Fire truck placement is crucial when arriving on scene for any type of response but particularly for a structure fire call. Due to the fast-moving, high-stress nature of these responses, some members might park the engine right in front of the structure to engage quickly without the consideration of a staging strategy.
In today’s video, we see an excellent example of how to stage apparatus arriving on scene.
Make room for the ladder
When the engine arrives on scene, it does not stop at the front door of the structure but rather pulls just past it. Doing this gives priority staging to other arriving apparatus, such as the ladder truck that may be responding.
Though the engine crew needs to be close to the incident scene in order to reach the blaze, a hoseline can be extended to accommodate the distance needed, and crews can snake the hose around objects to reach the intended target.
Conversely, an aerial ladder on top of a truck cannot be extended, nor can it be snaked around parked objects like a hose can. It’s vital that the aerial ladder remains in close proximity to the building. This can only be accomplished by ceding the front address or the corners of the structure to the ladder.
2 benefits to strategic staging
Training on how to stage at different types of responses gives first-arriving crews the muscle memory to take later-arriving apparatus into consideration, which benefits crews on scene in two ways:
- Helps maintains a clear roadway. Notice where the first-arriving engine stages in the video – across the street from the involved structure. Doing so opens the roadway for arriving trucks, giving them the room needed to position and operate. It also keeps the engine company away from the radiant heat and the collapse zone, should the front wall of the building give way.
- Gives crews flexibility on scene. Leaving crews room to operate the aerial ladder will allow for more tactical options. In the video, you will notice that the aerial ladder has the room to not only provide elevated aerial operations but also low-level aerial operations. Having enough scrub space will allow the aerial ladder to be used without extending to apply water in this case.
In our video example, the aerial ladder truck arrives on scene and is staged behind the engine but in front of the building. Here, the aerial ladder is also protected from the radiant heat and collapse zone – made possible due to the first-arriving truck not staging right in front of the structure.
Training time
After watching this video and reading about the incident, create a training scenario in which the engine arrives first on scene, with the aerial ladder arriving just afterwards. Have crews practice staging the engine in a way that will allow the aerial ladder to have the advantage. This can be repeated at different building types within the response district.
