Fireground Scenario

[Engine2medic2]

Here is a scenario for y'all.

You are operating at a structure fire and your Captain sends you to the engine for a few salvage covers. While you are at the engine, the battalion chief approaches you and wants you to go turn off utilities to the fire building. What will you do? Justify your answer.

I will check back in a few days to see what y'all come up with.

E2M2

[Jun18ior]

Answer 1 (you've been trined to shut off gas and electric): Tell the chief ok, and continue to take the salvage covers to the Captain and then go shut off the utilities.

Answer 2 (you HAVEN'T been trained to shut off gas and electric): Simply tell the Chief that you don't know how. You're only a junior firefighter and if he's a good officer he'll understand, and probably wouldn't want someone who didn't know what they were doing attempting to play with gas and electric anyway, as its a good way to get hurt.

[Engine2medic2]

Ok, let me clarify something. Lets say for this that you are a fully trained firefighter, not a junior.

[stm4710]

Finish job one then do job two. I assume being the "salvage cover " stage there aint a real hurry.

[elswappo]

You have to go through the Inncident Command System, and
follow the chain of command. The Cheif "should" go talk to
the officer above you and the order should be passed down to
you. So you ask the chief to go talk to your captain. You finish
getting the salvage covers and by that time the Chief and Capt.
hopefully have talked and you get the order to deal with the power
and gas.

Of course thats how it "should" happen but, you know what really happens at a fire...

[MFDExplorer51]

As it has been said, Task one and Task two, from the plain description you gave.

Differing details could warrant differing responses. What is the "need" for the utilities to be shut off? Is it hindering anything in the way of fire supression? Or is it just a side job for good measure that your captain is not really all that concerned wtih as a priority?

[E7T1Stick]

You have to do what the Captain asked you to do first. No matter who asks you next you were assigned a job to do and you have got to do it. Number two then you go and get that done also without any difficulties

[Bones42]

Out of curiousity, how are you going to shut off the electric?

[bummer]

You inform the Battalion Chief of your first order and ask him if he still wants you to do his order first or that just the Capatin gave you to do.

[kghemtp]

Bummer has it! We have to advise the BC that we're performing an order from the captain and would like his decision on this.