Building a Risk Assessment Plan

Since there has been a lot of discussion lately on firefighter safety and risk assessment, I thought it presented a golden opportunity to take it a step further and use this medium in a constructive manner.

So, I would like to use your expertise for developing a living, breathing document that anyone could take back to their department and use.

I have the start of what I feel can be improved upon by those who reply. With each reply, we will either cut content or add content. I will edit the article to reflect the changes and in the end, we will have a risk assessment plan that we can all be proud of.

So, how about it? Do you have something to add?

Then, let’s go!

Your Fire Department’s Risk Assessment Plan

(Insert Number) – Structural Firefighting: Rules of Engagement

• All structural fire fighting operations involve an inherent level of risk to firefighters.
• The exposure of fire fighters to an elevated level of risk is acceptable only in situations where there is a realistic potential to save known endangered lives.
• All feasible measures shall be taken to limit or avoid these risks through risk assessment and application of safety policies and procedures.
• No property is worth the life of a fire fighter.
• No risk to the safety of fire fighters is acceptable in situations where there is no possibility to save lives or property.
• Fire fighters shall not be committed to interior, offensive firefighting operations in buildings that are known or reasonably believed to be vacant or unoccupied.
• The following guidelines are to help determine what is an acceptable risk.

(Insert Number) – Acceptable Risk Defined

• A basic level of risk is recognized as a measured and controlled effort that is employed to save lives and property.
• These risks are not acceptable in situations where there is no potential to save lives or property.
• A higher level of risk is acceptable only when there is a realistic potential to save lives.
• This elevated risk must be limited to operations that are specifically directed toward rescue and when there is a realistic potential to save the person(s) that are in danger.

(Insert Number) – Risk Assessment Plan: Preface

Following the preface, there will be guidelines to determine how much risk is acceptable at a structure fire incident.

 A major component of the process is utilizing the Pre-Incident Plan information.  Anyone reasonably expected to respond, including mutual aid companies and the officer-in-charge should review the information as part of the risk assessment.

Mutual aid companies will be furnished with Pre-Incident Plans and if requested, upon arrival will report in, confer with the Incident Commander, conduct a risk assessment and  communicate the information to the Incident Commander before engaging in any assigned duties.

Offensive attacks will commence only when lives are at high risk or if the overall risk for protecting property is in our favor.

THERE ARE NO STRUCTURES WORTH THE LIFE OF A FIREFIGHTER!

Therefore; aggressive, interior firefighting will be deployed only after a sound size up and risk assessment has identified type of building construction and life safety threats.

As part of the initial size up and risk assessment, ventilation will be a tactical priority if the decision is made to initiate an aggressive, interior attack.

In addition, sound strategy and tactics with safety as the determining factor will lead our efforts.

Otherwise, a defensive attack will be made outside the structure with attention towards protecting exposures.

It is important to know that once the fire has extended to a level that it is no longer safe for interior firefighting, an evacuation command will be given. All crews will remain together and exit the structure immediately upon hearing the command.

Unnecessary risk will never be acceptable. Officers will not put saving property above the safety of their crews. Unacceptable risk is just that; unacceptable.

Where risk cannot be completely eliminated, the goal will be to minimize it as much as is practical.

Once the decision to go interior is made, the first in crew shall not advance beyond the safe zone of five (5) feet without conducting an interior size up and conveying the information back to the Incident Commander (IC).

Upon leaving the safe zone to advance the interior attack, the interior officer-in-charge must conduct ongoing interior size ups and report changes in conditions to the Incident Commander (IC), who may determine from that information to discontinue with interior tactics.

A combination of experience, training and education will be the foundation for making good decisions.

Everyone from the firefighter up to the chief MUST COMMIT to improving their training and education, with the end goal of going home after the shift without serious injury.

We owe that to our families, our fellow firefighters, our community and ourselves.

(Insert Number) – Risk Assessment Plan

•  It is the responsibility of the Incident Commander (IC) to evaluate the level of risk in every situation. This risk evaluation shall include an assessment of the presence, survivability and potential to rescue occupants. When there is no potential to save lives, firefighters shall not commit to operations that present an elevated level of risk.
• An incident command system (ICS) shall be established, beginning with the first, arriving crew at the scene of every incident. The Incident Commander must conduct the initial risk assessment to determine the risk to fire fighters. The initial risk assessment will determine the strategy and tactics to be deployed.
• The responsibility for risk assessment is a continuous process for the duration of each incident. The Incident Commander shall continue to monitor conditions to determine if the level of risk has changed and a change in strategy or tactics is necessary.
• The incident commander shall assign one or more safety officers to monitor and evaluate conditions to support the risk assessment plan.
• If the Incident Commander does not assign a safety officer, then the IC shall be responsible for performing these duties.
• At a minimum the risk analysis for a structure fire shall consider:

  Building Characteristics

• Construction type and size.
• Condition of structure.
• Occupancy and contents.

Fire Factors

•  Location and extent of the fire.
• Estimated time of involvement.
• What the smoke is telling us.

Risk to Building Occupants

• Known or probable occupants.
• Occupant survival assessment.

Fire fighting Capabilities

• Available resources.
• Operational capabilities and limitation.

Also on Chief Reason …

• Can We Put Risk Out of Business? – February 16, 2009
• Just Follow My Lead – January 18, 2009
• Ordering From the Risk Menu – February 28, 2009