DICERS-VO for Extinguishment

Ray McCormack is an instructor for On Scene Training Associates. He will be presenting a class at the FDIC in Indianapolis, April 7 thru 12, 2014. Ray McCormack joined the FDNY in 1981 and is a lieutenant with Ladder 28 in Harlem. He is the co creator of Urban Firefighter Magazine and on the editorial board at FireEngineering Magazine. He delivered the keynote at the FDIC Fire Department Instructors Conference in 2009 and he is the author of Tactical Safety for Firefighters.

Ray McCormack's most recent article written for www.fireengineering.com is DICERS-VO for Extinguishment. The following is an excerpt from this article.

DICERS is a fire extinguishment model utilizing interior tactics to extinguish fires.
DICERS - VO

• D - Detect - Detect the location of the fire
• I - Isolate - Isolation of the fire area
• C - Confine - Confinement of the fire.
• E - Extinguish - Extinguishment of the fire.
• R - Rescue - Rescue of those effected by the fire and smoke.
• S - Search - Search of the fire area and adjoining spaces.
• V - Ventilation - Ventilation coordinated from within and as needed.
• O - Overhaul - Overhaul of the fire area for hidden extension.

DICERS lays out the fireground with task components that are directed at operations within the interior of the fire building based on best practices and recent fire research findings from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They are the principle practices used by the fire service to stabilize a fire scene and save lives.

The tactical and strategic components of DICERS should be accomplished in an order that allows for the greatest success of the remaining parts. The six primary action components--Detect, Isolate, Confine, Extinguish, Rescue, and Search--are implemented in conjunction with a fundamental understanding of the importance of an ongoing scene size-up to accomplish our strategic goals.

Your actions based upon the fire's extent and location within the structure, using ventilation discipline and entry air management, all impact our ability to obtain complete extinguishment and save lives.

Read full article here at fireengineering.com