2008 Fire Master Plan - City of St. Catharines

FIRERESCUEOn ta r i o Fi r e Ma r s h a l l Gu i d e o f 13 Fi r e f i g h t e r s o n Sc e n e in 10 Mi n u t e s6.6 On ta r i o Fi r e Ma r s h a l (OFM) Gu id e l i n eThe OFM provides guidance, direction and options to municipalities for providing aggressive interior fire suppressionand rescue in single-family dwellings. Other types of occupancies may require differing responses and staffing levels.The ability of the emergency response systems to provide for the safety of vulnerable occupants in other premisessuch as hospitals and nursing homes should be carefully considered. Also to be considered are any areas not servicedby hydrants where there is a need to assign additional staff to transport water to the scene of the fire. Responseprotocols for these and other types of risk need to be developed.The St. Catharines Fire Department mandates that 13 firefighters should be on scene within 10 minutes. This standardset forth by the Fire Department meets the Ontario Fire Marshal Guide requiring 13 firefighters within 10 minutes.The additional three firefighters needed will provide a RIT team and one accountability officer.Supervisory chief officers, or designates, shall be available and held accountable for command of all fire companiesor response groups at each fire or other emergency scene.The company or response group assigned to respond to an alarm shall be comprised of the numbers necessary forsafe and effective firefighting performance related to the expected firefighting conditions. These shall be determinedthrough risk analysis procedures. The factors to be considered shall include:• Public/firefighter risk to life• Public/firefighter safety hazard• Provisions of safe and effective firefighting performance conditions for firefighters• The potential property loss• The nature, configuration, hazards, and internal protection of the properties involved• The types of fireground tactics employed as standard procedure, the type of apparatusused, and the results expected to be obtained at the fire scene• The expectation of either rescue or interior fire attack being performed prior to flashoverunless additional staff are responding46ST. CATHARINES, FIRE SERVICES