Improving firefighting tactics

response strategy

Improving

The new SAVE approach from Hampshire FRS in the UK is designed to combat many of the current challenges facing fire and rescue services. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Andy Bowers explains how a review of operational tactics led to the service transforming its response strategy.

Like all fire and rescue services, Hampshire FRS has been facing many challenging issues over the last decade. Amongst these are falling experience levels, reduced exposure to incident command, increasing difficulty with recruitment and retention of on-call staff, availability of retained fire appliances, and firefighter contamination at fires. Each of these has its own difficulties, and traditionally each has been dealt with separately.

At Hampshire, we decided to take stock of our firefighting tactics after the Shirley Towers tragedy in 2010 and embarked on a process of improvements in our operational effectiveness. We were already employing positive pressure ventilation as

part of a tactical ventilation strategy and using thermal imaging cameras extensively – although at the time there was only one camera on each appliance – but we knew that we needed to improve our firefighting options. This review of tactics led to the development of the SAVE approach – Scan, Attack, Ventilate, Enter/Extinguish.

According to traditional firefighting tactics, our default strategy for most fires involved the early deployment of a two-person breathing apparatus crew into a building to search for casualties and/or the compartment of origin with either a hose reel or main jet. This is often described as the ‘Two BA, now what have we got?’ syndrome. This approach had been in use for many years, virtually unchanged, and we realised that we needed to add other options to our commander’s decision making. At around the same time as this review, ultrahigh-pressure lances (UHPL) began to emerge in the UK as a firefighting option, although uptake at this point was minimal.

Knowledge base We concluded that we needed to develop a much more integrated approach based on a number of key areas. We identified five pivotal knowledge areas for firefighters: emergency call handling and mobilising; fire behaviour; fire science; building construction (both traditional and modern); and tactical firefighting options.

At HFRS we understand that a solid underlying knowledge base is key to firefighter competence at every level. Therefore, we rewrote all our training materials and redesigned all of the

The SAVE approach from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service involves the use of thermal imaging cameras at every stage of an incident; the service has also adopted ultra-highpressure piercing lances as a standard part of its response protocol.

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response strategy

firefighting tactics

compartment fire behaviour courses. It was clear that conventional CFBT was not adequately preparing our staff for real incidents and this needed urgent change.

Appliances and equipment At the same time as reviewing our knowledge requirements and training, we also reviewed our vehicles and equipment. It was decided that conventional vehicles promote conventional approaches to firefighting and do not encourage innovation, and it was clear that thinking around both vehicles and pre-determined attendances (PDAs) needed to be updated.

One key to achieving the right response for an incident lies in redefining the term ‘weight of attack’. Conventionally this has been used to refer to the number of personnel and standard appliances deployed. However, we realised that ‘weight of attack’ was about getting the right capabilities to an incident, with the right people to carry out the most suitable operations as swiftly as possible. Numbers alone were not the main element, and conventional large-sized fire appliances were not the answer to the wide variety of type and severity of incident we were facing.

We began to trial smaller, faster vehicles to get the right capability to a scene, as well as enhancing our largest appliances to carry significant quantities of equipment. In particular, the ultra-high-pressure lance is now a key

component of our strategy.

The combination of a stronger knowledge base and improved equipment and capabilities allowed our crews to develop different firefighting options and tactics. We supported this innovation process by developing a programme of live burns in buildings scheduled for demolition across the county. In short, we encouraged our crews to get creative, to experiment, and to become ever better at their roles.

The improved capabilities, vehicles, and equipment produced a tiered approach to firefighting. HFRS statistics show that around 40% of calls to fires are false alarms of one kind or another, and around 70% of incidents do not require the use of the full pre-determined attendance plan. Therefore, we have developed a three-level response plan.

First response capability This is the first attack option for every incident, with a crew of at least two up to a maximum of four. For a significant incident our preferred approach is to send a first response capability (FRC), if that is the closest resource, with a crew of four where they are available. FRCs carry BA, a ladder, and have ultrahigh-pressure lances for external attack.

Where fewer than four personnel are available on an FRC that is the nearest resource, we will send the FRC to gather

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response strategy

SAVE enables significant temperature reduction and greatly improved visibility prior to BA entry, permitting much more rapid progress to the casualty.

information and begin to implement the SAVE approach. While a crew of two cannot do as much as a crew of four, they can still do a meaningful amount in advance of further resources arriving. In many cases, where the incident is small, a crew of two will be sufficient. We will never send just a crew of two without back-up to what we believe is a significant fire.

Intermediate response capability This involves an appliance with a crew of at least two up to a maximum of five. These appliances carry larger pumps, ladders, BA, RTC equipment, and UHPL. The optimum operating method for the intermediate response is a crew of four, but we have the option of mobilising with fewer personnel for relevant incident types or where we do not have four available. The intermediate response can provide the first-strike capability or be part of the reinforcing and supporting subsequent layers of response.

Enhanced response capability Known as rescue pumps, these appliances have a crew of at least four up to a maximum of six. These vehicles are well established in operations. Equipped with compressed air foam, they will be part of our operations for all significant fires and should be part of every significant PDA given their strategic locations around the county.

This new response model is scalable and flexible. The three vehicle types are spread around the county to enable access to all options. We don’t duplicate vehicles at full-time stations or multi-appliance retained duty system stations so that every capability is available at our busiest locations. Lower activity areas have every option available from their own vehicle and from the surrounding stations.

Importantly, we have co-designed all new capabilities with our firefighters and our firefighters are leading the development and specification process.

The SAVE approach Having implemented all these developments, what we needed was a way to tie them all together. This answer is the HFRS firefighting strategy SAVE, an integrated approach that includes the following tactical options: use of thermal imaging by the incident commander and crews at every stage of the incident; the use of ultra-high-pressure lances as cutting and

extinguishing media; water delivered by hose-reels or main jets; compressed air foam; the use of an active ventilation and/ or anti-ventilation strategy including positive pressure ventilation; and controlling the environment in a fire compartment.

To create a distinctive and easily memorable approach, we came up with the mnemonic SAVE: Scan, including thermal imaging; observe fire behaviour and development, building design and construction etc. Attack the fire with ultra-high-pressure lances, hose-reels/ jets, CAFS, etc. Ventilate/control the ventilation in the room or building and control the environment. Enter and extinguish the fire, carry out search and rescue, salvage, etc.

In terms of the issues outlined at the beginning of this article, SAVE enables the use of smaller vehicles with different equipment and wider tactical options for commanders, creates improved retained duty system availability by utilising smaller crews, and enables more rapid intervention, thereby reducing fire damage. It also creates a safe scheme of work with an external attack prior to entry, thus improving conditions for firefighters and occupants.

In addition, SAVE allows for significant temperature reduction and greatly improved visibility prior to BA entry, enabling much more rapid progress to any casualty – in essence, taking the fresh air to the casualty before we take them out to fresh air. An extra benefit is a significant reduction in firefighter contamination.

SAVE and the developments that support it are still evolving, but already it is showing some real benefits and highlighting areas where we need to do more work. It also fits perfectly with the current ongoing national work on evidence-based firefighting and the need for a different approach. SAVE is being trialled by other fire services around the country, and we are encouraging this and working with other services that are carrying out different research to ensure we all share and learn lessons from each other.

At Hampshire, we believe that we owe it to the public to provide the best possible response at all times. SAVE is a significant development in delivering that and a positive step forward in firefighting tactics and public and firefighter safety.

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