What are the 5 fire fighter guidelines?
1) Be safe
2) Follow Orders
3) Work as a Team
4) THINK
5) Follow the Golden Rule- treat every team member, victim or citizen as you would want to be treated
NFPA 1001
Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications". Sets the age, education, and medical requirements for fire fighters
NFPA 1582
Standard on Comprehensive Operational Medical Program for Fire Departments". Sets medical requirements for fire fighters
Fire apparatus driver/operator (engineer)
Responsible for driving fire personnel to emergency scenes safely and operating the pump and aerial devices
Company Officer
Includes lieutenants and captains. In charge of and supervises given piece of fire apparatus and a given crew.
Safety Officer
Watches overall operation on a scene and ensures safety of all personnel.
Training Officer
Updates training of current fire fighters and responsible for training new fire fighters.
Incident Commander
Responsible for the management of all incident operations. Most often, assumed by a battalion chief.
Fire marshal/inspector/investigator
In charge of inspections of businesses and enforce fire codes. Investigators may respond to fire scenes to help investigate the cause of a fire.
911 Dispatcher/telecommunicator
Receives 911 calls from the public and sends the appropriate units to the scene.
Hazardous Materials Technician (HAZMAT)
Individual with special training and certification that will be dispatched to the scene of incidents involving chemical identification, leak control, decontamination and clean-up procedures for hazardous materials incidents.
Technical Rescue Technician
Individual trained in special rescue techniques involving structural collapse, trench rescue, swiftwater rescue, confined-space rescue and high-angle rope resuces.
EMS Personnel
Administer pre-hospital care to sick or injured people. Divided into three levels of EMS training: EMT, Advanced EMT, Paramedic (lowest to highest level of training)
ICS
Incident Command System. System for effectively managing incidents involving multiple companies or even multiple agencies.
Governance
The process by which an organization exercises authority and performs the functions assigned to it. The fire department is governed by the Fire Chief.
Regulations
Laws developed by various government or government-authorized organizations to implement a law that has been passed by a government body.
Policies
Developed to provide definitive guidelines for present and future actions. Policies outline the actions that are expected in a given situation.
SOPs
Standard Operation Procedures. Provide specific information on the actions that should be taken to accomplish a certain task.
SOGs
Suggested Operating Guidelines. Utilized and are not as strict as SOPs because certain conditions/situations may dictate that the fire fighter or officer use his/her personal judgment in completing a procedure.
Engine Company
Responsible for securing a water source, deploying handlines, conducting search and rescue operations, and putting water on fires. Engines have a pump, carry hose, store water in the tank, and have a limited supply of hand tools and ground ladders.
Truck/Ladder Company
specializes in forcible entry, ventilation, roof operations, search and rescue, and deployment of ground ladders. Also equipped with aerial devices.
Rescue Company
Typically responsible for rescuing victims from fires, confined spaces, trenches and high-angle situations. Have an extensive array of regular and specialized tools.
Hazardous Material Company
Responds to and controls scenes involving spilled or leaked hazardous materials. Have specialized equipment, PPE and training.
EMS Companies (Medic Units)
Respond to and assist in transporting medical and trauma victims to medical facilities for medical treatment. They carry medical equipment such as medications and defibrillators.
Functional Organization of Fire Departments
way of organizing fire departments by specific functions. Ex: training division is responsible for the training of department personnel
Chain of Command
Provides organizational structure of a fire department. Creates a structure for managing the fire department and the fire-ground operations.
Lieutenant
Responsible for supervising a single fire company on a given shift.
Captain
Manage a single fire company on their shift AND coordinate the activities of companies on other shifts. Oversee the activities of a given fire station.
Battalion Chief
Responsible for conducting activities of several fire companies in a defined geographic area. Usually the officer serving as the IC at a single-alarm fire.
Assistant/Division Chief
Usually in charge of a functional area of the fire departments, such as training. Report directly to the Fire Chief
Chief of the Fire Department
has overall responsibility of the administration and operations of the fire department as a whole.
Where does the fire department draw its authority from?
The fire department draws its authority from the government entity that is responsible for service to the citizens (local, municipal, fire district, etc.)
What are the 4 basic management principles of most fire departments?
1) Discipline
2) Division of Labor
3) Unity of Command
4) Span of Control
Discipline
guiding and directing fire fighters to do what their fire department expects of them
Division of Labor
A way of organizing an incident by breaking down the overall strategy into a series of smaller tasks. Once a task is assigned to an individual, it is the responsibility of that individual to complete that task.
Unity of Command
the concept that each firefighter reports to only one supervisor. Unity of command leads to more effective fire fighting.
Span of Control
The number of people whom one person can supervise effectively. Should extend no more than 5 people in most situations.
When and where was the first paid fire department established in the United States?
Boston in 1679.
What 2 fires in 1871 greatly impacted the fire service and fire codes?
The Great Chicago Fire and the Peshtigo Fires in Wisconsin.
When and where were the first fire hydrants developed?
New York City, 1817.
How is nearly all fire protection funded in the U.S. today?
Tax dollars, both directly and indirectly.
How many fire fighters are there in the U.S. today?
1.1 million approximately. 27% being full-time, career firefighters and the other 73% being volunteers.
How many fire departments are there in the U.S. today?
approximately 30,000.