Offensive vs Defensive fire attack
Fire Attack: Offensive vs. Defensive
Structural firefighting can be very dangerous and can put the lives of firefighters in situations were their decision can end up being very detrimental. History has proven when the wrong choices were made, and lives and properties were lost. From past structural events the choice of choosing the wrong attack could end up being in the papers and going to funerals for firefighters. That’s why choosing the correct fire tactic is so important. Offensive versus defensive tactics need to be made by competent personnel early and evaluated often, to ensure safety and structural stability is still intact. There are pros and cons for offensive and defensive attacks. That is why command will have to continue sizing–up the situation periodically throughout the emergency to ensure there are no progressions in the fire. Safety is the most important aspect of choosing between offensive or defensive attacks. What it all boils down to is, is an offensive attack better than a defensive attack or vise versa? The need for both attack methods is vital. There are times when one attack method is better than the other. Command or the first arriving engine has important decisions to make on which attack to do, hopefully they make the correct one for everybody’s safety and property. An offensive attack is when “fire fighting operations make a direct attack on a fire for the purpose of control and extinguishment” (shackleford, 2009, p.104). The attack crew will enter a building with a charged hose line and get close to the seat of the fire to extinguish it. “The most efficient use of water on free burning fires is made by a direct attack on the base of the fire with a solid stream or straight stream” (International Fire Service Training Association, 2002, p.525). The purpose of an offensive attack is for the rescue of trapped victims or a quick knock down of a fire to save the structure from further damage. That
Structural firefighting can be very dangerous and can put the lives of firefighters in situations were their decision can end up being very detrimental. History has proven when the wrong choices were made, and lives and properties were lost. From past structural events the choice of choosing the wrong attack could end up being in the papers and going to funerals for firefighters. That’s why choosing the correct fire tactic is so important. Offensive versus defensive tactics need to be made by competent personnel early and evaluated often, to ensure safety and structural stability is still intact. There are pros and cons for offensive and defensive attacks. That is why command will have to continue sizing–up the situation periodically throughout the emergency to ensure there are no progressions in the fire. Safety is the most important aspect of choosing between offensive or defensive attacks. What it all boils down to is, is an offensive attack better than a defensive attack or vise versa? The need for both attack methods is vital. There are times when one attack method is better than the other. Command or the first arriving engine has important decisions to make on which attack to do, hopefully they make the correct one for everybody’s safety and property. An offensive attack is when “fire fighting operations make a direct attack on a fire for the purpose of control and extinguishment” (shackleford, 2009, p.104). The attack crew will enter a building with a charged hose line and get close to the seat of the fire to extinguish it. “The most efficient use of water on free burning fires is made by a direct attack on the base of the fire with a solid stream or straight stream” (International Fire Service Training Association, 2002, p.525). The purpose of an offensive attack is for the rescue of trapped victims or a quick knock down of a fire to save the structure from further damage. That
References: International Fire Service Training Association. (2002). Essentials of fire fighting. (4 ed., pp. 522-556). Stillwater, OK: Fire Protection Publications. Shackleford, R. (2009). Fire behavior and the combustion processes. (pp. 104-105). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning. White, C. (2006, April 18). Offensive versus defensive tactics. Retrieved from http://www.firehouse.com/article/10500476/offensive-versus-defensive-tactics The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2010, October 28). Nist study on Charleston furniture store fire calls for national safety improvements. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/el/fire_research/charleston_102810.cfm Norman, J. (1998). Fire officer 's handbook of tactics. (2 ed., p. 50). Saddle Brook, NJ: Fire Engineering Books and Videos, a Division of PennWell Publishing Company