1. Chapter 23
Firefighter Survival

2. Introduction Survival dependent on:
Prevention through readiness
Training on firefighter emergency procedures
Factors that help prevent emergencies:
PPE; task accountability; fitness for duty
At an incident: deliberate actions (or inaction); attention to hazards
Attention to team continuity, orders, communication, rapid intervention planning, rehabilitation
Must have a planned systematic process for self-rescue or rapid intervention in emergencies

3. Incident Readiness
Incident readiness is a mental process that answers a few questions:
Am I in a position to respond?
Is my personal protective equipment available?
What is my relationship to the response?
Physically can I respond?
Mentally, can I check out my current thoughts and focus on response?
Ensure the “system” is assembled and ready for response

4. Personal Protective Equipment
PPE is the first thing to put on for protection
Last thing to use for protection
In many departments, firefighters check all ensembles at beginning of every shift
Time spent donning gear before arriving at incident is well spent
If seatbelts cannot be worn, better to don PPE at incident
Following an incident, gear may need to be decontaminated

5. Preparing PPE for Readiness
All clothing materials are dry.
All PPE is present and positioned so that it may be donned rapidly.
Essential pocket tools are available and in working order.
Alternative PPE items are appropriately packed and ready for use.
Additionally, firefighters should check protective equipment assigned to their riding position

6. Personal Accountability
Three types of accountability:
Passport
Tag
Company officer
No freelancing
Relationship to response: assignments and personal size-ups
Perform as trained
Know your strengths and weaknesses

7. Figure 23-2 Accountability systems take on many forms—firefighters must know how to check in.

8. Figure Firefighters achieve mastery of tasks through repeated training. Mastery reduces the chance of injury.

9. Fitness for Duty Mental fitness Physical fitness and wellness
“Check out” of the environment, “check in” to size-up
Physical fitness and wellness
Cardiovascular conditioning
Core strengthening
Flexibility improvement
Resistance training
Nutritional balance
Hydration maintenance

10. Energy and Rest
Safety directly affected by energy potential and rest a firefighter has stored
Be attentive to energy and rest levels
Communicate rehabilitation needs to an officer

11. Safety at Incidents
Roughly half of all duty-related injuries and deaths happen at incident scene
Individual injured failed to “see” events that lead to injury
Injuries and death occur when firefighters allow urgency to override judgment
Firefighters can prevent injury and death through mental and physical actions
Team continuity
Team must exercise guarded judgment when completing a task

12. Figure 23-6 Team continuity reduces the chance for injuries.

13. Team Procedures for Incidents
Utilize an incident command system (ICS)
Work together and remain intact
Look after each other
Prevent freelancing

14. Figure Freelancing is eliminated and incident success is gained when specific tasks are assigned to teams of two or more firefighters operating from a single incident action plan.

15. Orders/Communication
Incident commander responsible for assembling incident action plan (IAP)
Implemented by teams performing tasks
Tasks assigned to organized teams in the form of orders
Team responsible for carrying out the order
Providing updates on a regular basis
Relay information about hazards
First arriving teams perform prescribed tasks
They must know tasks, tools required, and safety considerations

16. Figure 23-8 Practicing good reporting habits enhances communications.

17. Risk/Benefit
Risk/benefit: an evaluation of the potential benefit of a task in relationship to hazards
Basic guidelines:
Take significant risk to save a known life
Take calculated risk, and provide additional safety, to save valuable property or reduce potential for injuries
Take no risk to save what is already lost
Retreat to defensive position when conditions are deteriorating quickly

18. Figure Solid risk/benefit analysis means taking no risk for that which is already lost. (Courtesy of Richard W. Davis)

19. Personal Size-Up
Size-up: continuous situational awareness and mental evaluation process
Stay aware of:
Established work areas
Hazardous energy
Smoke conditions
Escape routes
Air management

20. Rehabilitation
Stress and overexertion are leading causes of injury and death
Key concern is controlling heat stress
Rest achieved during crew rotation
Sit down; allow medical personnel to do vital sign check; mentally disengage from the event
Active cooling reduces core body temperature
Water vital to peak operation of body systems
Best nutrition: 30/30/40 balance

21. Figure Rehabilitation should start well before a firefighter is thirsty or tired. Failure to rehabilitate “early and often” opens the door to injury.

