This document outlines learning objectives for a fire fighter safety course. It covers major causes of on-duty fire fighter deaths, analyzing injury and fatality trends over time, defining risk management principles, and describing safety issues addressed in the NFPA 1500 standard regarding protective equipment, accountability systems, rapid intervention crews, and more. The objectives aim to reduce risks to fire fighters through appropriate safety measures and risk-based decision making.

1. 5
Fire Fighter
Safety

2. 5
Learning Objectives (1 of 13)
• Identify and analyze the major causes
involved in on-duty fire fighter fatalities
related to health, wellness, fitness, and
vehicle operations.
• Analyze the trend in the number of fire
fighter on-duty deaths over a 30-year
period.
• Define frequency and severity as they
relate to fire fighter injuries.

3. 5
Learning Objectives (2 of 13)
• Enumerate fire-ground safety issues
addressed in NFPA 1500.
• Compare and contrast fire trends and
fire fighter on duty deaths.
• Describe the relative risk to fire fighters
combating fires in different occupancy
types.

4. 5
Learning Objectives (3 of 13)
• Analyze the trend in number of fire
fighter injuries.
• Discuss risk management principles
applied to the fire ground.
• Discuss and give an example of an
imminent life-threatening situation.

5. 5
Learning Objectives (4 of 13)
• Use a probability analysis to assess the
occupied status of a building based on
time and occupancy.
• Estimate the collapse time based on
burn time, fire intensity, content load,
and construction type.

6. 5
Learning Objectives (5 of 13)
• Examine the difference between a managed
retreat and an evacuation due to an imminent
hazard.
• Evaluate the difference between lightweight
and heavy structural components.
• Discuss and contrast pre-fire and fire
conditions that contribute to structural
collapse.
• Examine hazards presented by suspended
ceilings.

7. 5
Learning Objectives (6 of 13)
• Compare construction methods in terms
of structural stability, fire extension, and
fuel contribution.
• Review the basics of building
construction and how they relate to pre-
fire planning.
• Estimate the collapse zone for a
building in imminent danger of collapse.

8. 5
Learning Objectives (7 of 13)
• Describe exclusion zones other than collapse
zones.
• Develop zones and perimeters around a
structure fire.
• Define and explain the five time segments
from ignition to effective action.
• Evaluate the survivability, structural stability,
and flashover from ignition to effective action.

9. 5
Learning Objectives (8 of 13)
• Evaluate set-up time in regard to staffing on
the first-arriving engine company.
• Compute the staffing necessary to achieve
the tasks enumerated in NFPA 1710.
• Define and compare flashover and backdraft.
• Explain the relationship between NIMS and a
fire fighter accountability system.

10. 5
Learning Objectives (9 of 13)
• List situations when a personal accountability
report (PAR) should be initiated.
• Explain the importance of alternative egress
for fire fighters conducting an offensive
attack.
• Define rapid intervention crew (RIC).
• Explain the role of the RIC.
• Explain the importance of having a RIC
immediately available from initial attack and
throughout the operation.

11. 5
Learning Objectives (10 of 13)
• Determine the number of personnel to
be assigned to the RIC based on the
size and complexity of the building and
incident.
• Describe safe interior operations.
• Construct an emergency message for a
disoriented fire fighter needing
assistance.

12. 5
Learning Objectives (11 of 13)
• Explain measures that can be taken to
improve the chances of survival when fire
fighters are lost and out of air in a large
building.
• Describe methods used to supply air to a
trapped fire fighter who has exhausted his or
her air supply.
• List tools that should be available to a RIC.

13. 5
Learning Objectives (12 of 13)
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages
of a mobile RIC versus a stationary RIC.
• Recognize hazards in operating opposing fire
lines.
• Evaluate hazards to fire fighters during
overhaul operations.
• Define immediately dangerous to life and
health (IDLH) atmospheres and the
relationship to SCBA usage.

14. 5
Learning Objectives (13 of 13)
• List factors the IC should consider when
formulating an incident action plan to be used
during overhaul.
• Describe informal rehabilitation at the fire
scene.
• Describe hot weather rehabilitation
• Describe cold weather rehabilitation.
• List the signs of critical incident stress.

15. 5
Overview
• Fire departments
– Dedicated to saving lives and property
– Saving lives is the highest priority.
• Safety closely related to risk-versus-
benefit analysis.

