. They must not ridicule or discourage this fireground information.
Communicating flow of life-saving information
 |
Fire chief |
|
What must originate from the officer in command of a fire is not life-threatening information, but life saving information. After a dangerous condition is reported to a chief at a fire, he must take action to safeguard firefighters and officers. This could vary from the simple action of notifying all other sectors of the danger reported, because they could be reassigned to the danger area, or more drastic action might be required, such as ordering withdrawal of firefighters from the sector of the burning building where the danger exists.
Fire Service Myth
It goes like this: the chief makes a size-up of the burning building and sees something he doesn't like. He orders all firefighters to evacuate the building. Right after all firefighters get out of the burning building it collapses or explodes.
This may happen sometimes, but what really occurs is this: During a fire, the chief in command receives a report from a firefighter, company officer or sector chief of a dangerous condition. Acting on this report, the chief takes action and sometimes saves lives.
Remember: the responsibility for discovering and reporting life-threatening dangers is the firefighters, the company officers and the sector officers. The responsibility of ordering life-saving action is the fireground commander's. Don't misunderstand this communication.
© Copyright Firenuggets.com 2000 • Click here for Terms and Conditions of Use
