Structural firefighters and wildland firefighters operate in literally different worlds (or at least different milieus), but they share a common objective of protecting people, property, and the environment from the ravages of fire. It doesn’t matter if a firefighter is battling blazes in the city or the country—the primary goals are the same: putting out fires, staying safe, and working together as a team.
That said, the two groups engage in different tactics for different types of fires. But while wildland firefighters may pick up a tip or two from structural firefighters about saving buildings and rescuing (for example, campers trapped in a cabin), what can wildland firefighters teach their city-based counterparts? As it turns out, quite a bit! Here’s what structural firefighters can learn from wildland tactics.
Understand the Terrain and Fire’s Behavior
Terrain analysis is a common tactic for wildland firefighters. A thorough understanding of an area’s vegetation, topography, soil composition, and weather conditions and how they affect the development of a fire is a necessity. In fact, most fires are prevented before they start by monitoring and modifying the local terrain through clearing brush, digging, and executing controlled burns. Structural firefighters can adapt this to their towns by conducting preventative assessments and planning. Familiarizing themselves with the lay of the “land”—specifically, building exteriors and interiors, property layouts, and neighborhood maps—prepares structural firefighters in advance and helps them identify ways to eliminate fire hazards.
Predictive Fire Behavior
Wildland firefighters use predictive models and fire behavior analysis to anticipate how fires might begin and then spread through an area. Structural firefighters in large cities generally do the same, but departments in smaller towns may not as a practice. Regardless, a familiarity with predictive tools is a good practice, allowing firefighters to pre-plan and make split-second decisions well in advance of a fire. Understanding how different substances burn or otherwise react to a fire is crucial to know during an emergency. Just as a wildland firefighter needs to know how wood, grass, and other plants burn in a fire, a structural firefighter should have an instant understanding of how building materials and certain stored chemicals will react.
Incident Command System (ICS)
An incident command system is a standard firefighting management tool for wildland firefighters. Resources and personnel are coordinated from a specific location, allowing wildland firefighters to fight smarter and with greater effectiveness. Most structural firefighting crews work under a similar system, but it never hurts to study outside systems for new ideas and insights that have proven effective.
Mutual Aid Agreements
A mutual aid agreement is a common practice among wildland firefighters. This enables distinct agencies to pool their resources and respond more quickly in the event of larger fires beyond the capabilities of individual crews and departments to fight. Wildland firefighting crews are often connected by such agreements across a territory. Again, many structural firefighting departments work under similar agreements, but it’s worth reviewing wildland firefighters’ approach. In general, though, it’s wise to have such agreements to ensure extra resources, personnel, and communication systems are in place.
Enhanced Safety Protocols
Here are several policies, practices, and procedures wildland firefighters use to enhance their response time and capabilities during disasters. Structural firefighting departments may find a few worthy tips here.
Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones (LCES)
LCES is a common safety protocol among wildland firefighters. LCES involves designating lookouts to monitor fire behavior from towers and other points throughout a territory. Structural firefighters might consider having similar lookouts in taller buildings during periods with greater potential for fires. Communications systems, of course, should always be updated and advanced technologically. Through outreach programs and education, the community may be instructed on the importance of establishing escape routes and safety zones, to ensure firefighters’ and local citizens’ protection.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Obviously, all firefighters have distinctive PPE, usually protective helmets, fire-resistant outer gear, and the like. The wildland firefighter helmet resembles a hard hat more than the classic peaked helmet of structural firefighters. But wildland firefighters also tend to work in lighter gear, unlike structural firefighters who wear somewhat heavier protective gear. Still, they could learn something from wildland firefighting gear, which is designed to offer coolness, comfort, and mobility as well as protection. Wildland firefighters stay cool and agile, enabling better and more extended performance by reducing fatigue.
Technology
Again, wildland firefighters and structural firefighters tend to share similar equipment. A hose is a hose is a hose, after all, though there might be slight design differences. However, working in wider areas has inspired wildland firefighters to employ sky-bound technology, such as drones, to scout blazes and gain a better awareness of a fire’s size, scope, and progression. Structural firefighters could, and sometimes do, use drones to get aerial views of flaming buildings and larger areas, identifying hotspots, deciding on attack plans, and finding entry and exit points.
Crew Cohesion and Training
Wildland and structural firefighters both experience challenging physical training, simulations, and exercises that stress preparedness and teamwork, of course. Once more, seeing how things are done in another environment and applying it to one’s training keeps things fresh and even introduces a few new ideas, challenges, and techniques.
Environmental Awareness
Structural firefighters are aware of how a blaze affects a local community and the infrastructure of a town or city. Environmental consciousness may not be as significant a priority. Wildland firefighters, of course, work to preserve wildlife, water, vegetation, and similar natural resources as well as protect people and property. Structural firefighters could benefit from being aware of the effects their tools, tactics, and the substances they use to put out fires have on the ecosystem. Using environmentally friendly foams, curbing excessive water usage, and ensuring the inevitable debris left behind by a fire doesn’t kill or harm living things are all good policies.
So, what can structural firefighters learn from wildland tactics? Quite a bit, actually! Consider contacting a federal or county agency about how their wildland firefighting crews do their jobs. An exchange of knowledge might be just the ticket for your department and theirs.