16. 5
Fire Fighter Injuries and
Fatalities
• Identifying/analyzing data
– Critically important to reducing fire fighter
injuries and deaths
– The National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) has compiled fire fighter fatality
statistics for 30 years—downward trend

17. 5
Fire Investigative Reports
• National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA)
• National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)

18. 5
NFPA 1500 (1 of 5)
• Standard on Fire Department
Occupational Safety and Health
Program
• Can substantially reduce injury
frequency and severity
– Minimum safety measures
– ICs and safety officers must be familiar
with this standard.

19. 5
NFPA 1500 (2 of 5)
• Important fire-ground safety issues:
– Risk management principles
– IC responsible for overall safety
– Incident management system must be
used at all scenes
– IC maintains command and control.
• Common strategy
• Based on situation analysis

20. 5
NFPA 1500 (3 of 5)
• Important fire-ground safety issues
(continued):
– Situation analysis must be ongoing
• Changes in strategy consistent with the
changing situation
– Pre-established SOPs must be
implemented.

21. 5
NFPA 1500 (4 of 5)
• Important fire-ground safety issues
(continued):
– Accountability system
– Rapid Intervention Crews (RIC)
– Inexperienced members must be directly
supervised.

22. 5
NFPA 1500 (5 of 5)
• Important fire-ground safety issues
(continued):
– Medical treatment and rehab must be available as
needed.
– PPE must be worn.
– SCBA
– PASS devices
– CISD
– Post-incident analysis

23. 5
Fire-Ground Safety
• Improvements
– Attention to safety
– Safe operation attitude
• Still experiencing a large number of
on-duty deaths
– Responding to fewer fires
– Dying at nearly same rate

24. 5
Fire-Ground Fatalities

25. 5
Increased Hazards (1 of 2)
• Lightweight construction
– Truss roofs

26. 5
Increased Hazards (2 of 2)
• Heavy fuel loads
– Large amounts of plastics
• Very large buildings

27. 5
Occupancy
• Plays a role in fire fighter safety
• No routine fires
• Most fatalities occur in residential fires.
• Risk increases twofold in a
manufacturing setting.

28. 5
Single-Family Mindset
• Must be avoided
• Escape routes are closer and easier to
find.
• SCBA depletion or failure

29. 5
On-Duty Deaths
• Leading causes:
– Sudden cardiac death
• Preventable
– Asphyxiation
– Crushing injuries and burns

30. 5
Responsibility
• Administration
• Procedures
– Training
– Equipment
• ICs have overall safety responsibility.
– Must monitor, organize, coordinate, and
provide adequate safety measures

31. 5
Personal Responsibility
• Fire fighters must take personal
responsibility through:
– Following procedures
– Maintaining firefighting skills
– Proper use of equipment

32. 5
Risk Management
• Most important element
• NFPA 1500
– Risk management principles
– Must be applied to every situation
• IC weighs risk against possible benefits.

33. 5
Two-in, Two-out Rule
• Exception:
– Imminent life-threatening situation
– Definition is not completely understood
• IC expected to exercise judgment

34. 5
Probability
• Important concept to risk management
and size-up processes
– People being in the building considered as
a degree of probability
– Determining factors: time of day, day of
week, time of year
• Primary search is the only sure way of
knowing.

35. 5
Fire Intensity
• Important in determining what there is to
save.
• Hazards increase as fire progresses
towards flashover.
– Building is getting weaker
– Flashover is unpredictable.

36. 5
Flashover (1 of 2)
• Time to flashover depends on:
– Compartment size
– Ventilation
– Ignition source
– Fuel supply
– Fuel geometry

37. 5
Flashover (2 of 2)
• Time to flashover depends on
(continued):
– Distance between fuel cells
– Location of the fuel
– Heat capacity of the fuel
– Geometry of the enclosure

38. 5
Building Design Loads
• Loads imposed on buildings:
– Live loads
– Dead loads
– Seismic, wind, snow, and ice loads
• Affect structural stability
– High loads can result in premature
collapse.
– Loads placed on lightweight roof structures

39. 5
Fuel Load
• Consists of fuels provided by:
– Contents
• Primary fuel load in structure fires
– Combustible building materials
• Wood frame construction

40. 5
Structural Stability (1 of 4)
• IC/safety officer must watch for signs of
structural failure
• Should be considered in size up
– Failure can occur at any time.
• Must understand collapse dynamics

41. 5
Structural Stability (2 of 4)
• IC must take into account when:
– Deciding on strategy
– Placing companies
• Cannot be reliably predicted
– No building is immune.
– Some withstand a large fire without
collapse.
– Others experience early collapse.

