Staffing and Tactics for Firefighter Survival

摘要

Are we sacrificing proven methods in tactics and strategy when fighting structure fires? We have generally improved how we do things, especially with regard to personal protective equipment (PPE) and the greater availability of technology. However, there are many examples that show that tried-and-true principles are being violated. These examples have been identified in research that studied selected incidents that resulted in firefighter fatalities. The goal of my research was to determine how tactics and strategy depend on proper staffing and directly affect firefighter survival. Adequate staffing at incidents enables departments to use proper tactics to implement a strategy that fits the scenario presented. These tactics will lead to increased firefighter survival. Where sacrifices in tactics were made, they frequently were the result of having inadequate personnel at critical times during the incident. Inadequate staffing for preincident functions such as fire code compliance enforcement, training, preincident planning, and underappreciated administrative functions also indirectly negatively impacted firefighter survivability.