First Law Enforcement Officer on the Fire Scene
Category: Law Enforcement
Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for law enforcement.
What should you do, and not do, when you arrive at a fire before the fire department.
Today’s Tip is for law enforcement officers. It deals with what you should do, and should not do when you arrive at a fire before the fire department.
Sometimes you are first to arrive at a structure fire. What you do in the first few minutes can dramatically affect the incident. Depending on what you do, you might actually make a bad situation much worse.
Don’t park in front of a fire hydrant. And don’t block the road or driveway.
Don’t go inside. You don’t have the proper equipment. You don’t have training on fire behavior. You do not know enough about this dangerous enemy. The simple act of opening the door could have disastrous effects for anyone inside.
Try to determine if anyone is inside. Ask bystanders. Yell into the building. Listen for a response.
If it can be done safely, try to limit airflow. Close doors. Don’t break windows. The less air that the fire has, the slower it grows. And the greater chances of survival for anyone inside.
I know. Some of you might go in anyway. Even though you shouldn’t. If you do, when you enter a room, close the doors that are between you and the fire. This can help slow the fire down while you are in the room. Make sure that someone knows where you are. Let dispatch know what you are doing. Remember your entry point. And get out as soon as you can.
There is much more to this than I can cover in this short video. Please check out a program called “Safe Law Enforcement Operations on the Fireground.” It was developed by ISFSI. The International Society of Fire Service Instructors.
And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.