42. 5
Structural Stability (3 of 4)
• Stability affected by:
– Fire intensity
– Burn time
– Content loads
– Construction methods and materials

43. 5
Structural Stability (4 of 4)
• 20-minute rule
– Ordinary construction
– Structural collapse anticipated:
• Heavy volume of fire
• Two or more floors
• 20 minutes or longer

44. 5
Time and Intensity
• Is it safe to enter?
– IC should “start the clock.”
– If fire is still not under control:
• IAP should be reviewed.
• Operation possibly changed to defensive

45. 5
Managed Retreat
• When changing from offensive to defensive
– Engine companies provide protection.
• If collapse is imminent, the offensive
operation should be abandoned immediately.
• All units notified by:
– Radio announcement
– Pre-planned signal

46. 5
Construction Materials (1 of 2)
• Wide variety in use
– Behavior of buildings will vary significantly.
– Lighter weight structural members
• Provide same load-bearing capabilities
• Truss construction takes the place of large
wood beams or steel I-beams
• Structurally sound under normal conditions

47. 5
Construction Materials (2 of 2)
• Lightweight members are affected by
fire sooner.
– Trusses lose load-bearing capacity once
they lose their triangular configuration.
– Failure with little warning

48. 5
Structural Connections (1 of 2)
• Play a critical role in a building fire
– Gusset plates used in place of nails
• Nails form a stronger connection.
– Penetrate only a fraction of an inch
– Form a large surface area to collect heat

49. 5
Structural Connections (2 of 2)
• Wood truss loses its stability as:
– Gusset plate teeth lose strength
– Fire burns through the wood connecting
surfaces

50. 5
Gusset Plate Failure

51. 5
Fire Spread
• Can occur through variety of openings
– Horizontal: joist/truss spaces
– Vertical: utility shafts
• Renovations affect fire spread:
openings in floors not always properly
sealed

52. 5
Roof Operations
• Conscious decision regarding roof
safety
– Lightweight truss roofs are dangerous.
• Risk-versus-benefit decision
– Must be made before placing fire fighters
on or under roof

53. 5
Pre-Fire Conditions (1 of 5)
• Factors for evaluating collapse potential
of a building:
– Weight – Renovations
– Fuel loads – Deterioration
– Damage – Support systems
– Truss construction

54. 5
Pre-Fire Conditions (2 of 5)
• Weight, live and dead loads including:
– Air conditioning units
– Tanks containing liquids
– Large signs and marquees
– False fronts (façades)
– Cantilever appendages
– Heavy machinery

55. 5
Pre-Fire Conditions (3 of 5)
• Fuel loads
– Type, location, and arrangement fuel loads
• Damage structural support system
– Previous fires, weather or collapse

56. 5
Pre-Fire Conditions (4 of 5)
• Renovations
– Older buildings
• Deterioration
– Buildings or areas in poor repair
– Vacant buildings

57. 5
Pre-Fire Conditions (5 of 5)
• Support systems
– Long spans (churches, warehouses)
• Truss construction
– Identified through pre-planning

58. 5
Fire Conditions
• Sometimes difficult to read
• Failures occur without warning.
• Must recognize signs of imminent
collapse
– Maintain span of control
• Time and fire intensity are major factors.

59. 5
Signs of Structural Collapse (1 of 2)
• Bulging, cracked, or unsupported walls
• Walls leaking water or smoke
• Falling bricks
• Floors holding large volumes of water or
stock soaked with water

60. 5
Signs of Structural Collapse (2 of 2)
• Movement in floors or roof
• Other signs of structural movement,
including unusual noises
• Vertical structural members that are out
of plumb (columns, walls, etc.)

61. 5
Fire Extension
• Some buildings limit fire spread better
than others.
• Concealed spaces
– Fire can extend to remote locations
• Results in a sudden increase in heat intensity
• Can break out at multiple locations

62. 5
Concealed Spaces (1 of 2)
• Fire fighters without a hose line are at
high risk.
• Fire extension can cut off primary
means of egress.
• Proper venting will direct fire.
• Improper venting pulls fire.

