Exercise · level 1 · seed 197527810

The Willows — Rear Bedroom Fire

T+30min

Stage 4 · ResolutionExtinguishedOffensive

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T+30 min

Small fire — smoke issuing, little flame visible from the street; light smoke, light, hot. Damping down.

Update · T+25 — BA team 1: hose burst on the attack line — no water at the branch. Holding position while the length is replaced.

Timeline

T+30 / 30Resolution

Event log

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Scene updateT+30
Scene update
Equipment failure — the attack stalls with no water at the branch; crews hold their ground while the line is replaced.
CommandGiven T+25Result T+30
Hold / monitor
Stop for The Willows, Brackla, fire out, all persons accounted for
Crew reportT+25
Hazard update
BA team 1: hose burst on the attack line — no water at the branch. Holding position while the length is replaced.
Crew reportT+25
Crew report
Fire out — crews damping down and turning over. The attendance can be scaled down.
Scene updateT+25
Scene update
Crews damping down — smoke clearing to reveal the fire damage.
CommandGiven T+20Result T+25
Offensive — commit BA crews inside
Second BA team search the first floor for the dog
Scene updateT+20
Scene update
Covering jet in position protecting the committed crews. The internal attack continues.
CommandGiven T+15Result T+20
Hold / monitor
Covering jet to the rear, protect the exposures
Crew reportT+15
Crew report
Main body of fire knocked down — crews damping down pockets and checking for extension. Fire under control.
Scene updateT+15
Scene update
Inner cordon in place — the fire continues to develop untouched.
CommandGiven T+10Result T+15
Hold / monitor
Establish an inner cordon at the front garden wall
SafetyT+10
Safety warning
Safety Officer to Incident Commander: Crews committed without an established inner cordon. Establish inner cordon immediately to secure hazard zone.
Fire ControlReliability · lowT+10
Persons reported
Fire Control: a further call about this address — someone is still inside — first floor.
Crew reportT+10
New information from the 360
360 complete. Fire: a fully developed fire, light smoke, heavy. Smoke and fire venting from the building. Now open to view: Back Garden, Bedroom 1, Back Garden 2, Kitchen, Bedroom 3, Kitchen 2, Bedroom 2, Hallway, Living Room.
Scene updateT+10
Scene update
360 under way — the commander walks the building and reads every elevation before committing anyone.
CommandGiven T+5Result T+10
Hold / monitor
Carry out a 360 of the building
SafetyT+5
Safety warning
Safety Officer to Incident Commander: Crews committed without an established inner cordon. Establish inner cordon immediately to secure hazard zone.
Crew reportT+5
Hazard update
Command Support: the main-scheme radio channel has failed — no contact with Fire Control. Messages to and from Control will be delayed.
Fire ControlT+5
Resource update
PPV fan on scene with the second pump — positive pressure ventilation now available.
Fire ControlT+5
Resource update
Pump 2 in attendance — another crew and a further jet available.
InformationT+5
Information
Mrs Stephens: What's going on here then?
Fire ControlT+5
Persons reported
Persons reported — neighbour states the occupier may still be inside, first floor.
Crew reportT+5
Crew report
BA team to entry control: water on the seat and making progress, but still very hot inside — the fire is still developing.
Scene updateT+5
Scene update
Water on the seat of the fire — flames knocked back, white steam surging through the smoke.
CommandGiven T+0Result T+5
Offensive — commit BA crews inside
Commit a BA team to the upstairs rear bedroom
InformationT+0
Information
Mrs Jones: I live here, I had to get out quickly but my dog is still inside. There is no one else in the house, I think I left my hair straighteners on in the bedroom.
Scene updateT+0
Scene update
Initial size-up: fully developed fire, dark smoke. You have command.
Fire ControlT+0
Mobilising message
Fire Control mobilising. Building fire — well alight, making up. Location: Brackla, Bridgend. Caller reports: well alight, flames showing; persons reported. 2 pumps mobilised. You are responding — take command on arrival.

