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Access
Use a logical approach as you would at an emergency to carry out your TMI through a WS. You can enhance preincident size-up practice for postdispatch application. “Hidden in plain sight” all too often describes what initial arriving units may see. In confronting an emergency, extreme fire conditions, reports of trapped victims, and a host of other stressors can affect your situational awareness. Tunnel vision may preclude recognition of subtle, yet important, factors or features, but when viewed in a nonemergency setting, things may more readily stand out.
Access during and after operating hours is one immediate consideration. TMI can reveal accessibility challenges affecting apparatus placement and equipment and personnel deployment. If apparatus and personnel cannot effectively access a site, the incident will likely quickly worsen.
Answer such questions as the following: Can you get to the facility? How close can fire apparatus get to a facility? Will water supply or attack line deployment require extra-long hoselays? How and where can the truck company position for maximum effectiveness? A host of access challenges may include the facility physical setback from the road, the presence of a gate (photo 2), aesthetic landscape features, mature vegetation, overhead utility lines, and an active rail line (photo 3).
Arrangement
A second WS consideration is the facility’s arrangement, which can cause confusion. Assess preincident arrangement issues such as side references-i.e., which is side A, side B, side C, and side D. Although some facilities may be simple four-sided structures, others may comprised multiple buildings, including conveyances to other areas (a connecting or transitional corridor from an office to a manufacturing area) or have special-purpose areas (chemical storage and trash disposal). Arrangement does not just mean the facility footprint but also its height above and below grade.
Note other special features, conditions, or obstacles to consider applicable strategies and tactics. In photo 4, a windowless building presents access and ventilation challenges. Topography challenges to fire operations include extreme or subtle elevation presentations on different sides of the building. In photo 5, the building appears to be on one level at sides A and D. But in photo 6, the elevation of sides A and B is different. Here, too, preincident analysis is the time to discuss floor level assignments. These easily obtainable site circumstances can improve a fire department’s preincident preparedness program and provide staff with preresponse cues to correlate to postdispatch situations.
Condition
Another important item to assess during a WS is the building’s condition. Are there any obvious structural issues? Does it appear to be well-maintained? Exterior conditions may be a preview to interior conditions. Deteriorated mortar (photo 7), large cracks, or reinforcements (photo 8) are just a few examples. Such indications of structural compromise could mean rapid structural deterioration under fire conditions.
Hazards
A WS can identify use of hazardous commodities. This should heighten interest in learning the use of the material and preincident research of its chemical and physical properties. Are the containers like the hydrogen containers in photo 9 fixed, indicating the product is piped through the building? Or are they portable (photo 10), indicating they could be used anywhere in the building?
Exposures
A WS can help identify exposures, which you must assess since they may be less protected, more susceptible to catching fire, and contribute to an expanding incident. Most commonly, the exposures considered are nearby structures, but just as important are the environmental and infrastructure exposures. It is important to consider runoff and determine preincident the outfall of the storm drain.
Facility Infrastructure
In this article, infrastructure refers to utilities and built-in systems that facilitate normal site operations, such as electric, gas, water, and other services. Also included are support systems such as the ever-growing use of photovoltaic power, which could affect ventilation (photo 11), refuse systems, backup power units, and suppression systems. Although a WS may reveal that a utility or system exists, it does not provide a full picture of internal coverage or support. This should encourage investigation during formal preplanning.
Walk-Around
If time or public access to the exterior permits, replace the Two-Minute with a Ten-Minute by a WA. Like TMI-WS, this, too, can reveal incident critical information. Physically walking the perimeter of a structure can reveal features not easily recognized through the windshield.
Some facilities publish their operational hours on the front door, which indicate the general times of public occupancy. In some instances, the alarm company logo and contact number may be posted on the front door as well. This could be beneficial for after-hours contact. Observe caution with alarm company labels. Depending on the turnover in the building or its occupancies, the information may not be current or valid. The after-hour contacts listed also may not be current.
Review security measures and access doors, which help determine forcible entry needs and occupant egress from the structure. Evaluate access for challenges such as blocked-up egress points (photo 12), reinforcement, or special security devices that may require more invasive entry methods.
A WA in conjunction with a WS will allow personnel to identify the elements noted above. A WA allows a closer inspection that may reveal elements hidden in plain sight or concealed by other features such as vegetation. A WA may help in identifying the utility service types and number of users, such as multiple electric (photo 13) or gas service meters (photo 14).
A physical WA may identify fire suppression systems such as a post indicator valve (PIV), a wall PIV, a standpipe (photo 15), or a fire department connection (FDC). For certain conduits, such as an FDC, note the connection. Does the FDC present two 2½-inch siamese ports? Or is it a five-inch storz (photo 16) connection? Important details such as these must be effectively communicated to incoming units that will be expected to support the system.
Evaluate housekeeping since it can indicate internal practices. How are items stored outside, and what is the disposal unit media?
The elements listed above are not exhaustive, but even basic information offers invaluable benefits regardless of the lack of detailed knowledge of internal floor plans, systems, and processes. There is no limit to the information that you can ascertain by walking around a facility.
Photographs
If fire department policies/procedures permit, take pre-incident exterior photos of the venue and specific challenging elements. Use them as training tools for company-level training and incorporate them into other preincident preparedness activities. Photographing certain critical features is useful for reinforcing or contemplating certain strategies and tactics.
Information Management/Security
The information collected should not be just written on a piece of paper or entered in a database without further analysis. Review it, and perform a comparative assessment against the fire department’s capabilities and vulnerabilities. This should galvanize further preincident cooperative preparedness efforts and enhance operations with facility staff. Use it to improve the safety of responding personnel.
As with any information source, organizations must practice appropriate operational security. Vulnerabilities of the facility or fire department should not be widely conveyed to those without a need to know. Ensure that all information is secured from unauthorized access.
Although basic, the concepts and suggestions of this article are nonetheless important and beneficial. Open sources are wide ranging, and you should determine which are legitimate and credible sources. Overwhelming and arduous as intelligence gathering and preplanning can be, the return on investment of a TMI by a WS or WA, whether it takes two or 10 minutes, will be tremendous. Regardless of the excuses offered for not engaging, ask yourself and the department leadership the following: In your district, what can you afford not to know about?
ERIC G. BACHMAN, CFPS, is a 32-year veteran of the fire service and a former chief of the Eden Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He is the hazardous materials administrator for the County of Lancaster Emergency Management Agency and serves on the Local Emergency Planning Committee of Lancaster County. He is registered with the National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications as a fire officer IV, fire instructor III, hazardous materials technician, and hazardous materials incident commander. He has an associate degree in fire science and earned professional certification in emergency management through the state of Pennsylvania. He is also a volunteer firefighter with the West Hempfield (PA) Fire & Rescue Company.
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