63. 5
Concealed Spaces (2 of 2)
• Fires in concealed ceiling areas can get
behind fire fighters.
– Hose streams can accelerate movement of
fire.
• Must be checked
– Thermal imaging cameras
– Opened up with tools

64. 5
Truss Assemblies
• Floor assemblies
– Used to reduce construction costs
– Creates concealed space
– Less fire-resistive than heavier, solid beam
construction
• Have played a major role in fire fighter
fatalities

65. 5
Truss Floor Assembly

66. 5
Non-Combustible Buildings
• Mistaken for fire-resistive
– Modern, big-box retail stores
– May be masonry or metal on the exterior
– Lightweight metal truss roof structure
• Large open areas with long spans
– Expect imminent roof collapse if fire enters
spaces.

67. 5
Automatic Sprinkler Systems
• Usually control fires
– Consider code variances or “trade-ups”
– If system is not controlling fire, consider
hazards in entering large-span truss space
with heavy fire load.

68. 5
Fire Zones and Perimeters
• Establish collapse zone
• Collapse indicated by:
– Construction features
– Fire factors
• Cannot accurately predict:
– Type of collapse
– Collapse zone

69. 5
Exclusion Zones
• Collapse zones = exclusion zones
– No one permitted to enter
– Can exist in buildings (suspect roof
structures)
– Other areas:
• Falling glass
• Flammable/combustible atmospheres

70. 5
Cold Zone
• PPE is not required.
• Location of command post
– Staff and command functions
• Includes rehab and medical areas

71. 5
Hot Zone
• Safe only when wearing appropriate
PPE
• Established and enforced by IC and
safety officer; everyone must abide by
their decision.

72. 5
Warm Zone
• Not always necessary during a structure
fire
• Established as an intermediate zone
– Between hot and cold zones
– When different levels of PPE are needed
for various areas

73. 5
Accountability System
• Must be established on the fire-ground:
– Ensures everyone entering the area has a
specific assignment
• Eliminates freelancing
– Tracks all personnel
• Identifies the location of any missing personnel

74. 5
Time, Fire Intensity, and
Structural Stability

75. 5
Time: Ignition to Effective
Actions
• Goal: To arrive prior to flashover and
intervene
– Interrupts fire’s progression
– Progression in small enclosures can be
fast.
• May occur prior to the arrival
• Objective is to contain the fire

76. 5
Analyzing Time
• It is necessary to consider the following
five components:
– Pre-burn time
– Dispatch time
– Turnout time
– Response time
– Set-up time

77. 5
Detection/Transmission Time
• Pre-burn time
– Time from ignition until fire is reported
• Will vary greatly
• Is unknown until the alarm occurs
– Dependent upon discovery and reporting
• Unless equipped with a detection/alarm system
– Can be estimated based on experience

78. 5
Dispatch Time
• NFPA 1221: Installation, Maintenance,
and Use of Emergency Services
Communications Systems sets time
goals for dispatch centers.
• Includes time for the dispatcher to:
– Take the call
– Select units for the assignment
– Dispatch companies

79. 5
Turnout Time
• Time from alarm receipt until apparatus
leaves station
• Can differ greatly between fully staffed
stations and on-call stations

80. 5
NFPA 1710
• Standard for the Organization and
Deployment of Fire Suppression
Operations, Emergency Medical
Operations, and Special Operations to
the Public by Career Fire Departments
defines turnout time
• Time beginning when units
acknowledge notification to beginning
point of response time
• Time objective = one minute

81. 5
NFPA 1720
• Standard for the Organization and
Deployment of Fire Suppression
Operations, Emergency Medical
Operations, and Special Operations to
the Public by Volunteer Fire
Departments does not address turnout
time.

82. 5
Response Time
• Dependant on road conditions, terrain,
distance, traffic, and other factors
• Averages can be established using
computer models.

83. 5
NFPA 1710
• NFPA 1710 establishes two response
time goals:
– Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for
arrival of the first engine company
– Eight minutes (480 seconds) or less for the
deployment of a full first alarm assignment
– No less than 90 percent within time goal

84. 5
Response Safety
• Many fire fighters are killed or injured
while responding to incidents.
– Response/travel time improvements
• Realized by reducing distance from fire station
to response area
• Not by increasing speed of apparatus or
ignoring negative right-of-way situations

85. 5
Set-Up Time
• Time necessary to position apparatus,
advance hose line and apply water
• Affected by staffing levels and training
– Two-in/two-out rule changes setup time
• Four people must be on the scene.
• Two must be positioned outside the hazard
area.

