1. Strategy and Tactics with Limited Staffing
John M. Buckman III

2. NEVER FORGET WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE GOES HOME!

3. SCBA FACEPIECE
Catastrophic Failure

6. OUTGUNNED
Most fire departments arrive on a scene with limited staffing and then play catch up from the beginning to the end of tactical operations.

8. OUTGUNNED When was the last time you had a fire behavior class?
Fire Phenomena
Fire Development is a function of many factors including: fuel properties, fuel quantity, ventilation (natural or mechanical), compartment geometry (volume and ceiling height), location of fire, and ambient conditions (temperature, wind, etc).
When was the last time you had a fire behavior class?

10. Sometimes we just need to put water on the fire!

11. How Much Is Enough? How many firefighters do you have?
How many firefighters do you need?
How long will it take for the right amount of firefighters to arrive?
What is on fire?
How big is the fire?
When did you start thinking about it?

14. Fireground Field Experiments
NIST

16. Chief Alan Brunacini, Ret.
The initial radio report is probably the most important communications the incident commander will hear!
Chief Alan Brunacini, Ret.

17. Limited staffing impacts all tactical activities.
Realizing the impact limited staffing has on selection of appropriate strategy is a critical decision making component.
Limited staffing impacts all tactical activities.

18. Service Expectations Have Steadily Increased
EMS, response to natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, and acts of terrorism.
This presentation explains some of the outcomes determined during the conduct of this research on the effects of varying crew sizes, first apparatus arrival time, and response time on firefighter safety, overall task completion, and interior residential tenability using realistic residential fires.
Local decision makers are challenged to balance these community service expectations with finite resources.

19. Don't be a Hero

23. ROLE OF COMMAND Situational Overload Strategy/Tactics Resources
Building
Fire/Location-Size
Accountability
Action Plan

24. CRITICAL DECISION MAKING
Decision making is improved through:
Training
Experience
Communication Skills
Preplanning

25. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Perception of what is going on around you!
Affects performance and decision making!
If it is not maintained, errors occur!
Tendency to ignore information that is out of context!

26. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Fight the Fire!
Assess Problems in the Time Available!
Gather Information from All Sources
Choose the Best Option
Monitor Results and Alter the Plan as Necessary
Beware of the Loss of Situational Awareness

27. CAPABILITY
MEASURE IT!

28. What is wrong with applying LOTS of water from the exterior?

29. Impact of externally applied water.
In these experiments, the externally applied water streams were implemented in different ways;

30. a fog stream inserted into the fire room window, a fog stream flowed from the floor below into the fire room window opening, and a solid water stream flowed from the floor below into the fire room window opening.

31. In all cases, the water flows suppressed the fires, thereby causing reductions in temperature in the corridor and the stairwell of at least 50 %. The water flow rates used in these experiments were between 160 gpm and 200 gpm, demonstrating that a relatively small amount of water applied directly to the burn fuels can have a significant impact.

32. OFFENSIVE TACTICAL WEAPON

33. OFFENSIVE TACTICAL
WEAPONS

34. RESOURCES IMPACT
Strategic Decision
Apparatus
Staff
Equipment
Water

35. STAFFING IMPACT Strategic Decision How many do I need?
How big is the problem?
When will they arrive?
What is their capability?

36. STAFFING IMPACT Tactical Decisions Simultaneous or Sequential
Command Decides
Offensive Requires More Staff

38. Traditional Fire Development in a Compartment Fire

39. Standard Tasks Stop at hydrant, wrap hose Position hose
Conduct size up (360degree lap) transmit report, establish command
Engage pump
Position attack line (forward lay)

40. Standard Tasks Establish 2 in / 2 out Supply attack engine
Establish RIT
Gain/Force Entry
Advance attack line
Advance backup line (stop time at front stoop)

41. Standard Tasks Advance backup line/protect stairwell
Conduct primary search
Ground ladders in place
Horizontal Ventilation (ground)
Horizontal Ventilation (2nd story)

42. Standard Tasks Control utilities (Interior)
Control utilities (Exterior)
Conduct secondary search
Check for fire extension (walls)
Check for fire extension (ceiling)
Mechanical Ventilation

57. Residential Fires May Actually Pose Commercial Risks.
Floor collapse can occur in six minutes.

58. BRIEF PLAN EXECUTE WIN DEBRIEF
FUTURE
PICTURE
STRATEGY
LEADER’S INTENT
BRIEF
PLAN
EXECUTE
WIN
DEBRIEF
EXECUTION STANDARDS
TRAINING
PEOPLE

59. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING CONTACT John M. Buckman III jmbuckman3rd@gmail
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING CONTACT John M. Buckman III