Initiative 3 – Risk Managment
1. Why is risk management an important component of incident management?
Risk management is an active process that occurs at every level during an emergency incident. The FEMA (2018) handbook titled The Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service highlights the importance of risk management at the IC level by stating:
“Risk management occurs at every level of an organization in an emergency operation. It must begin at the top, where the IC must determine the appropriate strategy for the incident, and extends down to Company Officers” (p. 32).
2. Please read the Case Study below and answer the following questions:
A. How does risk management factor into this incident?
Now that lives are a factor, risk management is definitely put to the test. This would fall in the high-risk, high-reward category. An incident that may have been categorized as a defensive fire operation has the possibility to change to offensive.
B. Is the hose line essential to rescuing the family?
It may or may not, this would rely on the location of the fire versus the location of the family. The fire may be confined to the front of the house while the family are located in the rear. A hoseline is essential to the firefighter in the event a fire is in the way of rescue. The hoseline also poses a risk to the family as the possibility of thermal layering being disturbed and extreme heat lowering to the location of the family/firefighter.
C. How can the stress of the incident affect your decision making?
Whenever a life is in danger, this automatically ups the ante. The possibility of saving a life almost fogs a firefighter’s vision in what the reality of the situation is. In this case, it may be too late to save the family or there is the possibility the family escaped through the back and is at a neighboring house.
Initiative 4 – Empowerment
1. Explain empowerment and how it relates to the fire ground.
Empowerment provides the opportunity to all firefighters on the fire ground, no matter their position, to speak up about un-safe operations that may be taken place. This communication however, shall be professional and not demeaning to anyone.
2. Please read the case study below and answer the following questions:
A. How do you know if the front porch is going to collapse on you?
The indication of possible structural members starting to fall is a good indication that the porch may be in the early stages of collapse.
B. Is the lieutenant aware of what just happened?
This is where the nozzleman must communicate with the lieutenant to ensure he/she is fully aware of what happened and does not have tunnel vision.
C. How would you address your concerns to the lieutenant?
Simply stating the conditions of what you are faced with. Another option may be to enter from the rear of the residential facility. This may provide a safer route for both the family and firefighters.
Risk Management Practices in the Fire Service. (2018, January). Retrieved from https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/risk_management_practices.pdf
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Initiative 3 – Risk Management
1. Why is risk management an important component of incident management?
Risk management is extremely important because you want to reduce the injuries or deaths of firefighters at a scene especially if their is no positive or benefit outcome to gain.
Case Study:
A. How does risk management factor into this incident?
You want to weigh the outcome use the risk-benefit analyze on this incident. Some other important factors to include. How many and where is the family located? Is the structure fully involved?
B. Is the hose line essential to rescuing the family?
Absolutely the hose line is essential to rescuing the family. You never know when condition change and it can change in a moments notice. The hose line is your only means of protection.
C. How can the stress of the incident affect your decision making?
When everything is going on you have stress, your adrenaline is pumping, fatigue, and possibly getting tunnel vision can greatly influence your decision. Especially making decision in a quick and decisive manner while things are escalating with every second going by.
Initiative 4 – Empowerment
1. Explain empowerment and how it relates to the fire ground.
You can simply describe empowerment by giving everybody a chance to speak up without the fear of repercussion. It makes for a better work environment and smoother operation on the fire ground.
Case Study:
A. How do you know if the front porch is going to collapse on you?
You notice boards from the ceiling is falling in front you. Take a quick second and look for other indicators of possible structure collapse before making entry. Its better to be safe then something to happen because you didn’t take that extra second.
B. Is the lieutenant aware of what just happened?
No doesn’t seem like he is aware of what just happen. My best guess is that he got tunnel vision probably focusing on the family that is trap inside.
C. How would you address your concerns to the lieutenant?
Bring it to the lieutenant attention that there is an indicator of possible structure collapse. I would suggest another route depending on the fire location if its just in the front of the house to use the back door.
Resource:
Please thoughtfully reply to at least two other students initial posts with a minimum of 100 words to each student