86. 5
NFPA 1410
• Standard on Training for Initial
Emergency Scene Operations sets
training goals.
– 3 to 6 minutes to establish water supply
and discharge water
– Improvement through training

87. 5
Initial Response Only
• Times are valid for initial response only
– Less dispatch time when units are on-
scene, calling for help.
– Reduce for subsequent calls by:
• Placing units on alert status
• Moving into vacated stations
• Placing units in staging areas
– Set-up time will change depending on task
assignment

88. 5
Adequate Number of
Personnel
• Set-up time is related to staffing.
– Initial attack should be delayed if:
• Company staffing is less than four
• Imminent life-threatening situation does not
exist

89. 5
NFPA 1500
• Stipulates a minimum of four fire
fighters as an initial crew at a working
structure fire
– Unless imminent life-threatening situation
exists
– Three is acceptable in situations of
imminent danger

90. 5
Fire-Ground Tasks (1 of 3)
• Required to save lives and protect
property
• Additional attack lines
• Attack line above the fire
• Attack line to concealed spaces
• Backup for the initial attack line

91. 5
Fire-Ground Tasks (2 of 3)
• Exposure protection
• Forcing entry
• Laddering the building
• Opening up concealed spaces
• Salvage or property conservation

92. 5
Fire-Ground Tasks (3 of 3)
• Search and rescue of area around the
fire
• Search and rescue of area above the
fire
• Search and rescue of other areas
• Utility control
• Ventilation

93. 5
NFPA 1710
• Establishes minimum staffing levels
– Tasks to be accomplished
– Personnel needed
– Minimum of 14 personnel
• 15 if an aerial device is used

94. 5
Tactical Reserve
• Planning is crucial.
• Tactical efficiency can reduce number
of people necessary.
• Size of tactical reserve force depends
on:
– Stage and type of incident
– Number of units working

95. 5
Elapsed Time and Flashover
• Time is a critical factor.
• Longer the fire burns:
– Less chance for rescue
– Greater chance of structural collapse
– Post-flashover chance for survival = near
zero
– Risk to fire fighters increases

96. 5
Communications
• Lifeblood of any command organization
• Situation could be chaotic without
communications.
– Each crew should have a radio.

97. 5
Radio Discipline
• Significant challenge
• Imperative when everyone is assigned a
radio
– Proper use of the radio
• Clear
• Calm
• Concise

98. 5
Progress Reports
• Essential to the IC
• Interior crews = eyes and ears of the IC
• Provide information to everyone on fire-
ground

99. 5
Emergency Operations
• Mayday is used to indicate that a fire
fighter is in trouble.
• SOPs should define response to a
Mayday
– Critical functions will not be accomplished
if all personnel begin focusing on the
rescue operation.

100. 5
Mayday
• IC must remain in total control.
• Officers must remain within the ICS.
• Specific assignments should be made
for the rescue operation.

101. 5
Evacuation Signal
• Should be established through SOPs
– 10 three-second blasts of air horns
– Emergency evacuation radio message

102. 5
Evacuation
• “Drop everything and run”
– Seldom warranted
– Used during defensive operations
• Offensive operations
– Organized retreat is better alternative

103. 5
Command and Control
• Common goal
– Organized fashion
– Safe and effective operation
• Freelancing leads to injuries and
fatalities.

104. 5
Accountability
• A good organizational structure:
– Accounts for all personnel at scene
– Maintains reasonable span of control
• Crew unity is essential.
• Crew members should not be separated
within the structure.

105. 5
Personnel Accountability
Report (1 of 2)
• Often referred to as a PAR.
• SOPs call for PARs in the following
situations when:
– IC thinks it is necessary
– Safety officer requests one
– IC changes from an offensive to a
defensive attack

106. 5
Personnel Accountability
Report (2 of 2)
• Sudden changes occur.
• Entire building has been searched.
• Fire is extinguished.
• Called for at prescribed times
– NFPA 1500: Every 10 minutes

107. 5
Accountability Procedures
• More important as incident increases in
size and complexity
– Mutual aid resources
– A regional approach is logical

108. 5
Accountability Officer
• Should not be the safety officer
– Safety officer is mobile.
– Accountability officer is stationary.
• The accountability officer is an
informational resource for the safety
officer, RIC, and IC.

