Simplifying Hoseline Selection for the First-In Officer

BY ROBERT MAGEE

New fire officers are trained in many areas: composing memos, resolving conflicts, developing standard operating guidelines (SOGs), creating incident action plans, implementing the incident command system, and a range of other managerial functions. The training, however, may end up short on subjects such as flow calculations, risk-vs.-benefit, and other critical fireground functions for which a new first-in officer would be responsible. This article presents a method for simplifying the "math" for more practical applications in the real world where the split-second decisions officers make relative to handline selection can make or break the operation. It's not about getting the perfect numbers for fire flows but more about becoming familiar with the engine's handline capabilities as applied to different types of buildings. We don't have to have the "perfect" size line for a given fire, but we certainly want our officers to have a good grasp of the lines' limitations. This is even more critical when committing the crew on an interior attack. We also don't want to limit a crew's maneuverability by always choosing the largest line available when the job can be accomplished more quickly with an appropriate size line.

As much as we train our officers on mathematical calculations, it is not always easy for them to determine these values while "on the fly" responding to structural fires, especially at 0300 hours. Sizing up for flow rates and hoseline selection will usually get lost and be replaced with simpler rules like using 1¾-inch hose for residential fires and 2½-inch hose for commercial fires. Current construction practices challenge this simpler style of thinking, as we can encounter 2,000- to 10,000-square-foot, single-family homes with open living concepts and no sprinklers. Commercial buildings could be smaller than some of our residences and have better built-in fire protection!