Whatever reason offered, it is important to know that failing to complete the size up is a barrier to the formation of situational awareness. I am not here to judge these explanations. “The second-in company will do the 360.” The front view and the back view can be VERY different! We didn’t have any time to waste on a 360.”ġ0. ![]() “The back yard was fenced in and there was a big dog in the yard.”ĩ. I didn’t need to go around back to see the obvious.”Ĩ. “The fire was coming out the front window. “I knew I was supposed to do it but I got distracted by the homeowner talking to me.”ħ. “The next-in crew took our hose line and went in while we’re doing the 360.”Ħ. “I got yelled at by the incident commander for trying to do a 360.”ĥ. “We did a three-sided size-up by having the driver pull past the structure.”Ĥ. “There was no access to the back side of the structure.”ģ. “The building was too large and it would have taken too much time for me to walk around it.”Ģ. Included on the list are some obvious (expected) response and some that less obvious (surprising).ġ. I’ve heard some creative explanations for why a responder would not complete a 360° size up. Not only can you see the conditions from all angles, but you can also observe important clues about construction, exit points and floor plan layouts.Įxcuses for not completing a 360° size up A 360° size up at a residential dwelling fire allows you to capture and process some very important clues. There are few things first responders can do to help build the foundation of situational awareness like conducting a proper size up. I am appalled when firefighters share with me the practice is discouraged. I am even more discouraged when I learn that departments have a standard but it is not practiced. I am disappointed with how many fire departments have no written standard requiring a 360° size up. ![]() I find myself peer pressured into just going into the fire. ![]() Now, I LOVE going into burning buildings but having lost a firefighter because he fell through the floor (because nobody did a walk around and saw the basement on fire) I feel a good walk around saves lives. It never fails I get yelled at to get in the fire. When we catch a job I always have the driver pull past the house to see 3 sides and then I try to do a walk around. Here’s what he wrote (less the parts I removed to ensure his confidentiality):Īt my department the 360 is almost frowned upon. The second account came to me by way of an email I received from a firefighter who offered up the topic for an upcoming situational awareness conference call training program for firefighters. Getting yelled at for completing a 360° size up These pictures are from the NIOSH Colerain Township LODD investigation report. ![]() The firefighter I spoke to, and her partner, fared much better as they were rescued and survived. As she recounted the details, I was reminded of a similar residential dwelling fire that killed two firefighters in Colerain Township, Ohio ( Click here for the NIOSH Investigation report). They made entry through the front door and they fell through the floor and were trapped in the basement. She was part of a crew of two that did not complete a 360° size up at a residential dwelling fire. The first account came to me by way of a firefighter sharing a near-miss event with me following a Mental Management of Emergencies program. I was inspired to write this article from two recent accounts shared with me. At a structure fire, the visual clues and cues occupy a finite environment- the building and the space around the building. I am nothing short of astounded by the number of firefighters telling me they don’t complete a 360° size up of a structure fire before making entry. To capture clues and cues requires seeing or hearing them. Situational awareness starts with capturing clues and cues in your environment It’s really quite a simple premise.
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