109. 5
Safety Officer
• Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
– Whether or not a safety officer has been
assigned
• Safety officer monitors all areas.
• SOPs outline when position is
established
– When IC can no longer effectively monitor
safety at the scene

110. 5
Alternative Egress (1 of 2)
• Interior stairs
– Preferred means of access and egress
• Fire escapes
– Additional means
– Provide access to upper floors

111. 5
Alternative Egress (2 of 2)
• Proper laddering
– Should be accomplished early in operation
• Provides alternative means of egress
• Addressed in SOPs
• Location of ladders must be
communicated to crews.

112. 5
Rapid Intervention Crews
• Staffing is not sufficient until:
– Safety and tactical positions are covered
– Tactical reserve is available.
• Critical need to provide rescuers for fire
crews
– RIC: no substitute for safe and effective
operations

113. 5
Fire Fighter Rescue
• IAP will reduce the need for emergency
rescues.
– Risk-versus-benefit analysis
– Good tactics
– Company-level attention to safety

114. 5
Safe Interior Operations (1 of 2)
• Maintain crew integrity
• Provide hose line protection
• Provide means of communications
• Maintain contact with the hose line

115. 5
Safe Interior Operations (2 of 2)
• Maintain contact with a wall or rope
• Indicate door leading to where fire
fighters are working
• Learn self-survival techniques

116. 5
RIC Officer
• Determines need for special tools
– Based on:
• Construction type
• Occupancy
• Fire location
• Other factors
– Could be identified through pre-planning

117. 5
Common RIC Tools (1 of 2)
• Rescue ropes, search ropes, guideline
ropes
• Thermal imaging camera
• Patient carrier, webbing, or harness
• Portable ladders for above- and below-
grade rescues

118. 5
Common RIC Tools (2 of 2)
• Forcible entry tools
• Wire cutters and other hand tools
• Lighting equipment

119. 5
RIC Operations
• RIC should have access to pre-plans.
• Critically important to train and practice
– Preferably under live fire conditions

120. 5
Hose Lines
• Avoid opposing hose lines.
• Interior hose lines should attack from
same point.
– Communications between units is
essential.

121. 5
Master Streams
• Improperly operated on the exterior will
push fire into the building, endangering
anyone inside

122. 5
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
• Appropriate level established by IC and
safety officer
• Overhaul phase
– Removing SCBA is questionable
• Removing PPE inside fire building is
unsafe

123. 5
Overhaul Safety (1 of 2)
• Safety considerations:
– Structural damage/stability
– Smoke and airborne contaminants
– Cutting hazards
– Holes in floors

124. 5
Overhaul Safety (2 of 2)
• Safety considerations (continued):
– Damaged stairways
– Utility hazards
– Overhead hazards
– Visibility

125. 5
Rehabilitation
• NFPA 1584: Recommended Practice on
the Rehabilitation of Members
Operating at Incident Scene Operations
and Training Exercises
– Provides guidelines for hot and cold
weather rehabilitation

126. 5
Three Phases
• Pre-incident hydration and preparation
• Incident rehabilitation
• Post-incident recovery
• Dependant on:
– Weather conditions
– Length of time on the scene
– Activity level

127. 5
Informal Rehab
• Takes place at the company apparatus
– Should be in cold zone
– Members can “dress down” while resting
and rehydrating
– Should not be placed near exhaust fumes

128. 5
Formal Rehab
• Established area for rehab
– Should provide shade and mechanical
cooling or heating
• Dependant on weather conditions
– Water or sports drinks and healthy food
should be available.

129. 5
Two-Cylinder Rule
• Requires Rehab after a second,
30-minute SCBA cylinder
• Rest period should be at least 20
minutes

130. 5
Critical Incident Stress
• Stress management is related to rehab.
– Best to take action at incident scene
– Critical incidents
• Fire in which fire fighters are seriously injured
or killed
• Fire in which children are seriously injured
• Fire that results in one or more fatalities

131. 5
Signs of Critical Incident
Stress
• Shaking or trembling
• Loss of muscular control
• Blurred vision
• Respiratory difficulties
• Confusion and disorientation
• Chills
• Signs and symptoms of shock

132. 5
Proactive Measures
• Schedule breaks
– Designated rehab area
• Rotate frontline personnel
• Check personnel for signs and
symptoms.

133. 5
Summary (1 of 2)
• The primary rescue technique is
extinguishing fire.
– Heat, smoke, and toxic gases must be
vented.
• Structure becomes safer once fire is
extinguished.

134. 5
Summary (2 of 2)
• Measures to reduce fire fighter injuries
and deaths:
– Improved PPE
– PASS devices
– Rapid intervention crews
– Accountability systems
– NIMS
– Rehab