Size-Up

The size-up should be an orderly process that ensures that the officer
considers:
• the factors necessary to identify the problems
• the priority order in which they need to be addressed
• the resources needed
• how those resources can best be utilized.

With any incident, we know that our first priority is the protection of lives. Our
second priority is to stabilize and control the incident, and our third priority is the
conservation and preservation of property. This should also be the priority order
we should follow in doing our size-up.
To assist in following an orderly thought process, we have enlisted the
assistance of an old Indian chief who was also the tribe's fire chief. Back in the
days prior to large diameter hose and SCBAs, Chief REVAS followed a simple
pattern of doing a size-up when fires occurred within the tribal circle. Like most
of us, Chief REVAS was able to maintain the ability to remember his name
during times of high stress such as found when showing up at a fire. Using his
own name, Chief REVAS followed these steps when looking at the fire and
doing his size-up:

By following these steps at every incident, Chief REVAS addressed the

priorities of LIFE SAFETY, INCIDENT STABILIZATION, and PROPERTY
CONSERVATION in their proper order when doing his size-up. We will use
these same steps throughout this course to help us answer the questions: (1)
What exactly is going on here? and (2) Now what do I need to do?
An important part of your size-up should include a forecast of probable spread
of the incident. This might be applying the principles discussed in Module I to
make a fire behavior prediction, assessing the threat of toxic materials at a
haz-mat incident, or establishing a system to control and account for victims
evacuatedfrom a building. By making a forecast, you will be better able to
determine what future actions may need to be taken and the resources you
will need.
In addition to your evaluation of the incident, you should evaluate your available
resources. Do you have enough personnel and the right personnel? Your need
may be for more fire fighters or it may be for more command officers. The
incident may require those with specialized knowledge or skills. Do you have
enough apparatus and equipment, and is it what you need? If you have lost the
structure and are into an aerial stream operation, your need is likely to be for
more aerial ladders rather than engines. The incident may require large amounts
of foam or breathing air beyond that available at the scene. Consider additional
crews for attack, the need for relief personnel, the need for additional water, and
the need for additional or specialized apparatus and equipment. The danger is
attempting to do too much with the resources at hand, only to find out too late
they were insufficient or the wrong ones to meet the challenge. This can risk the
safety of your personnel and put you in a catch-up mode throughout the incident.

On-Scene Report

For the first arriving officer, the initial size-up should include a complete on-scene
report. If that officer can communicate a graphic word picture as tc what is
occurring at the incident, other incoming units will have a better understanding of
what the incident is, which will reduce the confusion once they arrive. One
method used by a number of departments is that the officer communicates the
answers to the following questions:

• What do I have?
• What am I doing?
• What do I need?
• Who is in command?

In describing "WHAT DO I HAVE” the officer gives the communications center

and other responding units an image of what the officer sees. The description
can include such information as building size, construction, amount of smoke or
flame showing, amount of involvement, type of occupancy, unusual conditions or
hazards, or any other information the officer can give. This brief report will help
others picture what is occurring.
"WHAT AM I DOING?"will tell them what actions you are taking such as
advancing an attack line, supplying your own water, laddering the building, or
whatever your initial actions might be."WHAT DO I NEED?"can be assignments
you give to other companies or request for additional resources. When telling
others what your needs are, remember that "nothing right now" is a perfectly
good answer. You may need time to do some investigation to determine what the
real problems are. While you are taking the time to determine what is wrong,
other responding units can be directed to stage in an area close to the incident
but far enough away to easily be placed somewhere other than the front door. All
too often, the front of a building looks like a used fire apparatus lot when
everyone stacks up in front of the front door. Keeping apparatus away until they
are needed allows for easier access if apparatus needs to be moved in or out.
One question that has to be answered on every incident is, "WHO IS IN
COMMAND?" Once the first piece of fire equipment arrives at the scene and
until the last one leaves, someone has to be in command. Everyone responding
to or working at an incident needs to know that command is established. Your
department should have SOPs dealing with how command is established and
transferred.
In size-up as well as all your other actions, personnel safety is the officer's
number one responsibility. The risks to which an officer exposes personnel must
be weighed against the benefits. Don't risk the lives of fire fighters in a vain
attempt to save dead people or in an aggressive interior attack on a building not
worth saving. You must be able and willing to assess when the risk is not worth
the benefit.