Thinking Like an Incident Commander—Everyone’s Job

Incident Commanders (ICs) are responsible for overall supervision on the fireground. As such, they accept responsibility for decisions made and also develop the overall strategy to bring an incident to a successful conclusion. But they are not the only ones who should be thinking like an IC.

“I developed the ‘Think Like an Incident Commander’ class to address what I consider to be one of the common misconceptions in the fire service—that the chief who is supervising the operation is the only one who needs to be thinking like an incident commander,” said Deputy Chief Thomas Dunne, Fire Department of New York. “I believe that the fire service would experience fewer injuries and fatalities if all personnel, including firefighters and company officers, were able to develop an incident commander’s perspective.”

The class used case studies, videos, and fire simulations to highlight some of the common problems encountered in firefighting and offered practical tools to deal with the confusion, stress, and uncertainties that are typical of most fires. “I break down the elements of preparation, decision making, communications, and size-up that are relevant for both supervising chiefs and operating firefighters,” said Dunne.

Dunne stressed seeing the “big picture” on the fireground and to realize that everything firefighters do there affects others, including advancing a hose line, venting a window or pulling a ceiling. These “can have good or bad ramifications depending on whether or not these actions are properly coordinated,” asserted Dunne.

“I would like students to walk away from the session better prepared to quickly evaluate hazards and plan overall strategy instead of just performing a series of unrelated, individual tactical acts: in short, to think like an incident commander,” said Dunne before the class. “Even if you never plan to be a chief being able to work from his perspective will lead to a more efficient and safer operation.”