Sunday morning I am thinking bedrooms is where I will find occupants.  Quick size up appears fire in Division 1 with extension to common hallway...not good for egress of victims or to go with oriented search.  I see significant smoke from division 2 and 3 apt A-thinking tenable space is compromised and doors are open.  I also see a victim at bedroom window division 3 apt A.  

My search will focus on Apt A on division 3 then 2 (since division 3 window is already open with victim).  VES is my preferred method, 2 FF in, 3rd at window with first goal to close door to apartment and maintain tenable space.

Division 1 Apartment A appears to be seat of fire and hopefully attack team can get a knock on fire and complete a hasty search.  2 if not 4 teams for search, assigned to apartments for all divisions (example, Apt A div 2 and 3, Apt D-Div 1, 2 and 3).  If the extension and fire in common hallway can be taken care of then oriented search would probably be faster.  This would need to be coordinated between Attack, IC and Search Teams.  Just my thoughts.

Good thoughts grant. Can you briefly describe a "hasty" search for those that may not have heard of it?

I'm going to agree with just about everything said already. As a search size up, I will say the lack of smoke in Apt A windows and fire in the common hallway would lead me to believe that the door to Apt A on division one was left open. As first Due search team I will almost always go with the sure thing and we would go with a ladder rescue for Apt A on the 3rd division over searching the Fire Apt first. Depending on if or what our 3rd division victim states (more confirmed victims) we may continue our search from the window or regroup and use the common hallway. This will also depend on Fire Attack.
As always I feel that an oriented search will normally always be faster then VES. I don't think that force entry will be to hard with this type of construction and would be faster then venting and clearing windows. But with fire in the common hallway that may not be as easy.
With a 3 man search crew and known persons on the third division I would start search on division 3 A and D and move to division 2 A and D and then division one A and D. Apartment's D should be a quick check for smoke or fire and a call out to possible residence. Depending on common hallway conditions persons may be better to stay in place untill conditions warrent removal. Two persons could search the bedrooms while the officer hits the open livingroom kitchen areas in Apt's A. Fire attack should be able to get a pretty good search of the fire apartment and if plans change a crew could conduct search there instead. With the belief that the door to the fire apartment is open, it can be assumed that victims exited the apartment its not normally good to assume but with this many effected apartments you almost have to. Apartments B and C would be secondary concerns to me as far as search goes but should be searched when crews are availible.

The "hasty search" is completed by the attack team as they advance in on the fire.  This is not a thorough search but the point is to look for victims that may be found between the fire and the egress and if possible close bedroom, or other interior doors to maintain tenable space behind them until a search team can complete a thorough search of the area.

Awesome Justin! Great description!

Do yous run 3 or 4 on an Engine. "Hasty" searchs as you refer to them are a catch 22 with us. We run 3 guys on all our Engines which only gives you a tailboarder on the nozzle and an Officer as the Heel man. On one hand 95% of the houses and apartments in our city are very small and its real easy to knock out a search off the hose. On the other hand with only the two of you trying to do it, you end up with an inefficient advancement or a poor search. I understand that it is something that needs to be done sometimes but you have to weigh the good, the bad and the ugly.

Justin...we run three on engine. Line placement and advancing is first, which is tough with just two...once we get a quick knock or line is in place...heal can double back (not far) to check immediate area and close doors. I wouldn't give the "all clear" on a hasty search. Hope that helps.

Yeah,I would have to say that is how we operate here as well. Unless no one calls in sick, is on vacation or Kelly day we run 3 on an Engine as well. It would have to be special circumstances to search off the hose as you advance in on the fire with a two man hose team. On the rare occasion that I was able to operate a 3 man hose team the Butt was able to pull in some extra hose and search rooms while the nozzle and heel advanced in on the fire. 9.9 times our of 10 fire is first and agreed an "all clear" is hard to give with a "Hasty" search.

Excellent comments, great learning tool for those who will follow but are hesitant to comment. Justin. Excellent comment about if you try to do both ( attack and search) neither gets done perfectly. That can't be good for anyone - including victims.

First things first, being a newer guy, I want to cover my basics first. 360 of the building to make sure we don't have anything on the back side before I commit to anything. Evacuation is poor, as one person is walking out the front door, and with the number of cars in the parking lot, I want to call for more manpower ASAP.

Being a smaller department, our crew shows up on scene with a 3 man engine crew, with our neighboring department likely to be there in 5 minutes or less. The man thing I want to focus my crew on is getting water on the fire. Eliminating the threat is the best way to help the victims in a building of this size (with potentially many victims). 1 person is getting water on the fire through the front door, the other two throw a ladder to division 3 apt A and grab the for sure victim. Hopefully by this time we are getting some more manpower on scene.

After the removal of the victim, I would have, like many stated below me, the crews continue their search of division 3 checking each apartment, but focusing primarily on A and D. With water being put on the fire, hopefully the stairwell is a little easier to work with and our crews can work their way down to each floor. In a situation like this, I would have the next crew throw ladders to windows on each division to ensure an escape for our search team and potential victims.

Unfortunately with limited resources at first, this IMO is the best course of action.

Can any of you other guys throw any advice my way for working with limited crews off the bat? Any specific tactics?

Jon, as far as search goes a three man Engine crew is pretty ideal. It allows for an Officer as your oriented Search FF and two guys to hit different rooms. The Officer has the TIC and tool and the other FF's can move quickly through bedrooms and such. 3 guys also allows ladders to be thrown easily and VES to be completed when needed. I personnally like two man search teams on smaller structures so this gives you two guys to search and your third to help move hose, throw ladders, gather tools, etc.

As for Fire Attack with 3 guys your possibilities are endless. For start your Driver needs to be much more then a pump operator. Driver needs to pull back-up lines, throw ladders, etc. We carry our Irons in a sling so that I am able to throw it on my shoulder and still pull a line. It gets everything to the front door fast. Operating with only two hose team members (Officer and FF) we stage our tools at the front door, my irons and officers hook, so we can move with a quickness through the house.

Instead of the Officer preforming a complete 360 you can do a 180/270. Basically just a change in the wording but instead of walking all the way around the entire structure the officer would walk from the street side, down either the B or D side, look around the back corner and then straight back the way you came. It allows you to see all four sides but save you the time of walking all the way around the entire structure.

I'm sure there are a million more ways but this is all I got for now.