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Kitchen Table Tactics 1-13-11

This is another post of our Kitchen Table Tactics. These are great for sitting down with your crews to go over some tactics and to practice size up and initial company actions with new officers and acting officers.

This looks like a typical residential fire that could be in any jurisdiction. Smoke is pushing hard and there is a lot of heat in this house.

With no further delay, here we go:

What do you suspect the layout of this house is?
Report of victims, what is your assessment of the risk vs benefit on this fire?
Based on your decision of risk vs. benefit, what is your next action?
Layout how you proceed after implementing your actions up to the extinguishment of the fire.
Are there any special considerations that need to be addressed on this fire that are typical at most fires?
Post your comments for others to see. I really encourage that, some need the view points of others the help them progress.

Take care and thanks for visiting.

http://firefightersenemy.com

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Permalink Reply by Ivan Browning on January 16, 2010 at 12:36pm

Layout - possibly living rooms in quadrants A and D. Kitchen in either quadrant B or C. Short hallway down middle next to stairwell. Maybe a first floor bedroom and bath and bedrooms in the "very small" top floor. Single stairway going up and one going down to basement. Unknown exterior basement entrance. Maybe some knee walls in the 2nd floor.

Risk vs Benefit - Looks like a well involved fire that is originating in the basement are and has taken control of at least one room and vented on the 1st floor. Smoke is pushing with high velocity from the basement and 1st floor. Looks like flames venting from side D basement window in the middle of the house. Not as much on the 2nd floor. With a report of victims a quick search is needed however, the fire needs to go out to make the problem go away. Extinguishment is going to take a little time with fire in the basement and the 1st floor. Any victims are going to be overcome. Daytime hours so they could be anywhere in the structure. Fire in the basement that has extended up probably means weakened floor structure and crews should use caution and careful evaluation should be made before committing a crew over a heavy fire load.

Next actions and action plan - Don't know about side B and C with this picture so have a crew check for exterior basement entrance and fire conditions. If found initiate fire attack in the basement and "attempt" to a**** structural stability of the 1st floor from below. If no basement entrance, maybe knock basement fire from exterior while crew attempts entry on 1st floor using caution as they go. Best access for initial line on the first floor may be through the rear as it would be easy access to the fire and closer to an exit in case of an emergency rather than having to travel back to the front of the house from inside the rear. Send crew either behind 1st floor attack line to go upstairs and search or vent enter search from exterior windows to 2nd floor. Unable to tell if that is possible from this picture because you can't see the window size.

Special Considerations - 1. Fire in basement and structural stability of floor 2. Reported victims and unknown location in structure

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