SOP 207.02 TACTICAL PRIORITIES

Tactical priorities identify the three separate tactical functions that must be completed in order to stabilize any fire situation these priorities also establish the order in which these basic fireground functions must be performed.

These functions should be regarded as separate, yet inter-related, activities that must be dealt with in order. Command cannot proceed on to the next priority until the current function objective has been completed.

Basic tactical priorities are as follows:

1. Rescue
2. Fire Control
3. Property Conservation

Rescue = the activities required to protect occupants, remove those who are threatened and to treat the injured.

Fire Control = the activities required to stop the forward progress of the fire and to bring the fire under control.

Property Conservation = the activities required to stop or reduce additional loss to property.

The objectives of each priority are reflected in the following benchmarks of completion:

1. Rescue - primary search (all clear)
2. Fire Control - under control
3. Property Conservation - loss stopped

All three tactical priorities require somewhat different tactical approaches from both a command and an operational

standpoint.

While Command must satisfy, the objective of each function in its priority order, he must, in many cases, overlap and "mix" the activities of each to achieve the current benchmark. Notable examples are the frequent need to achieve interior tenability with active/extensive fire control efforts before getting on with primary search, or the need to initiate salvage operations while active fire control efforts are being extended.