INSTRUCT-O-GRAMTHE HANDS-ON TRAINING GUIDE

FOR THE FIRE INSTRUCTOR

VOLUME XIII, ISSUE 7 INCIDENT COMMAND II JULY 1992

INCIDENT COMMAND II

TASKTo review various aspects of incident commandand personal performance related to variousrescue incidents.

ESTIMATED TIME 3 hours

INTRODUCTIONSenior firefighters should have good basic knowl-edge of rescue operations and the ability to takecommand of a rescue incident. They shouldknow the capabilities of personnel and the useof available equipment.

OUTLINE1. To function as an officer in charge of a

rescue incident and to define the units, equip-ment and operations required to handle theproblem.

2. To define the operations required to properlyhandle industrial or farm accidents.

1. NFPA Standard 1001, Firefighter IIIA. 5-10.1 The firefighter shall assume com-

mand of a simulated rescue operation inthe absence of a fire officer.

B. 5-10.2 The firefighter, operating as amember of a team, shall demonstrate theextrication of a victim from an industrialaccident.

STUDY GUIDEReview SOP's and orders regarding rescueoperations. Source: Fire Department material.

Review rescue tools and devices. Source: FireDepartment equipment.

STUDENT REFERENCESFire Command, Section 5 - BrunaciniIFSTA, Fire Service Rescue PracticesCollapse of Burning Buildings - Dunn

ISSN: 0739-4551

IOG'92 — JULY

1. LESSON DEFINEDIt is the purpose of this lesson to cover certainobjectives related to incident command of variousrescue operations and specific activities involvingindustrial accidents.

In accordance with the fire department(s) involved,the instructor should determine what type of acci-dents may be a problem to these departments.

2. OUTLINE AND PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVESA review of the outline and performance objectivesindicates the presentation of a lesson devoted torescue operations covering the duties of the incidentcommander and actions required at industrial/farmaccidents.

3. GENERAL PROCEDURESHere again, we are dealing with rather vague objec-tives. The term "simulated rescue operation" doesnot give much guidance. Is it building collapse,vehicle, trench collapse, failed scaffolding or what?Is there one victim or several? In a test environmentalmost anything could be presented to the candi-date. However, this might be softened somewhatdue to the authority doing the testing.

The second objective does at least define an indus-trial accident and that does include farm incidents.

Research on the part of the instructor may be impor-tant here and would involve contacting the firedepartment(s) to find out where the emphasis shouldbe placed regarding this lesson. This could bedetermined by recent incidents or by their majorconcerns. Regardless of the rescue problem, cer-tain items must be considered by the firefighter.

These would include the type of incident, the locationand access, the equipment, tools and devices neededfor the operation, the personnel available and theirexpertise, the apparatus and equipment availableand their use in relation to location and access,medical personnel and ambulances, the distance tothe nearest hospital emergency room and access tohospital communications. At a major incident thecommander will not be able to handle all activities. Acontrol system with sector leaders must be set upsimilar to a fireground operation but with differentassignments.

In most operations of any consequence there aregenerally at least four areas of control set up, eachwith someone in charge. These are: the operationalarea (extrication, etc.), triage, treatment, and trans-portation. Where required, there may also be afirefighting or fire control sector or group.

The operational area should be in charge of thosedoing the extrication, shoring, tunneling or whateveroperation is necessary. Once a victim is removedand transferred for treatment, the medical officialsshould take charge. This will relieve the actualrescuers from concern about treatment and allowthe medics to prepare and perform the victim han-dling as required.

This set up should be worked out ahead of time sothat the fire rescue/medical division is clear andeveryone knows who is in charge. Regardless ofthese divisions, overall command should be super-vised by the senior fire department officer on thescene. At major incidents other positions such asliaison with police, public information officer, etc.may be required.

In some cases, medical treatment must be applied atone level or another prior to or during the actualrescue operation. This, however, should not inter-fere with the command structure. In fact, in manycases it is the rescue personnel who call for medicaltreatment upon finding victims in certain condition.

Judgement needs to be applied in handling thevictims and their necessary treatment. Once extri-cated, the needed emergency treatment should beapplied and the victims transported to a hospital.Emergency medical personnel, no matter how welltrained or dedicated, are not doctors.

Therefore, victims should be transported as soon aspossible. Too many situations are allowed to hap-pen where the medics work for twenty minutes or soon a victim only three to five minutes from a hospital.Where the distance to a hospital is great it is all themore important, under many circumstances, thatgetting the victim on the way is urgent.

Many problems involving industrial accidents aresimilar to those found elsewhere, while others maybe completely different.

Those that are similar would be location, access,personnel required, condition of victims, equipmentneeded, etc. Those that differ might include themachinery involved and its ruggedness, the locationof the victim in relation to the machinery, the effect oflocation on the use of equipment.

For example, the location might preclude the use ofequipment powered from the apparatus such aslights, rescue tools, air systems and other rescueequipment.

Also, due to the construction of the machinery, thevarious powered rescue tools may not work. Manyindustrial machines and farm implements are muchstronger than automobiles. Extrication may requiremore thorough than usual assessment of where andhow to apply tools. Machines may have to bedisassembled in orderto free victims and this may bea very time consuming process.

Where accidents include occupants who have passedout in a given area such as a room, silo, manhole or

SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN

JULY — IOG'92

whatever, firefighters must not enter without usingtheir air masks. This, despite all the screaming andhollering from family members or other employeeswho want something done the second you hit theground from the apparatus. Over 60% of the victimsin this type of incident are would-be rescuers, andthat includes emergency personnel.

Rescue incidents may come in all types of locationsinvolving many different conditions and hazards.Firefighters must keep in mind their apparatus, equip-ment, tools and devices which may be applied to thesituation encountered and how best to use them. Acommand structure must be set up to assist indeveloping an effective overall operation of removal,treatment and transport.

