The success of fire fighting missions is determined by several factors, among which - the level of training of the team, technical equipment and conditions for the operation. But the significance of these factors will be minimized if the wrong tactics of actions are initially chosen. In this sense, the success of events determines the decisive direction in the fire - 5 principles aimed at minimizing damage and increasing the effectiveness of fire control will help to choose the optimal course of action.
Fire fighting plan concept
There are two concepts for defining a fire fighting plan. The first relates directly to the owner of the facility for which it is planned to provide protection against fire. He orders a fire extinguishing plan, according to which measures will be taken and actions will be taken to combat fire and minimize damage.
The second concept involves the consideration of the plan as a tactical scheme of action of the operational team in the framework of the fight against the realized fire. That is, it is approved already at the time of fixing the fact of the fire and obtaining primary information about it. It is during the development of this plan that the decisive direction in the fire is chosen - the 5 principles that will be discussed below serve as the basis for deciding on the most appropriate tactics for extinguishing fire and conducting rescue operations.
Principle One - Saving People
The basic principle is to make efforts to prevent threats to people's lives. It is relevant in cases where independent evacuation is impossible and third-party assistance is required. In this case, different methods of saving people in a fire can be used:
- Provides protection against direct flame exposure.
- Moving to a zone fenced from fire.
- Removing obstacles that interfere with self-evacuation.
In the process of using each of these methods, different tactics can also be applied. For example, the movement of people is possible with the provision of personal protective equipment, through the creation of artificial routes, as well as connecting special equipment. In most cases, it is life saving that is chosen as the decisive direction in the fire - 5 principles, respectively, obey one, but this configuration may change during the task.
Principle Two - Prevent Explosion Threats
The second most dangerous situation is caused by the threat of an explosion. Increased thermal effects or direct contact with fire can lead to the explosion of gas cylinders, chemicals in an industrial enterprise, etc. From the point of view of ensuring safety, it is important not only to prevent the explosion as such, but its consequences. The relevance of this principle is due to the fact that an explosion can provoke a collapse of a building or structure, which will at least result in material damage. And this is if there are no people in the building and in the surrounding area. The tactics of work in accordance with this principle provides for the creation of barriers to the risk zone - for example, on the way to the same cylinders. The fire is localized using extinguishing means both within the framework of the resources of the operational team and through stationary fire fighting systems. Typically, explosive threats occur at industrial facilities, the equipment of which is not complete without a local fire alarm.
Principle Three - Minimization of Material Damage
This principle is partly related to the previous one, but the difference lies in the degree of threat. If the explosion can collapse the entire building at one moment, then the loss of structural strength during the spread of fire still occurs gradually. But in this case, the fire brigade must respond promptly. Tactically, her actions will be aimed at localizing the source of ignition in a minimum time, preventing the risk of its spread. As a rule, part of the building is covered by fire and, in accordance with the principle, it is necessary to isolate it in the current ignition zone. If the building is completely covered by fire, tasks of a different kind should already be set. Firstly, the real risk of collapse is assessed, in which the possibility of evacuation of the firefighters themselves is considered. Secondly, an operational plan is being developed, according to which neighboring buildings will be protected against fire. At this stage, the most priority objects are selected to concentrate the efforts of the fire group on them.
The fourth principle - the fight against intense burning
This principle of choosing fire fighting tactics is preferable in cases where there is neither a threat to people, nor a risk of explosion, nor the likelihood of fire spreading to neighboring objects. In such situations, the fire extinguishing plan focuses on the most active source of ignition. So, if a detached building is burning, then a site with the most intense burning is selected in it, even if there is no risk of its spread.
The fifth principle - the protection of neighboring objects
This principle is largely similar to the third, but it is more focused specifically on ensuring the protection of buildings that are not yet engulfed in fire, but that can be affected as a result of the transition of the flame from the burning building. In this case, efforts are directed to the formation of various kinds of barriers that will stop the spread of fire. Again, if possible, the local fire infrastructure in the form of alarm systems with sprayers of water and foam is connected to solve this problem. Thus, the fire is localized with its cut off from areas that are currently not covered by fire. Special attention is paid to neighboring buildings. It is also necessary to determine the most valuable object of protection, since the separation of efforts into several buildings is ineffective and as a result all buildings in the affected area can be destroyed. Priority is given to residential and industrial facilities.
Decision correction
A fire is characterized by dynamics and a rapid change in combustion conditions, therefore, the actions of firefighters can vary depending on situations. This is especially true of large-scale events, which in certain periods of extinguishing may include work in different directions. General recommendations on fire tactics require line managers to have the following task in mind at the time of setting the current direction of fire control. For example, after the evacuation of employees of a chemical plant, firefighters should be prepared to localize the source of ignition and prevent its spread to the location of substances hazardous from the point of view of an explosion.
As a rule, each direction is controlled by a separate leader, evaluating and adjusting the current actions of the team. As the situation changes, the bosses give new introductory, optimally dispersing the forces. At the same time, there are obviously predictable fires, the fight with which is carried out in one direction. These include peat fires that do not imply a transition to buildings and, in most cases, do not pose a threat to people's lives. Of course, this applies to situations when surveillance services timely make efforts to localize smoldering foci.
Errors in choosing the wrong direction
The wrong direction is an action tactic that involves a violation in setting priorities. For example, we can consider the same case with peatlands. A group of tourists in the forest found themselves in a closed ring formed by a smoldering fire. Given that peat fires are spreading slowly, the team leader selects as a priority the fight against the most intense and closest to the group fire source, believing that people have time. The right tactic in this case would be to choose the weakest burning site as the future “bridge” for tourists to exit.
Often, such errors are made due to an external distortion of priorities, which seems quite logical. In particular, the basic principles of choosing a decisive direction in case of fire dictate to managers to concentrate their efforts on a possible line of fire spreading to the nearest building. At the same time, the team is divided into two camps, which, according to the chief, will solve two problems - extinguish the main burning building and prevent the transition of the flame to the house untouched by the fire. In some cases, this approach can justify itself, but as a universal rule of action, it is obviously losing.
Conclusion
The standards for determining tactical actions are guided not only by saving people and preserving property. Saving a person’s life regardless of the situation - of course, the decisive direction in the fire - 5 principles in total, while other settings that firefighters are guided by do not take into account. In particular, if there is no threat to life, an explosion or the spread of fire, then the principle of minimizing the resources of the team itself can be chosen as a priority tactic. If there is time to deal with a localized source, then, for example, cheaper extinguishing supplies, the minimum composition of the group with equipment, etc. can be used.