22. Rapid Intervention Teams
Rapid intervention team (RIT) rescues firefighters in an emergency
Goal is to avoid need for rapid intervention
Two-in/two-out rule provides for immediate intervention if needed
RIT should have no other assignment
Consists of well-trained, experienced firefighters
Other firefighters should not abandon previous assignments until reassigned

23. Table 23-1 RIT Responsibilities Checklist

24. Firefighter Emergencies
When emergency presented, firefighter must rely on instincts and training
Study procedures for rapid escape
For declaring a Mayday for lost and trapped situations
Survival includes processes for rescue of trapped and lost firefighters
Also long-term mental survival

25. Declaring a Mayday
Specific procedures for declaring any mayday developed at local fire department level
Declaring a mayday:
Transmit over radio “Mayday” three times followed by ICS assignment
Wait for an acknowledgement
Once acknowledgement made, report nature of mayday, current location or last known location
Manually activate PASS device

26. Rapid Escape
Evacuation signals: repeated air horn blasts; special radio tone followed by evacuation order
Rapid escape steps:
Preplan the escape
Immediately report need for rapid evacuation
Acknowledge rapid evacuation or escape signals
Rapidly escape
Report successful escape

27. Figure 23-12 Rapid fire spread and partial collapse are likely to trigger the need for rapid escape.

28. Figure A PAR is a personnel accountability report organized to check the status of all crews working an incident. PARs should take place every half-hour or after an evacuation or any firefighter emergency.

29. Lost, Trapped, and Injured Firefighters
When firefighting, crews may be placed in environments they have never been in before
Potential to be trapped or lost during assignment
Low-air situations:
Good SCBA air management provides margin of safety
Enter, work, and egress before warning device activates
Low-air warning while in IDLH environment warrants immediate communication

30. Lost, Trapped, and Injured Firefighters (cont’d.)
Entrapment:
First step is to get assistance
Activate PASS device and declare “Mayday”
Follow up with other noise-making activities
Be careful not to use up excess energy
Size up and develop a plan
Attempt self-extrication
Planned and systematic

31. Lost, Trapped, and Injured Firefighters (cont’d.)
Lost/disoriented firefighters:
Firefighter or team must report that they are lost
Mayday should be transmitted over the radio
Manually activate PASS devices
Take deep breaths and calm down
Take inventory of surroundings
Establish direction, door and window locations, potential paths
Maintain radio contact with RIT members

32. Lost, Trapped, and Injured Firefighters (cont’d.)
Firefighters must trust RITs
RIT activated when firefighter found to be trapped or injured
If team in proximity aides firefighter, communicate this
Firefighters not on the RIT or in the vicinity should resist the urge to rush in and help

33. Figure A serious firefighter injury or fatality will cause significant incident stress. Focus and use of RITs will minimize unnecessary risk during firefighter rescue and help maintain incident control.

34. Post-Incident Survival
Post-incident thought patterns: firefighter’s mind relaxes as adrenaline fades
Responsible for many injuries and deaths
Critical incident stress (CIS): incidents that lead to long-term mental and health issues

35. Post-Incident Survival (cont’d.)
Post-incident thought patterns
Inattentiveness as soon as order given to “pick up”
Take a time-out and have everyone gather for incident summary and safety reminder
Fatigue and mental drain unavoidable chemical imbalance
Important to stay alert and pick up signs of potential injury
Take steps to “survive” without injury

36. Post-Incident Survival (cont’d.)
Critical incident stress
Firefighters expected to tolerate incident stress
Some events trigger significant emotional response
May not always be external
Many firefighters harbor the reaction internally
CIS exhibited in many ways
“Survive” CIS by critical incident stress management (CISM)
Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)
“Defusing” in a peer environment

37. Figure 23-16 Signs of critical incident stress are natural following “trigger” incidents.

38. (A)
(B)
Figure Critical incident stress management sessions can be (A) informal such as a “defusing” or (B) formal such as a process that includes peer support and mental health professionals.

39. Lessons Learned Firefighter survival dependent on:
Incident readiness and safe operations
Appropriate preparation and response to emergencies
Safe operations dependent on team continuity
Emergencies require firefighter to practice clear and concise approach
Survive long term through understanding of post-incident thought patterns and stress