Pre-incident planning allows emergency responders to anticipate the resources and procedures needed to meet specific demands within their jurisdictions. The two primary customers served by fire prevention bureaus are the citizens we protect and fire department operations. There are many ways fire prevention can support fire department operations. One service that is often overlooked is the support or development of pre-incident plans. Pre-incident planning allows emergency responders to anticipate the resources and procedures needed to meet specific demands within their jurisdictions. The complexity of today’s fire protection systems, combined with changing building construction techniques, makes pre-incident planning imperative. There is just too much information for fire suppression personnel to remember about the structures in their response areas.

Pre-incident planning is the entire process of gathering and evaluating information, developing procedures based on that information, and ensuring that the information remains current. To obtain this information, company officers and unit personnel conduct pre-incident surveys of commercial, industrial, institutional occupancies, and high-risk (target) hazards within their response areas. The process of walking through the structures to gather data not only serves as a means to collect the information but also provides the opportunity for the company officer to discuss occupancy-specific tactics and become familiar with the building layout without smoke and fire conditions present. In many situations it is difficult to gather information during the pre-incident survey. Fire prevention bureau personnel can provide assistance during this function as well as during other pre-incident planning functions.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a well thought out pre-incident safety plan?