Definition of "Working Fire"

[SIGNAL99COM]

What is the true definition of a "working fire"?

Any fire academy students out there have this definition in your text books?

[nyckftbl]

Just venturing a guess here without looking it up yet, I would say probably a fire well into atleast its incipient stage, where atleast 1 hoseline must be stretched and operated. But then again, Ive seen and heard chiefs give a "working fire" for a car burning, which I really dont think is necessary. Good question. I'm Gonna have to go look it up somewhere.

Edited to add:In John Norman's book, "Fire Officers Handbook of Tactics", he states that most "working fires" are found during the free burning stage. Not really a definition, but a start.

[SPFDRum]

For us, a "working fire" is all hands from the initial dispatch working .

[Shoreman22]

Working Fire - that which occurs during the following times: (1) sitting down to a hot meal on a holiday; (2) as soon as you sit on the throne; (3) the night that the new chief begins his new post; (4) the spouse is not home and neither are any babysitters; and (5) the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter of the Superbowl...

Kidding aside, I think Rum's response is accurate. However, it's application in the field varies. Most chiefs who arrive on the scene first will declare a working fire (visible smoke & flame) before the companies arrive - the anticipation being that all companies will work when they get there.

[gunnyv]

In my dept, "Working Fire" is a designation made by either the initial arriving company officer, or the Batt Chief. It denotes a fire in a structure requiring the use of at least one hoseline, and the holding of all companies on the initial alarm assignment. An incipient fire that can be extinguished with the can is not a working fire, no matter how much smoke it generates. Working Fire is also a signal to Dispatch requiring certain notifications be made-add'l engine co. to scene for RIT, ambulance for standby, Safety Officer, Chiefs.

Occasionally, you will hear the term working car fire used, which is taken to mean more involved than just the engine compartment. Since a car fire assignment here is one Engine/one Rescue, it will be a heads up to the Rescue that they'll have work to do (cutting the hood, helping the engineer get on a hydrant, assisting with the line).

If someone says "Working" dumpster or trash, it's meant as a joke.

[TrentonFF]

In "Essentials of Firefighting and Emergency Response - Firefighter's Handbook", there is no mention of the term working fire. Furthermore, the term really wasn't mentioned at all during my time at fireschool.

In my volunteer company, however, is basically exactly what gunny described.

[PumpOperator]

What is the true definition of a "working fire"?

When the house is on fire!

[LaFireEducator]

Here, the first in-truck may delare any incident a "working" incident if upon arrival, the officer or senior firefighter sees an incident which will in all liklihood, use all manpower and apparatus currently responding. This can be any type of fire, search/technical/wildland rescue, MVA/extrication incident or any other multi-patient incident.

It is used as a signal to the companies that they will be engaged and also gives a heads-up to volunteer members that may be monitering and would not respond unless the incident in fairly significant due to some type of current commitment. Also, volunteer drivers know to get the other appartus up and request orders (go to scene, standby, move-up, etc).

[pvfire424]

My interpretation ( keep in mind I am still new to most of this) is: a fire that is an actual fire, not an automatic alarm, false alarm, dryer steam, barbeque smoke, barbeque fire( for cooking not out of control). Further, (in the KC Metro) it indicates that more resources may be needed, like the Air wagon, utilities, investigator, Red Cross, etc.

[Weruj1]

between my man Gunny V and pvfire they are about the closest. Toledo has an actual definition but I dont recall waht it is when they change it in CAD, I will find out when I go back to work and let you all know.

Toledo Fire defines a working fire as a 2 and 1 (2 engines and 1 truck co) in service for 20 mins or greater on the scene.

[E229Lt]

When the nozzle team starts stretching before you have to ask them to.

[fireman4949]

I would define a working fire as one which all responding companies will be needed on scene. However, "working fire" is a term we rarely use. Occasionally, the first arriving officer will use this term, but as a rule, we will give a size up consisting of one of the following:

Nothing showing.
Light smoke showing.
Heavy smoke showing.
Fire showing.
Heavy fire showing.
Fully involved.

Normally, given a good size-up report from the first arrivivg company, all other responding companies will have a pretty good idea what to expect upon arrival.




