Transcript Fire Department History

Fire Department History
Fire Department History

Firefighting
One of worlds
most honored
occupations and
one of the most
dangerous.

Department Duty
-Life Safety
-Incident Stabilization
-Property Conservation
Fire Department History

Old World and North America citizens
kept:




containers of water
ladder to reach the roof
Bucket brigades used to put out fires
Pilgrims brought firefighting methods to
North America
Fire Department History

Industrial Revolution affected textile and
steel industries


Textile mills had catastrophic fires
Iron and steel industries produced firefighting
tools and equipment, especially pumping
apparatus
Fire Department History

Cities and towns organized fire companies
and fire departments


Groups protected cities and towns
Benjamin Franklin
Organized one of the first groups
 Founded first fire insurance company

Fire Department History

Cities and towns organized fire companies
and fire departments



Groups were made up of military
organizations and adopted rank structure
Then, as today, majority of firefighters in
North America were volunteers
Evolved into today’s fire departments
3 Categories of Firefighters

Career (salaried firefighters)

Paid On Call (receive reimbursement for
each run made)

Volunteer (receive no compensation)
Fire Dept. One of First Entities
Called During Emergency












Fires
Cave-Ins
Building Collapses
Auto Accidents
Aircraft Crashes
Natural Disasters
Hazardous Materials Incidents
Civil Disturbances
Rescue Operations
Explosions
Water Incidents
Medical Emergencies
Fire Department History

Necessary characteristics and behaviors





Integrity
Moral character
Work ethic
Pride
Courage
Fire Department Organization
Chief
Assistant Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Firefighters

An organizational
chart shows the
structure of the
department and its
chain of command
Chain of Command

Pathway of responsibility from the highest
level of the department to the lowest.
Firefighters should be aware of four basic
organizational principles in order to operate
effectively as a team member
–
Unity of Command
–
Span of Control
–
Division of Labor
–
Discipline
Unity of Command

The principle that a person can report to
only one supervisor.


Directly, each subordinate reports to one boss
Indirectly, everyone reports to the fire chief
through the chain of command.
Span of Control

The number of personnel one individual
can effectively manage.


Rule of thumb is that an officer can directly
supervise 3 to 7 firefighters effectively
This number can change depending on the
situation with which the officer is faced
Division of Labor


Dividing large jobs into small jobs. These
small jobs are then assigned to specific
individuals.
Division of labor is necessary for the
following reasons:



To assign responsibility
To prevent duplication of effort
To make specific and clear cut assignments
Discipline

Purposes of discipline in a fire
department





Educate and train
Correct inappropriate behavior
Positive motivation
Ensure compliance
Provide direction
Standard Operating Unit of the Fire Service
Engine Company

Engine company —
Deploys hoselines for
fire attack and
exposure protection
Truck Company

Truck company —
Performs forcible
entry, search and
rescue, ventilation,
salvage and
overhaul, provides
access to upper
levels
Rescue Company

Rescue/squad
company —
Removal of victims
from areas of danger
or entrapment
Brush Company

Brush company —
Extinguishes
wildland fires and
protects structures
in wildland/urban
interface
Haz-Mat Company

Hazardous materials
company — Responds
to and mitigates
hazardous materials
incidents
EMS / Specialized Rescue


Emergency
medical/ambulance
company — Provides
emergency medical care
to patients
Special rescue
company — Responds
to and performs
technical rescue
Fire Company Continued

A company consists of:



Company Officer(s)
Driver / Operator(s)
One or more firefighters
To Perform effectively, a firefighter must have
certain knowledge and skills including:

Meet the requirements of National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) Standard 1001, (Standard for Firefighter Professional
Qualifications.

Know department organization, operation and Standard Operating
Procedures (SOP) / Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG).

Know the district or city street system and physical layout

Meet minimum health and physical fitness standards
Emergency Medical Services


If fire department
personnel do not provide
EMS or medical
transportation, they
should develop a
relationship with those
who do
Firefighters must have
appropriate level of firstaid training
Interacting with other organizations

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)



Depending on the set-up of your dept & your
SOP’s, firefighting personnel must work very
closely with EMS personnel.
Many FF’s are also EMS trained & perform
both functions.
Hospitals

During special incidents, hospital personnel
may be called to the scene.
Utility Companies

Many incidents
involve utility
providers (electricity,
natural gas, and
water) so fire
personnel must have
a good working
relationship
Interaction with Media



NIMS-ICS includes a Public Information
Officer for dealing with the media
Students should not make comments or
express opinions; refer to PIO
Can play an important role in delivery of
news based on an incident
Other Interactions

Any possible contacts should be identified
and a relationship established
Examples: Public health departments,
coroner/medical examiner’s officers, EPA
Fire Department Regulations


Policy — A guide to decision making within an
organization
Procedure — Describes in writing the steps to
be followed
 Order
 Directive
Fire Department Regulations


Order — Based upon a policy or
procedure; compliance is mandatory
Directive — Not based upon a policy or
procedure; a request or suggestion
Standard Operating Procedures



Provide a standard set of actions that are the core of
every firefighting incident plan.
May vary considerably in different localities, but the
principle is usually the same
Should follow the most commonly accepted order of
fireground priorities



Life Safety
Incident Stabilization
Property Conservation
Standard Operating Procedures

Lessen confusion of fire scene

Safety is a top priority when designing SOP’s

SOP’s should be applied to all situations,
including medical responses.
Watch this video, this is
why we have SOP’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=8f66tK0rByI
Firefighter Safety



Firefighting is one of the worlds most
dangerous jobs & accidents in this
profession can result in costly losses.
In order to prevent these losses, it is
necessary to prevent the accidents that
cause them.
Reducing accidents will save lives &
money.
Summary

The fire service has a long and proud
history of protecting communities. Today’s
fire service often performs functions such
as emergency medical services, technical
rescues, and hazardous materials
mitigation.
Summary

Firefighters must have certain aptitudes
and capabilities. The job of firefighter
required dedication and hard work but it is
also rewarding.
You may notice we skipped the Incident
Management Portion of this Chapter.
You will have an entire class covering ICS.