CFD Fire Alarm Responce

Fire alarm response guide
Updated 12/15/2005

STRUCTURE FIRE ASSIGNMENTS
The Chicago Fire Department provides two basic responses for reports of structure fires - the STILL ALARM and the STILL & BOX alarm. Don't confuse the "Still & Box Alarm" with the "Box Alarm", which is a different response to an automatic alarm.

STILL ALARM = 2 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Battalion Chief.
The Fire Alarm Office will dispatch a STILL alarm assignment to initial reports of a structure fire. If the dispatcher receives additional reports of a fire or a fire company arrives on the scene and reports a fire they will dispatch a Squad, a Command Van, and a R.I.T. team on the STILL alarm assignment.
If the report of the fire is in a close distance to a firehouse with a Squad, then the Squad will be sent automatically. Generally it seems a Squad will only be sent automatically on STILL alarms if the alarm is within about 40 blocks of the Squad's quarters.
A Command Van is dispatched to any working fire, regardless of location.
R.I.T. Response = In late November of 2002, the CFD began dispatching a truck company and a battalion chief as a designated Rapid Intervention Team on every working fire, including Still Alarms. A R.I.T. response currently comprises of 1 Truck, 1 ALS Ambulance, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 EMS Field Officer.

HIGH RISE STILL ALARM = 4 Engines, 4 Trucks, 3 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Squad, 1 ALS Ambulance, 1 EMS Field Officer.
This response is given on any report of a fire in a known high-rise building.

STILL & BOX ALARM = 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Tower Ladder, 1 Squad, 3 Battalion Chiefs, 1 Deputy District Chief, 1 Command Van, 1 Ambulance, 1 OFI Car, 1 EMS Field Officer.
Typically, a STILL & BOX alarm is requested by a fire officer. However, there are instances where the Fire Alarm Office can transmit a Still & Box alarm. These situations typically arise when one or more of the following conditions are met:
- A caller reports someone is trapped in a fire building;- Multiple structures are reported to be on fire;- A large commercial type building is reported to be on fire; or- A building collapse or train derailment
Also, there are certain situations where procedure indicates that the Fire Alarm Office must automatically transmit a STILL & BOX alarm. These situations include:
- A report of any type of fire, including an odor of smoke, in a building such as a nursing home, theater, government building, hospital, or other place of public assembly that has a pull box at its disposal (see description of BOX alarms below); and- A stand-by alert at an airport (plane in distress).
As you can see, a STILL & BOX alarm is not always a working fire, because it could be transmitted by the Fire Alarm Office for an odor of smoke in a nursing home. These types of STILL & BOX alarms are typically struck out quickly. Unless you have the address memorized, sometimes it is impossible to know if a STILL & BOX was transmitted by the Fire Alarm Office because people are reported to be trapped, or because of an odor of smoke in a hospital or nursing home.

BOX ALARM = 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Battalion Chief.
A BOX alarm is transmitted by the Fire Alarm Office upon receipt of an alarm signal from a pull box located in or just outside of a nursing home, hospital, theater, government building, or other place of public assembly. These box alarms are usually referred to as "cold boxes" and typically do not amount to much of anything. If a cold box turns out to be a fire, the box is then "filled out", with additional companies assigned to bring the alarm level up to the STILL & BOX alarm level.

EXTRA ALARMS = all the companies listed below are additional companies which are added to the assignment

2-11 = 4 Engines, 2 Trucks, 1 Tower Ladder, 2 Battalion Chiefs, 1 District Chief, 1 Air Mask Truck, Media Affairs

3-11 = 4 Engines, Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner/Deputy Fire Commissioner

4-11 = 4 Engines, Fire Commissioner

5-11 = 4 Engines

SPECIAL CALLS = Any equipment needed above a fifth alarm (5-11), will be special called to the scene.

MAYDAY RESPONSE = As part of the R.I.T. protocol, the CFD also adopted procedures that must be followed any time a R.I.T. is deployed in a "mayday situation" (i.e., a firefighter in trouble). These procedures, collectively, comprise a "Mayday Response" that is transmitted automatically upon the deployment of a R.I.T. A Mayday Response consists of: an extra R.I.T., for a total of two R.I.T.s; an extra Squad Company, for a total of two Squads; an Air Mask Unit (6-4-x); 2 additional ALS ambulances, for a total of 3; the Collapse Rescue Unit (Engine Company 5, Hook & Ladder 2, and 5-2-1); and a light wagon (9-1-x). In addition, if a Mayday Response is transmitted at a fire that is not already an extra-alarm, the fire will automatically be elevated to the next alarm level. For example, upon the transmission of a Mayday Response: (1) a Still Alarm fire will be upgraded automatically to a Still & Box; and (2) a Still & Box alarm fire will be upgraded automatically to a 2-11 alarm. If a Mayday Response is transmitted at a fire that is already a 2-11 alarm fire or greater, the alarm level of the fire will be elevated only at the discretion of the incident commander.

E.M.S. & RESCUE RESPONSE ASSIGNMENTS

PIN-IN ACCIDENT = 1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Squad, 1 Ambulance, 1 EMS Field Officer

A PIN-IN response is dispatched whenever a report is received of someone being trapped inside a car involved in a motor vehicle accident. In most instances, the Fire Alarm Office will receive the report of someone trapped and dispatch a PIN-IN response. In other instances, the ambulance or fire officer on the scene will request the PIN-IN.
All truck companies now carry Hurst Tools. In some cases, the fire officer on the scene of a pin-in will determine a full PIN-IN response is not necessary, and only request a truck company with the Hurst Tool for a simple extrication.

EMS PLAN I = 5 Ambulances, 1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 EMS Field Officer, 1 Assistant Deputy Chief Paramedic

An EMS PLAN I as listed above is a "total response". Sometimes, initially two or three ambulances will be working an incident that escalates to an EMS PLAN I once it is determined that more ambulances are needed. Typically something like that will occur at a bus crash or other similar incident where only one or two patients are initially present, but as the incident continues more people begin to complain of pain and present themselves to the paramedics.
An EMS Field Officer will respond to any scene at which three or more ambulances are operating.

EMS PLAN II (additional companies) = 5 Ambulances, 1 EMS Field Officer, 1 Deputy Chief Paramedic, 1 Triage Van, 1 Command Van, 1 Deputy District Chief, Media Affairs

EMS PLAN III (additional companies) = 5 Ambulances, 1 District Chief, Chief Paramedic, On Call Physician

WATER RESCUE = 1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Squad, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Ambulance, 6-8-2 (helicopter), 6-8-7 (dive van), Engine 58 (to Lake Michigan or other accessible tributary).

SPECIALTY RESCUE (high angle, confined space, etc.) = 1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Squad, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Ambulance, 1 EMS Field Officer

BUILDING COLLAPSE = same as normal STILL & BOX response, with 5-2-1 (Collapse Rescue), Engine 5, and Truck 2

EXPRESSWAY CAR FIRES = 2 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief (one engine stays off the expressway to tag a hydrant if needed)

HAZ-MAT RESPONSE ASSIGNMENTS
LEVEL I HAZ-MAT = 1 Engine, 1 Truck, 1 Squad, 1 Battalion Chief, 5-1-1 or 5-1-2, 1 Ambulance

LEVEL II HAZ-MAT (additional companies) = 1 H.I.T. Engine, 1 H.I.T. Truck, Deputy District Chief, Safety Officer, EMS Field Officer, Air Mask Truck (6-4-x), Command Van *H.I.T. denotes haz-mat trained/equiped company

LEVEL III HAZ-MAT (additional companies) = 2-1-3, Haz-mat Deputy Chiefs, Special-called companies.