Life and Death Decision Making

May Newsletter Re-Posted by Permission
By: Vincent Dunn Deputy Chief FDNY (ret)

Author’s note:
I can think of no better example of critical decision making than what our firefighters live out each and every day. Please consider their constant commitments:

The U.S. Marine Corps called several New York City fire chiefs to its military academy to find out how the fire service makes life-and-death decisions. The Marines believe we make frequent and good life-and-death decisions during fires and emergencies, and they wanted to know how we train our fire officers in decision-making.

During a war, the military makes many life-and-death decisions. But when the war ends, so does that degree of decision-making. The fire service makes life-and-death decisions in a war that never ends…firefighting. Many soldiers who made life-and-death decisions in the military have retired. The fire service does not have this dilemma. We continually maintain a corps of fire chiefs, officers and firefighters who learn and know how to make life-and-death decisions. And, the fire service continues to make life-and death decisions every day throughout this country at fires and emergencies.

The marines wanted to know how we acquire the ability to make life-and-death decisions. We fire chiefs gave them some valuable information. First and foremost, we teach firefighters, officers and chiefs those decisions they make affect their own lives and the lives of the people they serve in the community. Next, the fire service identifies the common life-and-death situations encountered at fires and emergencies. These critical situations get special attention during training sessions.

For example:
1. Is the roof stable? Can I cut a roof vent opening or will it collapse?
2. Which one of the injured victims should be removed from the burning
building first?
3. Will the burning car explode or should I attempt to rescue the trapped
victims?
4. Should the firefighters be withdrawn from the burning building or should
I continue the high-risk interior attack?
5. Is the secondary search in the smoke-filled apartment complete or are
there still trapped victims?
6. Do I have sufficient resources at the scene or should I call for
reinforcements?
7. Is the smoldering fire inside the concealed space extinguished or will it
rekindle and a larger, life-threatening blaze occur after I leave the scene?
8. Is this a false alarm or should I search the area again for a fire or
victim?
9. Do I have enough resources at the scene to attack the fire or should I
order all firefighters to do search and rescue and let the building bum?
10. Should I give up the original burning building and protect adjoining
structures with hose lines?

The above are just some of the life-and-death decisions chiefs and company officers make during fires and emergencies every day throughout America. And the following are ways in which fire chiefs and company officers in the New York City Fire Department learn how to make these decisions.

Mentors.

Like soldiers, fire chiefs, company officers and firefighters learn how to make life-and-death decisions through experience. We learn the craft of firefighting by doing it. . Experience is the best teacher, even for decision making. Watching or assisting someone making a decision is invaluable. It starts as firefighters. We have the "buddy system" of working in pairs. A junior firefighter is assigned to work with a seasoned firefighter. The young firefighter watches as the veteran performs the work. He asks questions of the senior firefighter and learns techniques and practices of life-and-death decision making that will save his life someday.

Then, one day on a tour of duty in the firehouse, the senior firefighter is not there. He takes a day off, is promoted or transferred and now the junior firefighter becomes the senior firefighters then he is assigned a rookie to work with. He becomes mentor to this inexperienced firefighter and teaches the same life-and death decision-making.

(To Be Continued)…