Fireground factors offer a standard list of basic items command must consider in the evaluation of tactical situation. This list should
provide command with a "check list" of the basic items that are involved in size-up, decision making, initiating action, review and
revisions on the fire ground.

The effective command officer soon learns that he can only deal with a limited number of factors of any kind on the fireground. Within
the framework of that limitation, the identification of the critical factors is extremely important. All the factors are

Not critical in any one tactical situation. Command must identify the critical fireground factors that are present in each tactical
situation - the list of factors offers a framework for that process.

Many times we begin operations before adequately considering the critical fireground factors. Size-up is a conscious process
involving the very rapid but deliberate consideration of the critical factors and the development of a rational plan of attack

Based on those conditions. Attack is many times an instinctive action-oriented process that involves taking the shortest and
quickest route directly to the fire. Action feels good in

Fireground situations while thinking delays actions; but beware of non-thinking attack situations and non-thinking attackers.

Fireground factors represent an array of items that are dynamic during the entire fireground process and the relative importance of
each factor necessarily changes throughout that time frame. Command must continually deal with these changes and base

Directions on factor information that is timely and current. Beware of developing an initial plan of attack and sticking to that same
initial plan throughout the fire, even though

Conditions continue to change. Effective fire operations require attack plan revisions that continually reconsider fireground factors
based upon information feedback.

In critical fire situations, command may develop an initial plan and initiate an attack based on an incomplete evaluation of fireground
factors. In such cases, he must continue throughout the operation to improve the information he bases his decisions upon. He will
seldom operate with complete information during initial operations.

The effective management of each fireground factor requires command to apply a somewhat different form of information
management.

Most tactical situations represent a complex problem with regard to how command deals with fireground factor information. There are
factors that can be determined from his operating position on the outside of the structure and other factors that can only be
determined from other operating positions - both outside and inside the structure. Fireground intelligence available to command is
developed utilizing an overlapping variety of these information factors and forms. These forms of information revolve around the three
following basic factors:

Visual factors - these factors include those obvious to visual observation and those absorbed subconsciously. This visual information
is categorized as the type that can

Normally be gained by actually looking at tactical situation from the outside. This form of intelligence involves the perceptive
capability of command.

Reconnaissance factors - these factors include information that is not visually available to command from his position on the outside
of a tactical situation and must be gained by actually sending someone to check out a situation and advise command of findings.
This generally involves command making a specific assignment and then receiving an information-oriented report.

Preplanning and familiarity factors - these factors include the intelligence that is gained from formal prefire planning and by general
informal familiarization activities. Such intelligence increases the information initially available to command from the outside of a
tactical situation. This information arms command with intelligence that he would normally gave to assign as a reconnaissance factor
or do without.

Building

     Size
     Interior arrangement/access (stairs, halls, elevators)
     Construction type
     Age
     Condition - faults/weaknesses
     Value
     Compartment/separation
     Vertical-horizontal openings, shafts, channels
     Outside openings - door and windows/degree of security
     Utility characteristics (hazards/controls)
     Exterior access
     Effect the fire has had on the structure (at this point)
     Time projection on continuing fire effect on building

Fire

     Size
     Extent (percentage of structure or number of rooms involved)
     Location
     Stage
     Direction of travel (most dangerous)
     Time of involvement
     Type of material involved - structure/interior
     Finish/contents
     Type and amount of material left to burn
     Product of combustion liberation

Occupancy

     Specific occupancy
     Type - group (business, mercantile, public assembly, hazardous, institutional, residential, industrial, storage school)
     Value characteristics associated with occupancy
     Fire load (size, nature)
     Status (open, closed, occupied, vacant, abandoned, under construction)
     Occupancy associated characteristics/hazards
     Type of contents (based on occupancy)
     Time - as it affects occupancy use
     Property conservation profile/susceptibility of contents to damage/need for salvage

Life Hazard

     Number of occupants
     Location of occupants (in relation to the fire)
     Condition of occupants (by virtue of fire exposure)
     Incapacities of occupants
     Commitment required for search and rescue (men, equipment, and command)
     Fire control required for search and rescue
     Needs for ems
     Time estimate of fire affect on victims
     Exposure of spectators/control of spectators
     Hazards to fire personnel
     Access rescue forces have to victims
     Characteristics of escape route/avenues of escape (type, safety, fire conditions, etc.)

Arrangement

     Access, arrangement, and distance of external exposure
     Combustibility of exposures
     Access, arrangement, and nature of internal exposures
     Severity and urgency of exposures (fire affect)
     Value of exposures
     Most dangerous direction - avenue of spread
     Time estimate of fire affect on exposures (internal and  external)
     Obstructions to operations
     Capability/limitations on apparatus movement and use

Resources

     Manpower and equipment on scene
     Manpower and equipment responding
     Manpower and equipment available in reserve (staged units)
     Estimate of response time for firefighters and equipment
     Condition of firefighters and equipment
     Capability of personnel
     Capability of commanders
     Nature of command systems available to command
     Number and location of hydrants
     Supplemental water sources
     Adequacy of water supply
     Built in private fire protection (sprinkler, standpipe, alarms)
     Outside agency resource and response team

Other Factors/conditions

     Time of day/night
     Day of week
     Season
     Special hazards by virtue of holidays and special events
     Weather (wind, rain, heat, cold, humidity, visibility)
     Traffic conditions
     Social conditions (strike, riot, etc.)