Scene Management - Effective Use of Resources

[helicopper 1,050]

Battalion 8 (Safety Officer)

Battalion 9 (Resource Unit Leader)

Rescue, Safety Battalions

FieldCom, Command Tactical Unit

Battalion 12 acting 8 (Staging Manager)

Battalion 33 (Air Recon Chief)

This is a small sampling of the management resources requested to a recent fire in the City. At the recent airplane crash in Clarence, the County brought in a Type 2 IMT to assist with the management (overall - not just scene).

Do any agencies around here do scene management this effectively? Do you assign appropriately trained and qualified people to be (for example) Resource Unit Leader (aka Accountability Officer), Staging Area Manager, Safety Officer, Operations Section Chief, Division/Group Supervisors, etc.?

I realize the Air Recon Chief is unique to the FDNY but how do you approach the issue of overall scene surveillance?

During large-scale mutual aid responses many chief officers may respond and I guess I'm wondering how they get utilized.

[Guest]

In my dept, when Chiefs call out that they are responding, the IC will assign each of them a division such as Charlie, 1, 2, Staging, safety, accountability, etc. Depending on the incident and what needs to be taken care of. if there are not enough chief officers, then the line officers can be assigned these tasks.

[Remember585 815]

I don't think anyone / any agency in Westchester has had an incident of that magnitude since the "implementation" of NIMS here. I've been to a few large events and have seen some delegation of duties. The most common assignments I've seen put in place are:

Command

Operations --> with it broken down to other groups, like "Attack," "Search," and "Roof."

Safety (Sometimes multiple)

Water Supply --> broken down also with a "Fill Site" and "Drop Site" Operations leader.

Rehab

EMS (Treatment & transport)

Staging

At a few events I can recall, where you had more then one structure involved, you would see it broken into sectors as well.

The Battalion Coordinators could be a great asset for staging, resource unit managemement, liaision, etc.

[ajsbear 11]

I don't think anyone / any agency in Westchester has had an incident of that magnitude since the "implementation" of NIMS here. I've been to a few large events and have seen some delegation of duties. The most common assignments I've seen put in place are:

Command

Operations --> with it broken down to other groups, like "Attack," "Search," and "Roof."

Safety (Sometimes multiple)

Water Supply --> broken down also with a "Fill Site" and "Drop Site" Operations leader.

Rehab

EMS (Treatment & transport)

Staging

At a few events I can recall, where you had more then one structure involved, you would see it broken into sectors as well.

The Battalion Coordinators could be a great asset for staging, resource unit managemement, liaision, etc.

I would have thought "the Harvey School" may be one. How many departments were there?

[DaRock98 76]

I would have thought "the Harvey School" may be one. How many departments were there?

I think you mean the Hackley School? If so according to the thread below there was about 30 departments involved including EMS and the relocates.

http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopi...chool&st=60

[ajsbear 11]

I think you mean the Hackley School? If so according to the thread below there was about 30 departments involved including EMS and the relocates.

http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopi...chool&st=60

I stand corrected. It's that Kraft thing again.

[ny10570 745]

These Battalion Chief assignments are not just for major incidents. Safety and Resource are assigned on a 2nd alarm and staging on a 3rd. When used on a regular basis these assignments flow infinitely easier when poo is hitting the fan at a major incident.

Edited February 27, 2009 by ny10570

[Monty 35]

I think you mean the Hackley School? If so according to the thread below there was about 30 departments involved including EMS and the relocates.

http://www.emtbravo.net/index.php?showtopi...chool&st=60

I remember the incident - but I wasn't there.

To Chris' point, was the incident handled effectively? Yes, I know there were lots of resources - and the fire went out.

But I'm sure there was at least some room for improvement. Was there a true ICS, span of control, responsibilities assigned, accountability? Or was it just you guys stop the fire over there, you guys set up a water source etc, you guys vent this area?

Calls I've been to, other than sometimes hearing Incident Command (that seems to be happening more often), I don't hear other ICS positions (staging, safety, operations, division 1).

I have been to incidents elsewhere, where they do use more of this - and it does help even a schmuck like me get a better picture of what's going on where.

[Guest]

It would not be a bad idea to have regional groups or selected neighbors to put together Incident management teams, thus using assigned and buffin chief officers in a constructive way. We see the success of the everyday FDNY model . However no one Department locally can duplicate this system of control, but using neighbors you could. Develop teams from all Departments within the same County Car number or on the same trunking frequency or some such method.

Alot of white hats go to waste at an incident as they become spectators or get in the way, channeling their training and expertise into a constructive effort might be something worth persuing.