Download debrief PDF

Doctrine-referenced debrief · not an assessment

[1]

Incident Commander — Command Performance Review

SFJ Awards Level 3 Award in Initial Incident Command in Fire and Rescue ServicesOfqual Ref: 610/0183/1 · Unit 6033 · 65h TQT

Exemplary command performance demonstrating advanced situational awareness, proactive anticipation, robust decision controls, resilient cognitive management, and decisive operational leadership.

Doctrine Score86/100

exemplary

Situational Awarenessexemplary

85%

Level 3 Anticipation demonstrated (1 instance(s)). Proactively predicted fire development, resource escalation, or tactical consequences.
Limited Level 2 understanding evident. Translate observations into operational meaning (e.g. what dark pulsing smoke signifies for entry safety).
Level 1 Perception active (4 situational observations recorded).
All identified critical hazards had corresponding mitigating actions recorded.

Decision Makingcompetent

83%

Orders judged on their effect: 6 given — 4 sound, 0 wrong for the conditions, 2 not scored.
Decision controls and cues are not captured from typed orders and are not scored.

Interpersonal Communicationexemplary

90%

Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Mrs Jones.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Fire Control.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Mrs Stephens.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Fire Control.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Fire Control.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Command Support.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Safety Officer.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Fire Control.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to Safety Officer.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.
Rapid, prompt acknowledgement to BA Team 1.
Response provided, but did not explicitly repeat back critical operational specifics.

Teamwork & Coordinationexemplary

90%

All operational sectors aligned with declared tactical mode.

Leadership & Command Presencecompetent

75%

Maintained clear command presence and tactical leadership.

Personal Resilienceexemplary

90%

Active monitoring intervals maintained without decision stagnation.
Maintained safe span of control (2 sectors).

Key Strengths

Demonstrated proactive Level 3 Anticipation by forecasting fire progression and resource demands.
Handled all dynamic roleplay injects and operational messages effectively.
Maintained seamless sector coordination and accurate declared-versus-actual tactical alignment.

Development & Learning Opportunities

Safety warning: No scene access control point (SACP) established to log personnel entering the inner cordon.
Operational briefing was unstructured — adopt the standard IIMARCH framework (Information, Intent, Method, Risk).

Good stop — the fire was brought under control.

Developmental reflection — not an assessment

What went well

Good call — offensive internal at T+0 (“Commit a BA team to the upstairs rear bedroom”).
Good call — monitor at T+10 (“Establish an inner cordon at the front garden wall”).
Good call — monitor at T+15 (“Covering jet to the rear, protect the exposures”).
Good call — offensive internal at T+20 (“Second BA team search the first floor for the dog”).
Stop message sent with the fire under control. Good stop.
Every judged decision (4) matched the conditions.
Property saved (damage 8).

What to develop

METHANE messages were incomplete (best 5/7) — practise a full size-up.
A casualty on the first floor was never found (unconscious).

Key decision points

T+00 [offensive-internal · good] “Commit a BA team to the upstairs rear bedroom”
T+05 [monitor] “Carry out a 360 of the building”
T+10 [monitor · good] “Establish an inner cordon at the front garden wall”
T+15 [monitor · good] “Covering jet to the rear, protect the exposures”
T+20 [offensive-internal · good] “Second BA team search the first floor for the dog”
T+25 [monitor] “Stop for The Willows, Brackla, fire out, all persons accounted for”

Learning points

Incident states: Venting fire (T+0) → Developing fire (T+5) → Under control (T+15) → Extinguished (T+25).
With persons unaccounted for, search the fire floor first — “nobody inside” is a claim, not a fact.
Gather information early — speak to the witness, check the ORI, ask Fire Control and the BA crews — and act on what you learn.

Discuss this with the training mentor

Mentor grounded in published UK FRS principles — developmental discussion, not assessment. It cites its sources or reframes as a question.

Incident report

Practice — not a real IRS submission

Incident typeAddress / locationTime of callTime in attendanceProperty typeOccupancy typeSuspected cause / originTactical modeResources usedCasualties / persons accountedHazardsOutcome / closing