By FRANK VISCUSO and MICHAEL TERPAK
There are various reasons to change strategy from offensive to defensive (photo 1). Threat of collapse, rapid fire growth, truss roof involvement, and explosive contents within a structure are just some of the reasons you may elect to go defensive. All circumstances revolve around conditions becoming worse and resources not being sufficient enough to get the job done. When the water supply, resources, and on-scene personnel are not enough to keep up with a growing fire and interior operations present great unnecessary risks for firefighters, the incident commander (IC) should be prepared to retreat and switch tactics. Any time a decision is made to change from an offensive to a defensive operation, the announcement must be clearly communicated to all fire personnel operating at and responding to the scene.
The following operational guide provides ICs with the necessary steps to take when changing from an offensive to a defensive strategy. Always remember, it is better to shift too soon rather than too late. When it comes to firefighter safety and fireground survival, there is no room for hesitation.
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