CODE OF CONDUCT

Code of Conduct for Fire Code of Conduct for Fire Suppression:Suppression:

Firefighter safety comes first on every fire every time.Firefighter safety comes first on every fire every time.

The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders are firm…we don’t The 10 Standard Firefighting Orders are firm…we don’t break them; we don’t bend them.break them; we don’t bend them.

All 18 Watch Out Situations must be mitigated before All 18 Watch Out Situations must be mitigated before engagement or re-engagement of suppression activities.engagement or re-engagement of suppression activities.

Every firefighter has the right to know that his or her Every firefighter has the right to know that his or her assignments are safe.assignments are safe.

Every fireline supervisor, every fire manager, and every Every fireline supervisor, every fire manager, and every administrator has the responsibility to confirm that safe administrator has the responsibility to confirm that safe practices are known.practices are known.

WHERE DO WE START!WHERE DO WE START!

What skills do we use to avoid potential danger?What skills do we use to avoid potential danger?

Ability to gain good situation awareness.Ability to gain good situation awareness.

Ability to anticipate fire behavior.Ability to anticipate fire behavior.

Ability to select effective strategy and tactics.Ability to select effective strategy and tactics.

Ability to make decisions about when to engage a fire.Ability to make decisions about when to engage a fire.

Ability to recognize good safety zone and escape route.Ability to recognize good safety zone and escape route.

WATCHOUT SITUTATIONSWATCHOUT SITUTATIONS

1. Fire not scouted and 1. Fire not scouted and sized up.sized up.

2. In country not seen in 2. In country not seen in day light.day light.

3. Safety zones and escape 3. Safety zones and escape routes not identified.routes not identified.

4. Unfamiliar with weather 4. Unfamiliar with weather and local factors and local factors influencing fire influencing fire behaviorbehavior

5. Uninformed on strategy, 5. Uninformed on strategy, tactics, and hazards.tactics, and hazards.

6.6. Instructions and Instructions and assignments not clear. assignments not clear.

WATCHOUT SITUATIONSWATCHOUT SITUATIONS7. 7. No communication link No communication link

between crewmembers andbetween crewmembers andsupervisors.supervisors.

8. Constructing line without 8. Constructing line without safe anchor point.safe anchor point.

9. Building line downhill with 9. Building line downhill with fire below.fire below.

10. Attempting frontal assault 10. Attempting frontal assault on fire.on fire.

11. Unburned fuel between 11. Unburned fuel between you and the fire.you and the fire.

12. Cannot see main fire, not in contact with anyone who can.

13. On a hillside where rolling material can ignite fuel below.

14. Weather gets hotter and drier.

15. Wind increases and/or changes direction.

16. Getting frequent spot fires across line.

17. Terrain or fuels make escape to safety zones difficult.

18. Taking a nap on the fireline

1. Keep informed on FIRE WEATHER conditions and forecasts.

2. Know what your FIRE is doing at all times.

3. Base all actions on current and expected BEHAVIOR of the FIRE.

4. Identify escape routes and safety zones, and make the known.

5. Post lookouts when there is a possible danger.

6. Be alert, Keep calm, Think clearly, and act decisively.

7. Maintain communication with forces.

8. Give clear instructions, and insure they are understood.

9. Maintain control of your forces at all times.

10. Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.

Fire OrdersFire Orders

LL C E S C E SLOOKOUTSLOOKOUTS

•Experienced/Competent/TrustedExperienced/Competent/Trusted

•Enough lookouts at good vantage pointsEnough lookouts at good vantage points

•Knowledge of crew locationsKnowledge of crew locations

•Knowledge of disengagement trigger pointsKnowledge of disengagement trigger points

•Map/Weather Kit/Watch/IAPMap/Weather Kit/Watch/IAP

COMMUNICATIONSCOMMUNICATIONS

LL CC E SE S

•Radio frequencies confirmed.Radio frequencies confirmed.

•Communicate hazards.Communicate hazards.

•Communicate weather, Communicate weather, forecasted and current.forecasted and current.

•Sound alarm early Provide updates on Sound alarm early Provide updates on any situation change.any situation change.

