No Compromises

Description

The original "No Compromises" document was created by Dave Craycroft, USFS (Ret.) in 1994 in response to the South Canyon Fire tragedy. In 2000 Dan Fiorito, Union IHC Superintendent, created a PowerPoint presentation to be used as a Wildland Firefighter Refresher Course, and presented it to the Union and La Grande IHC's as part of their 80 hour mandatory training. The course covers Fire Behavior, Fire Weather, 10 and 18, LCES and Fireline Risk Assessment and Decision Making.The course is designed to be interactive with the instructor and trainees. There are no formal notes but there is enough text included in the slides to lead discussion while leaving leeway for instructor individuality and creativity.

Time

The course should take from 2-4 hours to present depending on the experience level of the trainees and instructor.

Delivery Support

To present the material a computer with Microsoft PowerPoint, projector and screen are needed.It is recommended that the instructor(s) be qualified at the Strike Team/Task Force Leader level and have good instruction skills as well a good fire suppression background.The attached one page handout "NO COMPROMISES A PROCEDURAL APPROACH TO TACTICS FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING" should be given to the trainees to review after the course.Exercises pertaining to safety, tactics, fire weather and fire behavior can easily be developed using the Fire Behavior portion of the Fireline Handbook and fire scenarios from other S-course instructor guides such as S-290, S-230, S-330 etc.

Contact

Dan Fiorito
Union Hotshots, La Grande Ranger District
3502 Highway 30
La Grande, OR 97850
541-962-8541
dfiorito@fs.fed.us

NO COMPROMISES
A PROCEDURAL APPROACH TO TACTICS FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING
FUELS - WILL ALWAYS CHANGE, BOTH GEOGRAPHICLY AND IN FLAMABILITY
TOPOGRAPHY - WILL ALWAYS CHANGE AS THE FIRE CONTINUES TO BURN
WEATHER - WILL ALWAYS CHANGE, ESPECIALLY AS YOU ADVANCE INTO THE BURNING PERIOD

As the fire continues to burn and as time progresses, the three factors that most affect the fire behavior will constantly be changing how we view tactical decisions and safety. When making decisions concerning safety it is essential to pay close attention to the time factor and how it will have an influence on SAFETY, Fuels, Weather and Topography - Fire Behavior.
NO COMPROMISES

A PROCEDURAL APPROACH: DIRECT/INDIRECT/UPHILL/DOWNHILL/ANCHOR POINTS! SECURE!

DIRECT - CONSIDER FLAME LENGTH:

0-4 feet - attack with ground forces OK?
4-8 feet - attack with mechanized equipment OK?

Greater than 8 feet direct attack by any resource is not effective!

DOWNHILL ATTACK IS CONSIDERABLY MORE DANGEROUS!!

NO COMPROMISES

Incorporate LCES and Downhill Line Construction Guidelines!!

INDIRECT - Used when flame length is greater than 8 feet.
Locate line fare enough away to mitigate Watch Out Situations that pertain.

NO COMPROMISES

WILL INDIRECT ATTACK BE UPHILL OR DOWNHILL??

DOWNHILL ATTACK IS CONSIDERABLY MORE DANGEROUS!!

NO COMPROMISES

ANCHOR POINTS - Are essential and must remain valid.

NO COMPROMISES

Secure - The Fire Edge as you proceed in line construction. Re-evaluate and update LCES and DHLC Guidelines as the time factor changes fire location/perimeter/behavior.

The 10 Standard Fire Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations Must Be Followed by Every Firefighter Every Time!!!
NO COMPROMISES

Author: Dave Craycroft, USFS (Ret.) 1994