1. Fire Fighter Expectations of Command
Fire/EMS Safety, Health & Survival Week

2. Firefighter Expectations of Command
Fire fighters/EMTs should have realistic expectations of their command level officers.
Having confidence in command officers will increase operational efficiency and trust from crews operating at an emergency scene.
Command officers need to be properly trained in all aspects of emergency and Mayday operations in order to sustain this trust from operational crews.

3. Command Level Mayday Training
Incident Commanders need to be trained and well versed in Mayday operations.
Command and control are the backbone to any operation.
The IC needs to accurately assess risks, make deliberate decisions and maintain control during Mayday operations.
Continuing education and training will ensure a proper level of Mayday operation proficiency by the Incident Commander.

4. Command Level Mayday Training Near-Miss Report 10-59
“…the floor collapsed causing me to fall into the first floor. My two firefighters, who were exiting the building, advised command of the incident. Command continued communicating over the radio. I was unable to call a MAYDAY because of the radio traffic. I rescued myself out of the first floor and attempted to locate my crew. Command had advised them to go get me…I found command and advised him I was out and trying to locate my crew. We exchanged words and I called a mayday declaring a lost crew. There were no RIT or back-up crews. I also advised command to go "defensive mode” and call for a PAR report.”
Image from NY Daily News
(Not related to incident described)

5. Pre-Mayday
Pre-Mayday operations are critical and determine the outcome of a Mayday, if one were to arise.
The most important aspect of a Pre-Mayday is maintaining crew accountability.
Other Pre-Mayday operations, such as how units are operating, understanding changing conditions, and recognizing safety hazards will help decrease the risk of a Mayday, and better prepare the IC if one should occur.

6. Pre-Mayday Near-Miss Report 07-890
“Our RIT did a 360⁰ of the building, set ladders checked conditions, number and locations of crews working and stood ready. About 20 minutes into the response, crews lost water for a short time and were forced to retreat. After water supply was re-established the crews made a second aggressive attack.”
Image from nctimes.com
(Not related to incident described)

7. Mayday & Rescue
Incident Commanders must remain calm and direct crews appropriately during a Mayday.
Appropriate use of crews and resources will lead to an effective rescue of the Fire fighter/EMT.
Command must ensure that the person issuing the Mayday alert provides a detailed L.U.N.A.R. report in order to provide them with the best chance of a rescue.
Clear and complete L.U.N.A.R. information needs to be communicated to rescue teams for rapid intervention.

8. Mayday & Rescue Near-Miss Report 08-577
“…the lieutenant called a "mayday" and provided a clear and concise report detailing his unit, his location, the situation, and his immediate needs. Operations acknowledged the mayday, quickly confirmed the situation, and deployed the RIT team to the location of the trapped lieutenant…Immediately upon hearing that the trapped lieutenant had been located, extricated, and removed from the building, command removed all personnel from the structure and ordered a PAR.”

9. Post-Rescue
After the removal of a Fire fighter/EMT from a Mayday situation, the Incident Commander needs to re-evaluate and re-establish emergency operations to mitigate the incident.
Ensure the member(s) involved in the Mayday are taken care of by EMS and other crews continue operating.
Consideration must be given for a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing for the members and families involved in the Mayday.

10. Post Rescue Near-Miss Report 07-990
“…I re-transmitted the mayday and was acknowledge this time. I returned to the hole that the firefighter had fallen through, and was told by the apparatus operator that he saw the firefighter who fell get up and be escorted out of the building. I then went back to the edge of the roof and confirmed visually that he had walked out of the building and was being taken care of. Upon seeing that the firefighter was being attended to, the rescue unit moved off the main center roof and onto the B side roof until a good knock down of the attic fire. They confirmed no further extension to the B and D side fire walls and then moved off the roof.”

11. Expanding the Incident Command System
The Incident Command System allows allocation of the proper resources to assist in accomplishing tactical objectives, such as a Mayday rescue.
In order to maintain control of the scene, the IC will have to establish Branches, Divisions and Groups to support the spirit and intent of the Incident Action Plan.
As the incident expands all Branch Directors, Division Heads and Group Supervisors need to be informed of the progress or adjustments to the Incident Action Plan.

12. Expanding the Incident Command System Near-Miss Report 11-15
“…The personnel failed to evaluate the stability of the porch roof before using it as a work platform…No one assessed the impact of the fire to the building stability until the collapse of the porch roof…There was no accountability of incident workers in place. Incident Command had weak control of units functioning at the scene. There were some reports of freelancing by individuals due to a lack of command presence and responder discipline. There was no safety officer assigned to the incident.”

13. Communications
Clear and deliberate communication by command for the tasks to be performed are essential to maintain safety on any emergency scene.
In the event a Mayday is transmitted, a good practice is to keep the Mayday on the original tactical channel and move the initial event to another separate channel.
Excessive, un-needed, communications can lead to a Mayday not being able to be transmitted.
Lack of communication, or improper communication, can lead to poor management on an emergency scene and/or rescue teams not obtaining enough information in regards to a Mayday.

14. Communications Near-Miss Report 06-186
“…The crew made their way up the stairs and towards the fire room. Meanwhile on the exterior the chief was ordering a firefighter to break the upstairs window on the windward side of the house. The firefighter repeatedly questioned this order, as he knows that this would create a huge introduction of air into the second floor. He finally broke the second floor window. The conditions on the second floor instantly turned into a superheated and dark environment…At this point, the chief, without knowing the location of the men inside, ordered a firefighter to operate a handline into this fire room, further forcing the heat and steam on the men…”

15. Activity
The basis behind this training module is the effectiveness of command, specifically during a Mayday operation. Allow your members to practice command level Mayday operations by having them play the role of IC during a training evolution. Have a member(s) transmit a Mayday, and let the member playing the role of IC conduct a Mayday operation, from identification of the Mayday to re-evaluating after successful removal. This allows members to both sharpen their Mayday skills and understand what it is like to be the IC in a Mayday situation, making it evident the importance of how firefighters in the Mayday situation need to properly perform their procedure in order for Command to operate effectively and mitigate the situation.
Photos courtesy of the IAFC Photo Contest”