Water first or people first? A critical question for the first-arriving crewmember
People first or water first? This is a crucial issue for the crew member who is first to arrive.
Three priorities should be at the forefront: life safety, accident stabilization, and property conservation. The most important one is safety for life. Life security is a broad term that includes both fire personnel. Fire crews must ensure that all people are identified and that individuals are taken away from the building or kept in a safe place until they are removed. Their injuries are dealt with by EMS.
The first firefighter
The first firefighter at the scene must quickly assess the situation before deciding the best direction to proceed – safety or stabilization of the incident. Crews had to think about whether they should first apply water or handle the people who had been removed from the building.
The accompanying video illustrates this decision. The fire incident is characterized by advanced and heavy conditions in one part of a resort which will be occupied by several guests.
While watching the video unfold, you’ll be able to witness two individuals escaping from the fire department. They are jumping into the lower balcony of the unit. Imagine this is what the first officer to arrive sees on arrival.
So, what should the first officer arrive do?
Do they sprinkle water on the fire or begin to search for and expel the occupants from the structure?
Suppose the first arriving units start an all-hands emergency rescue to tackle the safety issue of rescuing individuals from the structure without water in the fire. In that case, the flame will continue to increase and become a bigger problem to address.
When water is added to the fire as soon as it is put on to deal with the stabilization aspect, the primary issue will be lessened in size and scope. It’s allowing for the searching and removal of persons to be completed more quickly.
Matter of situation
The answer is obviously a matter of situation determined by the building being used. Its matters how many people are involved, and the ability of the department to respond. Many variables determine the first steps. Such as putting an emergency water supply on the premises before helping people in the first. The decision ultimately comes down to the first arriving firefighter’s understanding of the resources available to their department and capabilities.
There are domino effects attached to every choice. The fire grows larger and entraps more people making it harder to get to them or smaller. Some people may succumb to the consequences of the fire, while others can escape. If it is a single-family dwelling, typically, we start with the people to remove them before tackling the fire. However, in structures that have several people, how should we proceed either with people first or water first?
TRAINING TIME
After watching the video and reading this article with your team, Consider the following methods to help train your employees on this process of decision-making and tactics:
- Check your department’s operating procedure (SOPs/SOGs) regarding responses to the muti-occupancy structure to determine the best strategies to employ or the direction given to the department to take action.
- Prepare the station’s first-due area to determine the multi-occupied buildings. Walk through the area to get acquainted with these structures.
- Participate in a roundtable discussion about the issue of “people first or water first ” to determine each participant’s views on the strategic approach.
Hi, I am John Smit a Captain in Fire Department City of Newyork with over years of experience in the field of Firefighting and HSE. My passion for fire safety started when I was a young boy and witnessed a neighbor’s house go up in flames along with precious lives. Since then, I had dedicated my life to ensuring the safety of buildings, properties, and individuals in case of a fire and medical emergencies.