•More than one escape route•Avoid uphill escape routes•Scouted: loose soils/rocks/vegetation•Timed: slowest person/fatigue and temperature factors•Marked: flagged for day or night•Evaluate: escape time vs. rate of spread•Vehicles parked for escape

L C L C EE S SESCAPE ROUTESESCAPE ROUTES

•More than one escape route

•Avoid uphill escape routes

•Scouted: loose soils/rocks/vegetation

•Timed: slowest person/fatigue and temperature factors

•Marked: flagged for day or night

•Evaluate: escape time vs. rate of spread

•Vehicles parked for escape

•More than one escape route•Avoid uphill escape routes•Scouted: loose soils/rocks/vegetation•Timed: slowest person/fatigue and temperature factors•Marked: flagged for day or night•Evaluate: escape time vs. rate of spread•Vehicles parked for escape

L C E L C E SSSAFETY ZONE

Survivable without a fire shelterSurvivable without a fire shelterBack into clean burnBack into clean burnNatural features: rock area/water/meadowsNatural features: rock area/water/meadowsConstructed sites: clearcuts/roads/helispotsConstructed sites: clearcuts/roads/helispotsScouted for size and hazardsScouted for size and hazardsThe more heat impact- the larger the safety The more heat impact- the larger the safety zonezone required. required. Consider location of safety zone:Consider location of safety zone: Upslope? Downwind? Heavy Fuels?Upslope? Downwind? Heavy Fuels?Escape time and safety zone size Escape time and safety zone size requirements will requirements will change as fire behavior changes.change as fire behavior changes.

HUMAN FACTORS

COMMON DENOMINATORSCOMMON DENOMINATORS (These are the common denominators for fatal or near- (These are the common denominators for fatal or near-

miss fires)miss fires)

DenominatorsDenominatorsMost of the incidents occur on Most of the incidents occur on small fires or isolated sections small fires or isolated sections of large fires.of large fires.In some fire cases tragedies In some fire cases tragedies occur in the mop-up stage.occur in the mop-up stage.Flare-ups generally occur in Flare-ups generally occur in light fuelslight fuels..Accidents occur in Accidents occur in chimney’s, gullies, or on chimney’s, gullies, or on steep slopes.steep slopes.When there is a unexpected When there is a unexpected shift in wind direction or on shift in wind direction or on speed.speed.When fire responds to When fire responds to topographic conditions and topographic conditions and runs up hill.runs up hill.

Why?Why?Firefighters underestimate Firefighters underestimate the fire potential.the fire potential.

Firefighters did not Firefighters did not recognize changes in recognize changes in weather conditions or fire weather conditions or fire behavior.behavior.

Firefighters underestimated Firefighters underestimated the extreme rate of spread, the extreme rate of spread, in light fuels and steep in light fuels and steep topography.topography.

Firefighters not following Firefighters not following there set TRIGGER POINTSthere set TRIGGER POINTS..

ENTRAPMENT AVOIDANCE

Firefighter Entrapment AvoidanceFirefighter Entrapment Avoidance

EntrapmentEntrapment: A situation where personal : A situation where personal are unexpectedly caught in a fire behavior-are unexpectedly caught in a fire behavior-related, life threatening position where related, life threatening position where planned escape routes or safety zones are planned escape routes or safety zones are absent. An entrapment may or may not absent. An entrapment may or may not include deployment of a fire shelter. These include deployment of a fire shelter. These situations may not result in injury. They situations may not result in injury. They include “Near Misses”. include “Near Misses”.

Avoid EntrapmentAvoid Entrapment

Question: What Resource can help you stay Question: What Resource can help you stay out of this situation?out of this situation?

Follow the Risk Management ProcessFollow the Risk Management Process

Standard Firefighting Orders and recognize Watch out Standard Firefighting Orders and recognize Watch out situations. situations.

If you follow the Risk Management Process and use your If you follow the Risk Management Process and use your IRPG or Fireline Hand book as a reminder it should IRPG or Fireline Hand book as a reminder it should prevent you from getting into a entrapment situation.prevent you from getting into a entrapment situation.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

PLEASE HAVE A SAFE FIRE SEASON!