Kevin

[jrengine70]

tried to edit this but accidentally made a new message..............anyway read the message below this one......stupid newbie (reffering to me)

[jrengine70]

when you pull up and say "oooooo look at the pretty colors"

when our chief (or whatever officer) arrives and there is fire and smoke visible he says 'working fire' to signal that there is a fire and to let the companies arriving to gear up and get a line down.

[Dalmatian190]

I personally like a "tight" definition for "worker" --

A fire that it is anticipated will take at least 2 handlines to control.

(With the caveat that your 1st Alarm assignment to any given situation should normally be capable of placing two handlines in service, along with supporting truck work and water supply...thus putting 2 lines in service...requires all hands working.)

The difference between a description of the fire (smoke showing, fire showing, heavily involved, etc) and declaring something a "worker" is a ________ (I can't think of the right term) issue.

A heavy fire showing from the window 1st floor, Side Bravo on a wood-frame structure isn't a worker...when it's a 12x10 shed in the backyard

By classifying a fire as a Working Fire, it gives other responding Chief Officers and/or the Dispatcher a heads up that you will likely be asking for more help soon...and in some places it is the magic word that adds another unit or two onto an incident, or formally initiates a FAST response...not quite a 2nd Alarm, but since we're anticipating using everyone we already have responding, go ahead and send us somebody to put in reserve.

[GFDLT1]

Around this area we use the terms "Working Fire" and "Major Working Fire". A working fire here is any fire where at least 1 hose line will be stretched into the structure and a 5" line is laid to the hydrants by most often the second in engine company. Along with that the public utility companies are notified to send a representitive and in some departments the Air Truck, Division Chief, and the on duty FD Safety Officer. On a major working fire, multiple lines are stretched and a second alarm assignment is dispatched. Along with this move ups start happening, notifications are made and the city water plant is notified incase they need to boost the amount of water in the hydrant system.

[hwoods]

Gunny pretty well summed up our situation too. However, Shoreman stands out with his answers, all of which have happened to me.

[fireman4949]

I personally like a "tight" definition for "worker" --

A fire that it is anticipated will take at least 2 handlines to control.

(With the caveat that your 1st Alarm assignment to any given situation should normally be capable of placing two handlines in service, along with supporting truck work and water supply...thus putting 2 lines in service...requires all hands working.)

The difference between a description of the fire (smoke showing, fire showing, heavily involved, etc) and declaring something a "worker" is a ________ (I can't think of the right term) issue.

A heavy fire showing from the window 1st floor, Side Bravo on a wood-frame structure isn't a worker...when it's a 12x10 shed in the backyard

By classifying a fire as a Working Fire, it gives other responding Chief Officers and/or the Dispatcher a heads up that you will likely be asking for more help soon...and in some places it is the magic word that adds another unit or two onto an incident, or formally initiates a FAST response...not quite a 2nd Alarm, but since we're anticipating using everyone we already have responding, go ahead and send us somebody to put in reserve.

I think you clearly missed the point I made regarding a good size-up report...Fire showing from a 10x12 shed is just that...A small fire. Incoming units will know that there won't be much, if anything for them to do when they arrive.
Fire showing from the gables and top floor windows of a two story SFD on the other hand, is a "heavy fire showing" condition and gives incoming units a good sense of what to expect.
For us, size-up reports are scene and structure specific. For the most part though, anything from "heavy smoke showing" and up can be classified as a worker.




Kevin

[Dickey]

For us a "working fire" is any fire that is in the free burning stage, usually given only durning size up. Basically if you see flames, it's "working" but now that I think of it, we don't say "working fire" for brush or grass fires. Hmmm!

I do like what Fireman4949 uses.

Maybe gotta change some things here. Never thought of it before.

[firefighter7160]

I would define a working fire as one which all responding companies will be needed on scene. However, "working fire" is a term we rarely use. Occasionally, the first arriving officer will use this term, but as a rule, we will give a size up consisting of one of the following:

Nothing showing.
Light smoke showing.
Heavy smoke showing.
Fire showing.
Heavy fire showing.
Fully involved.

Normally, given a good size-up report from the first arrivivg company, all other responding companies will have a pretty good idea what to expect upon arrival.




Kevin

We do the same here. Alot of FD's find it hard to think that we run as many working fire's as we do.