How do you report to command?
Do report ready and looking for work? Is it obvious your COMBAT READY? What should you bring with you, when command simply says report to the command post/me? Have you confirmed what channel tactics will operate off of?
Reporting to Command
If you expect to be put to work by command, then you need to show up ready to work with the appropriate tools for a variety of possible tasks and have a clue what has been going on during the fire up to this point.
As Brian stated you need to show up expecting to work and have some clue as to whats been going on. should take your accountability system tags with you, should have a TIC, Irons, hook, charged portable radios on the correct channel, basically any tool you normally would get off the apparatus with plus what this specific incident might need. Its better to show up to command ready to work with more tools than you need, than to have to tell IC give my crew a second while we go back to our rig to get the tools we need.
I usually like to listen to the TAC channel on the way in so I can hear what is going on and try to gauge a potential need. With these new 800 radios you can clearly here the TAC channel from much farther away. It still surprises me at the apathy some company’s still display at being ready. It’s going to be a cultural change from the OIC down….Check out this article written a few years back on RIC preparedness http://mutualaidfire.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/rapid-intervention/
As stated above, listen to whats going on while enroute. Anticipate what your assignment may be based on who and how many crews are already there. Take a minute to make a minute when collecting tools to take with. Unless all the rigs are set up exactly the same, (which they normally are not), its better to take YOUR stuff to the fire scene. Remember, YOU checked the equipment during morning checks and YOU know all the capabilities and limitations of each. Besides, if you expect to strip the first or second due trucks in order to keep your stuff ready to leave: DOOM ON YOU!!! Guess what, its already been stripped, they wont have what you will need, none of the saws will want to work for you; MURPHY’S LAW strikes again. Take your own stuff. There are too many variables to consider in predicting what your assignment will be so come ready for anything and everything. If the IC is cognizant of what your capabilities are, and you show up as a crew, together, COMBAT ready, you and your crew may get assigned a challenging and rewarding task to complete. Dont be dissapointed if your assignment is RIT (Rapid Intervention). This assignment is not just window dressing for the command board; this will be the most challenging job on the fire ground if you are activated. Be proactive with the assignment. Complete a 360 degree survey, know where the points of egress are, who’s inside, how far in do the hose lines stretch. Are the crews inside making headway, are the lines moving? Without getting too committed to any task, you can help with venting or ladders or hose. If you are RIT, you are the ultimate insurance for the brothers working on the fire ground.
I like to look at the scene and decide what task would be the most fun and bring the tools to complete that task! Just kidding but definatley bring all the tools you can carry so you have a better chance of getting put to work than the company that got there before you (ladder 12) haha! Be ready for every thing but try to anticipate what command might want done next and carry the tools for that job.
All great comments….unfortunately the complacent jack asses wont be reading this site & will likely NOT GET a clue…not being negative, just saying….
That’s the TRUTH!!!
True Dat!