#SIZEUP ACCOUNT MANUALS#
#SIZEUP ACCOUNT WINDOWS#

Most of the responding firefighters will have a general knowledge of the areas they are assigned to protect. on the second floor' can tell us many things.Ī 360-degree survey of the exterior will insure that hazards are not overlooked or go unreported. Was it a phone call, automatic alarm, smoke detector, recorded device or pull box? If there is a phone alarm, for instance, a substantial amount of information can usually be gathered from the caller. In doing a size-up, start with the type of alarm received. There are five major areas of importance during a size-up where valuable information can be gained. Is the wind blowing into the building making the interior untenable with no visible exterior signs of fire? Is smoke being observed or encountered in a location remote from or below the fire indicating additional fire or some kind of ventilation problem?

#SIZEUP ACCOUNT WINDOWS#

For instance, are energy-efficient windows present in the building? Was the structure built using new construction principles and materials? This may result in all or most of the products of combustion or indication of fire remaining inside the building. The strategic factors listed above are a good starting point to any size-up, but they could also be improved upon to give a more complete picture. Auxiliary appliances (such as sprinklers and standpipes).Life hazards, including all firefighting personnel.

#SIZEUP ACCOUNT MANUALS#

The strategic factors which must be considered in size-up according to most firefighting training manuals are: Any condition encountered or observed that could impact operations or the safety of firefighters, should be immediately passed up the chain of command. It should start at the receipt of the alarm and continue until the last unit leaves the scene.Įvery firefighter and officer at the scene should constantly be doing a size-up. The definition of size-up should be broadened to state that size-up is a continuing evaluation of information received incorporated with your personal observations at a fire or emergency scene. All members must realize that this is not just a function of command.

This responsibility is passed up the chain of command as other units arrive with higher-ranking personnel.Īs firefighting is constantly evolving, so must our procedures for doing a size-up. The responsibility of size-up initially lies with the first officer of the first unit or company that arrives on scene. This process is carried out many times and by many different individuals at each fire or emergency event. Size-up starts with the receipt of an alarm and continues until the fire is under control. Size-up is defined in most fire service texts as the on-going evaluation of problems confronted within a fire situation. What are the means of egress and access for firefighters making an attack, evacuation or retreat? What is a size-up and how should it be done? Since entry into the fire service, most of us have been taught the importance of doing a size-up. This is all a result of an accurate size-up. A potentially life-threatening mistake was avoided by not rushing to the location of the smoke and being above the fire without a hoseline to protect your team. The origin of the fire was located within the converted garage and an elderly occupant was rescued. He orders you and your partner to gain entry into this area and search for the possible origin of fire. You then relay this information to the incident commander. He confirms that there is indeed an apartment with one elderly resident inside. You ask this person whether there is a separate living area or apartment within this structure where the garage was located. Instead, you see windows with an air conditioner in them, which could indicate a separate living space within this building.Īn occupant appears and informs you of a smoke condition on the second floor. As you look at 43 Main St., you observe that there is no garage at this address. A one-car garage is attached to each house. As such, your required tasks include ventilation, entry and search, as well as the locating and confining of the fire.Īs the apparatus turns the corner onto Main Street, you see civilians signaling to you and pointing toward a specific house.ĭuring your approach to the scene, you observe similarly constructed homes adjacent to 43 Main St. Tonight, you're assigned as a member of the search and rescue team, operating with a partner in advance of the first hoseline. Did a room replace the garage in this dwelling? Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters should size-up the building before entering. An alarm has just been transmitted for a reported fire at 43 Main St., on the second floor. on March 5 and the outside temperature is 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sizeup account