April/July 2008 Volume 17 Issue 2
Purpose: To maximize firefighter safety while working interior sectors at
structure fires.
Scope: This lesson is to reinforce safe interior firefighting
procedures and should be adhered to by all firefighters and officers operating
at the scene of a structure fire.
Responsibilities: The Ontario Fire Service Standard for Firefighters, Section 01.,
directs firefighters to perform fireground operations. Section 03. of the
Company Officer Standard outlines the duty to co-ordinate and control fireground
operations. This duty includes supervising interior attack crews. Everyone
operating at structure fires should be prepared to anticipate potential risks to
safety and be trained to avoid and when necessary, mitigate them.
When firefighters are injured or killed during interior fire attacks at structure fires, there is seldom one cause. More often a chain of errors compiles, leading step by step to a culminating event, sometimes a tragic one. Breaking the error chain relies on each firefighter and officer paying attention to details. Air management, proper use of P.P.E., radio discipline, having the right tools and equipment are all factors contributing to a safe and successful interior attack.
Learning Outcomes:
1) Students will describe the principles of good air management;
2) Given turn-out gear and an S.C.B. A., the student will be able to quickly don his/her equipment, ensuring that each component is worn correctly for maximum safety;
3) Students will be able to quickly check to ensure that others entering the structure are wearing all of their P.P.E. correctly;
4) In a simulated structure fire with reduced visibility, students will use portable radios to transmit information to an instructor outside the hazard zone;
5) Wearing full P.P.E. including gloves, students will change radio channels at the direction of the instructor;
6) Students will be able to state at all times during the training evolution the most direct route to an exit
7) Without consulting the gauge on their S.C.B. A. students will be able to estimate the amount of time they can safely remain inside an I.D.L.H. (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) atmosphere without activating their low air alarm; and,
8) Students will be able to manually activate and deactivate their P.A.S.S. alarms.
Learning Outcomes:
For this evolution, student firefighters will need to enter a suitable building. It must be structurally sound with no holes in the floor, loose stair treads or other similar hazards. Prior to entering, firefighters should be in street clothes. At a signal from the instructor, they should quickly don their bunker gear, flash hoods, gloves, and S.C.B.A. Accountability should be conducted in accordance with local procedures.
The instructor should time the exercise to ensure that all members wear all equipment properly, and students should check each other. The target time should be met by the group of trainees. This underscores the importance of being part of a team. The team is only as fast as its slowest member.
It is recommended that this drill be performed in limited visibility. This condition can be achieved by turning the flash hood around to cover the S.C.B.A. facepiece. The instructor should remain outside, and have an assistant monitor activities on the inside. The team should advance a charged hose line with orders to perform a primary search. As the team progresses through the structure, the orders can be changed to test communication effectiveness. At some point the crew should be ordered to change radio channels.
Variations on the drill might include ordering an emergency evacuation of the building, or conducting a MAYDAY.
Expectation of the Participant:
Attention to safety
Participate in drills
Key Points
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Student Learning Activity |
References and Resources |
Trainer/Facilitator Activity |
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Rapid donning of P.P.E and S.C.B.A
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Firefighters will don P.P.E. and S.C.B.A. Repeat procedure until the exercise can be accomplished in under two minutes - 30 seconds. |
Ontario Firefighter Curriculum
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Supervise and time activity.
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Air Management |
Wear S.C.B.A during drills to determine rate of air use. Remain aware of air level while performing tasks in simulated structure without consulting guage. The level of air remaining is no greater than the level of air in the least full team members bottle. Exits structure before low air alarm sounds |
Fundamentals of Firefighter Skills, 2nd edition. Essentials of Firefighting 4th edition. Firefighters Handbook, 2nd edition. |
Facilitate discussion based on input from participants |
| Overhaul procedures: When, where, how much debris removal
Fire scene assessment and investigation related to overhaul
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View video on overhaul procedures followed by discussion |
American Heat or other video showing overhaul
IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting Ch.18 |
Supervises activities in
simulated structure.
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Radio discipline SCBA and PPE Charged hose line Building construction Physical limitations Potential hazards |
Students will complete series of tasks and proceed to various areas of the
structure at the direction of the instructor. Students will change radio channels to one designated by instructor, wearing blacked-out mask and gloves.
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Use portable radio to assign
tasks to students inside simulated structure. |
Key Points
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Student Learning Activity |
References and Resources |
Trainer/Facilitator Activity |
| PASS Alarm Activation
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Upon direction of instructor, wearing gloves and blacked out mask,
students will activate and then deactivate the alarm feature of their PASS
device and the PASS device of their partner. This is to facilitate radio uses by downed firefighters. |
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Using a portable radio, give orders to students in simulated structure. |
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