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Contributing
Article
Structure Protection Notes
by Battalion Chief Al Schriver
INTRODUCTION
-
The following discussion points were presented at the North Regional
Operations Bureau Wildland Training that was held on Monday 5/9/2005
at Fire Station 126, as part of a segment on Structure Protection
Concepts.
PROOF
IS IN THE PUDDING. STRUCTURES LOST VS. ACRES BURNED
-
How are we graded?
- 10
Acre fire w/ 5 structures lost
-
11,000 acre fire with no structures lost
-
Which is the more successful fire??
RELATIONSHIP
OF STRUCTURE PROTECTION TO PERIMETER CONTROL
-
Both have to be accomplished in order to be successful
-
May have to be accomplished simultaneously
- Need
to establish priorities when you have limited resources available.
INITIAL
ATTCK IC/OSC CAN OFTEN BE OVERWHELMED EARLY INTO THE INCIDENT, AND
NEEDS TO SHED SOME OF HIS/HER RESPONSIBILITIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
-
LAFD PIA for the Western IC fire. (Captain Joe Dupee) Human brain
can process a maximum of 7 inputs at one time. The higher the
stress, the less efficiently you deal with the inputs. Can be
as low as 3 or 4.
-
Establishment of DIV’s/Grp’s helps;
-
SAFETY - by allowing more direct supervision of resources.
-
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT - by allowing the IC/OSC to concentrate
on specific tasks, while delegating others.
-
Maintain SPAN OF CONTROL.
STRUCTURE
PROTECTION BRANCH VS. GROUP
- I
prefer to go directly to SP Branch. This allows for
-
Easier expansion later. Structure Protection Branch Director
Position is already identified, allowing us to merely add
additional SPG’s as needed.
- Assigns
responsibility for all structure protection on the incident
to one person, thus allowing the OSC to focus on perimeter
control issues.
- Limits
span of control issues by reducing the number of units that
report directly to the OSC.
NAMING SPGS VS. NUMBERING SPGS. WHY???
- Name
groups geographically so that they can be easily identified and
located.
- Dockwieller
Group (Dockwieller housing tract)
- Sierra
Group (Structures along Sierra Highway)
- Aliso
Group (All Structures in Aliso Canyon).
- Numbering
of Groups causes confusion.
- Branches
are numbered.
- CAN
YOU REMEMBER THE CURRENT LOCATION OF 3 OR 4 SPGS IF THEY ARE
NUMBERED AND CONSTANTLY MOVING??
- No
indication where the group is actually located.
§ If the SPG #1 is relocated it’s even more confusing.
People were used to thinking that SPG#1 was located one place,
now it is located somewhere else.
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