OG 4046 Offensive Defensive Strategy

Issued By: Brian Gray, Deputy Chief Operations    
Approved By: Doug Trussler, Fire Chief    
Date of Issue: 2011/01/05
Revision Date: 2016/05/05

PURPOSE: 

The purpose of this Operational Guideline is to ensure that the initial Incident Commander (IC) and subsequent IC(s) continually evaluate the scene’s critical factors and select an incident strategy which is appropriate to the risk management plan and available resources.  

The IC shall implement an Incident Action Plan (IAP) that matches the strategy and will always state the strategy as part of the initial arrival report or passing of command procedures.  

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this Operational Guideline is to increase firefighter safety by ensuring that the IAP and declared strategy always match the current incident critical factors.  

This OG defines the requirements for the offensive and defensive strategies, and outlines the actions required to declare, implement or transition from one strategy to another as incident conditions change.  

SCOPE: 

This Operational Guideline applies to all HRFE Operational personnel.  


DEFINITIONS:

•    Offensive Strategy: A fire attack which is conducted from inside the structure and includes quick exterior hits to improve conditions prior to entry.  The offensive strategy is appropriate where the risk of entering the building is tolerable and there is a high probability that doing so will save lives or property.

As outlined in P-424 First Arriving Crew- Less than 4, when members arrive on the scene of a working structural fire prior to assembling four persons, the IC will declare

“Offensive Strategy-awaiting personnel” and can initiate exterior actions in preparation for an interior attack.

•    Defensive Strategy: A fire attack which is conducted from outside the structure. The defensive strategy is appropriate where the risk of entering the building is high and there is little or nothing to gain by doing so.  During a defensive attack, the IC has decided to write off the involved structure and concentrate all efforts on preventing the spread of fire to exposures and safely stabilizing the incident.  

It is important to note that not only fires may be Defensive.  Any incident where the risk to responders is high or where there is no safe IAP for its mitigation may also be looked at as Defensive.  One such example would be a HAZ MAT incident involving the release of radioactive materials where entry into the exclusion zone is a “No Go” and teams adopt a defensive posture.


ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

Incident Commander:    The IC shall continually evaluate the incident critical factors and ensure that the IAP and declared strategy is kept consistent with the current conditions.   

The IC will always state the strategy as part of the initial arrival report or passing of command procedures.  

Incident Safety Officer:    The Incident Safety Officer supports command by maintaining situational awareness to changing incident conditions and advising the IC of safety enhancements or conditions warranting a change of strategy. 

Officers/Firefighters:    All Officers and Firefighters are responsible to report any changing fire conditions, hostile fire events or fire extension to concealed or attic spaces.    


Declaring/Confirming the Incident Strategy

1.    Upon arrival, the initial IC must quickly evaluate the critical fire-ground factors and select an IAP and strategy appropriate to the risk management plan and available resources.  The IC shall communicate the strategy to all personnel over the radio as part of the initial arrival report.

2.    Later as part of the passing of command procedure, the incoming IC shall always; size-up the incident, evaluate the current conditions and resources, confirm the current IAP and crew positions and confirm the strategy.  

Changing the Incident Strategy

It is imperative that the current fire conditions and available resources match the selected IAP and strategy.  During any incident, changing conditions may warrant the modification of the originally selected strategy and IAP.  The most likely scenario will be a transition from offensive to defensive.   Should the strategy change, the IC shall:

1.    Request Emergency Traffic
2.    Activate Emergency Tones
“Dispatch this is Main Command, Emergency Traffic and activate emergency tones.”

3.    Properly Declare the change of Strategy over the radio 
“All Units this is Main Command, change to Defensive Strategy, exit the structure immediately and report PAR upon Exiting.”

4.    Repeat change of strategy message 
5.    Ensure that dispatch acknowledges the shift in strategy 
6.    Confirm exit from structure and crew PAR’s
7.    Cancel Emergency Traffic


Firefighting Actions during the Offensive Strategy

The offensive strategy allows aggressive interior action by crews to perform rescue and save property. When the offensive strategy has been adopted, the IC must implement an IAP that includes:

•    Sufficient resources (personnel & equipment) to stabilize the incident quickly
•    Tactical Reserve
•    Coordinated and communicated ventilation
•    Deployment of charged hose lines inside the building
•    Deployment of sufficient backup hose lines
•    Frequent radio reports to and from interior crews
•    Personnel Accountability System
•    On Deck crews and set-up of Rapid Intervention Kit
•    Overhaul and extinguishment of smoldering and hidden fires
•    Rehabilitation and medical aid for members (Staged EHS Unit)


Firefighting Actions during the Defensive Strategy

The defensive strategy is selected when the risk of entering the building is high due to fire involvement, risk of roof/building collapse or hostile fire event.  When the defensive strategy has been adopted, the IC must implement an Incident Action Plan (IAP) that includes:

•    Entry control to prevent firefighter entry into the building
•    Placement of master streams to protect exposures
•    Establishment of collapse zones (at least 1.5 times the building height)
•    Perimeter control to prevent firefighter entry into collapse area
•    Personnel Accountability System
•    Tactical Reserve and set-up of Rapid Intervention Kit
•    Rehabilitation and medical aid for members (Staged EHS Unit)


RELATED POLICIES/ OPERATING GUIDELINES:

•    OG 4045 Risk Management Incident Command
•    OG 4043 Establish/Transfer/Terminate Command
•    OG 4044 Command Modes-Structure Fires
•    OG 4053 Tactical Reserve
•    P-424 First Arriving Crew- Less than 4


OPERATING GUIDELINE REVIEW:

This operating guideline will be reviewed whenever changes or amendments are made to the procedure for offensive or defensive strategies.