BY CHRIS PASKETT
Company officers and line battalion chiefs have some overlapping responsibilities on the fireground. Both must be able to size up an incident scene that presents a multitude of hazards, and they should be able to take command, make assignments, call for additional resources, and track on-scene personnel. There is, however, a major difference in the conditions under which company officers and battalion chiefs generally operate. As a working incident commander (IC), a company officer in the initial stages of an incident may not have the luxury of making decisions while sitting inside an SUV or using a command board as a reference. He must be able to make quick decisions based on limited information while performing manipulative skills such as setting ladders, pulling hose, or performing a 360° scene survey. A set of short memory aids can help a company officer remember the important bullet points of a hazard while simultaneously performing these tasks.
Memory aids and mnemonics (a general term to describe learning techniques that aid information retention) may be external or internal.1 External memory aids include note taking and reminders like alarm clocks. In a college-setting study, external memory aids were rated as more preferred because of their dependability and accuracy.2 The problem with the fire service application of external aids and lists is that firefighters must stop what they are doing and refer to them. This is often not possible during a dynamic scene deployment.
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