Pre-planning and Pre-fire information

One of the best ways we can prepare our firefighters for a safer environment is to give them information about buildings that we may have to enter and operate in on the fireground.

Many departments preplan their largest target hazards but never actually deploy resources to determine if the plan is viable.

Lets look at some preplanning information.

Some things but not all inclusive that we should look for include:

General accessibility for apparatus and personnel
Topography (or the lay of the land)
Utilities (gas water and electric)
Obvious hazards
Any processes used in the building
Storage of hazardous materials

From the fire standpoint calculate the required fire flow requirements to determine if your alarm assignments are adequate to handle the potential you could have.

Using the NFPA formula, NFPA 1231 water supply formula, The Iowa Formula, common sense or any and all of the above, calculate, and document it so it can used by all groups other members.

Schedule a walk-through if possible and get permission to ladder the roof. Go up top and walk around.

Take companies on site and see if ground ladders reach.

See if hose stretches actually work.

Determine and establish procedures for first due engine, truck company or tanker.

Create a small database if you have to so that this information is available. Draw a building diagram and keep it on the apparatus and available for members to review. Use the building diagrams as a basis for a training night. Make the diagram and pre-fire plan report one of the sources for a promotional examination.

Have you planned for a just a fire emergency, or other possible hazards? Gas leak, structural failure, as an exposure to a major incident nearby, power failures, civil disturbances etc.

Pre-fire planning will increase the safety of your members while operating in an emergency condition in that building.

A good source of reference is a textbook called Pre-Emergency Planning by William Jenaway. It was published by the ISFSI.

Explain to me why we can't do that again?