Fire Command, Section 5 - Brunacini

IFSTA, Fire Service Rescue Practices

Collapse of Burning Buildings - Dunn

INSTRUCTOR NOTES LESSON PLANI. RESCUE OPERATION

A. Type of Problem

1. Building collapse2. Scaffold collapse3. Cave-in4. Hazardous materials/gases

a. in buildingb. siloc. manholed. tank, industrial/septice. pipingf. air masks required

5. elevators6. personnel conveyors7. vehicles

IOG'92 — JULY

INSTRUCTOR NOTES

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I!. EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL

A. Equipment

1. Apparatus

a. enginesb. trucksc. rescuesd. ambulances, Bls/Als

2. Tools and Devices

a. shoring, jacksb. hydraulic/electric/gas/air toolsc. ladders/aerials/groundd. ropes/rope hose toolse. fans/ejectorsf. air masksg. litters/backboards

B. Personnel

1. Firefighters

a. location/extricationb. overall rescue operationsc. apparatus operators

2 Medical

a. care for victimsb. prepare for transportc. transport as soon as possible

III. COMMAND STRUCTURE

A. Incident Commander

1. Fire Department Officer

a. overall direction and organizationb. communications

1) to dispatch2) to fire units/personnel3) to medical units/personnel4) to other agencies

INSTRUCTOR NOTES

JULY—IOG'92

c. liaison with police/power company/press (PIO)/owners, manag-ers, tenants

B. Operational Area

1. Fire Department Officer

a. location/extricationb. equipment, personnel assignment and controlc. victim/firefighter safetyd. victim transfer to medical personnel

C. Medical Area

1. Fire Department/Medical Officer (according to local organization)

a. overall direction of medical servicesb. communications

1) to dispatch2) to medical units3) to hospitals

2. Triage sector3. Treatment sector4. Transportation sector

IV. INDUSTRIAL/FARM ACCIDENTS

A. Overall Considerations

1. Rescue from industrial of farm machinery may be similar to vehicleaccident with some exceptions:

a. ruggedness/strength of machineryb. poor accessibility to scenec. advice needed on taking machinery apartd. hand and power rescue tools may not work on heavy machines

B. Extrication

1. more thorough assessment of where and how to apply tools2. disassembly of machinery time consuming3. may be at inconvenient location such as muddy fields, scaffolding, in

or behind heavy machinery, in confined spaces4. may not permit use of apparatus, lights, air or electric systems,

standard rescue equipment

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IOG'92 — JULY

INSTRUCTOR NOTES C. Sources of Assistance

1. plant engineers/managers/employees2. machinery dealers/mechanics3. nearby farmers or farm workers

D. Procedures

1. Assessment

a. take time to look at overall situationb. do not hurry into dangerous conditionsc. air masks where required

2. Area Control

a. establish hazard zone for freedom to workb. look out for toxic chemicalsc. watch structure stabilityd. look out for electrical and flammable hazardse. hose lines ready where requiredf. keep bystanders away (police)

3. Support

a. call for needed assistanceb. heavy equipmentc. emergency room teamd. utility companies

4. Medical Care

a. proper procedures to establish breathing, control bleeding, stabi-lizing, etc.

b. may have to be applied before victim is freed/path to victim.

5. Freeing Victim

a. plan procedure before attempt is madeb remove equipment/debris from victimc. proceed methodicallyd. remove and transfer victime. prepare victim for transport

6. Summary

a. take time to analyze the situation and plan movements beforeproceeding

b. assign tasks such as setting up hazard zone, communications,medical sectors, etc.

JULY — IOG'92

INSTRUCTOR NOTES

,

c. coordinate operationsd. do not hesitate to call for help

V. RESCUE OPERATIONS (students)

A. Command of Operation

1 Establish incident2. General approach/what should be done3. Command structure4. Detailed approach/using specific apparatus, medical units and equip-

ment actually available

B. Team Member

1. Establish incident2. Assign position in team3. Units, equipment available

Methods and techniques provided in the Instruct-O-Gram are suggested by the author. There are many othermethods and techniques which are equally successful and used in many municipalities throughout the world.The new Instruct-O-Gram is aimed at developing sound training procedures for the recruit level. Theseprocedures may differ from policy which is established by the chief of the department and commonly postedas the "standard operating procedure" (SOP). It is suggested that any difference in procedures be brought tothe attention of the chief of the department.

©ISFSI

TRAINING NOTICETIME: LOCATION: __

DATE: NOTES:

TASKTo review various aspects of incident com-mand and personal performance related tovarious rescue incidents.

ESTIMATED TIMES hours

INTRODUCTIONSenior firefighters should have good basicknowledge of rescue operations and theability to take command of a rescue incident.They should knowthe capabilities of person-nel and the use of available equipment.

OUTLINE1 . To function as an officer in charge of a

rescue incident and to define the units,equipment and operations required tohandle the problem.

2. To define the operations required to prop-erly handle industrial or farm accidents.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVESI. NFPA Standard 1001 , Firefighter III

A. 5-10.1 The firefighter shall assumecommand of a simulated rescue op-eration in the absence of a fire officer.

B. 5.10.2 The firefighter, operating as amember of a team, shall demonstratethe extrication of a victim from anindustrial accident.

STUDENT STUDY GUIDEReview SOP's and orders regarding rescueoperations. Source: Fire Department material.

Review rescue tools and devices. Source:Fire Department equipment.

STUDENT REFERENCESFire Command, Section 5 - BrunaciniIFSTA, Fire Service Rescue PracticesCollapse of Burning Buildings - Dunn

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