To layout or not to layout

You are the officer of the engine and you are dispatched first due for a house fire with reported people trapped. You have several decisions to make, among them is laying out going in? There are some who say that it takes time to layout and that is time the fire continues to burn and trapped occupants are in a hostile environment. There are others who say that they would lay out with a 4 man crew and leave the 4^th man to wrap the hydrant and run back to the scene, or jump on the back step and go with the engine to the scene. Others will lay out like they would do no matter if people are trapped or not. We in this county are not allowed to ride the back step. Still there others who would not lay out and have the driver set the pumps and hand jack back to the hydrant if close enough to do so. I am not going to tell you what I would do nor do I want you to tell me what you would do. Instead I want you to think about what you would do and discuss it with your shift, get their opinion and have a defendable answer. There are many different answers and my motto has always been “different is not wrong” still there are bosses who will question your actions right or wrong, but as long as you have a sound defendable answer, you will  prevail in the discussion.