What defines a working fire?

[dc2t 80]

When the Deputies white shirt gets dirty and he loses his tie.

[wraftery 1,275]

When the Deputies white shirt gets dirty and he loses his tie.

I got my white shirt dirty and lost my tie when supper was macaroni.

[robert benz 344]

Regarless on how the term is used. You can always tell when it's the big !

1- The Pagers don't work clear and static is heard through at least 3 pages.

2- 60 Control is calling everbody out including my mother.

3- The Fire Chief ( 1st on scene is screaming on the radio, so you can't understand what the hell is going on.

4- It's 3am and 100 degrees and you forgot to wear socks so you boots get stuck on your feet and you get blisters ( Keep a pair on your rack)

5-When volunteers responding in personal vehicles to headquarters or the scene looks like Datona 500 on the road.

6- When the pump operator gets excited and charges the hose while it's still in the hose bed.

7-When you have to go to the bathroom real bad.

8- Your loved one calls you and asks where are you and can you come home NOW.

I will go with number 7 anytime after midnite I am old lol

[wraftery 1,275]

Mow that we have bickered this one to death, it is a "Working Fire" when the IC says it is. Now there's a concept.

Here in the south, there are two: terms Working Fire and Working Incident. They are defined terms, with responses, notifications, etc. to go along with the declaration. (You can almost guess what hey mean and be right)

We can't do that in Westchester because no one is in charge.

[SOUSGT 357]

Bottom line is a working fire is whatever fire the incident commander determines it to be!

[BBBMF 158]

In my honest opinion, a "working fire" is any fire which is advancing or has already advanced past the incipient stage and necesitates the stretching of a handline to extinguish before causing any major life loss or structural damage. Once this has happened, everyone on the fireground or responding now knows we have an IDLH atmosphere and the fire will definately necessitate the use of your mask and not just wearing it, although everyone should be using it anyway because of the worsening atmosphere's we're now entering into.

Many departments around Westchester and other counties also use some type of code or signal to upgrade their alarm assignments forthcoming whether it be a building on fire or a major gas leak. So when we do give a 10-75, why can't we just give a quick preliminary report... "10-75, we have fire in a 2nd floor bedroom of a 2 1/2 story 20X40 Peaked roof wood frame PD " OR "10-75, we have a major gas leak in a 1 story 400X400 Lightweight commercial".... It should be the same as a good roof man finding his way to the roof and painting a nice picture for the IC and everyone on the fireground.

And a car fire is just that, a car fire, NOTHING MORE.....

[FF1 172]

10-75 or working fire is an abbreviation of "working structure fire"

My interpretation of this is any fire where the structure is involved and additional units are needed. (FAST, relocations, 2nd ladder, ect.)

[efd184 59]

So now that we established what a "working fire" is I guess we won't be seeing anymore silly incident alerts that claim to be fires??

[dwcfireman 656]

In my experience a "working fire" differs from region to region. My hometown department was on the edge of suburbia and the vast rural farmlands. As an officer, if I rolled up to a house with smoke pouring out of even just windwo, I'd drop the "working fire" code, mainly because my 2nd due engine was 5 minutes out, and mutual aid was 12 minutes out. About 60% of the time the fire turned into a tough structural fire by time the 2nd due arrived.

Down here in Westchester, where a 2nd due is a bit closer, and so is the mutual aid, I forced myself to really investigate what's going on before jumping to the conclusion of or even considering the phrase "10-75." Unless, of course, it was blatantly obvious.