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March 2024
Life - Fire - Layout is a 6 foot search of a doorway that increases situational awareness. To execute this quick search, a firefighter should adopt a low position by lying on their stomach within the doorway. Secure one foot on the door frame and initiate the search from that side. Look beneath the smoke, utilizing hands to search the reachable area, and sweep in a semi-circle around the doorway, ensuring to inspect behind the door.
A lot of times this technique is learned while practicing forcible entry of exterior doors. This makes sense as it is imperative to perform a Life-Fire-Layout after forcing a door because this 6 foot sweep serves three crucial purposes. Firstly, data from the Firefighter Rescue Survey reveals that 10% of victims are found within 6 feet of an exterior door. Secondly, looking below the smoke and identifying the layout of the structure will increase the firefighter’s situational awareness and save time once they commit to the interior. Finally, this forces the firefighter to pause at the threshold. This “tactical pause” allows them to take in vital information about the environment—identifying smoke intake and exhaust, as well as listening for victims and fire. Utilizing a box light or inverted chest flashlight to shine a light across the floor can improve visibility of the interior layout, as well as illuminate the movement of the intake, thus indicating the location of the fire.
A lot of times however, this technique is frequently limited to the point of entry and not consistently applied within the structure. As with everything in firefighting, conditions dictate our actions. If visibility is poor, consider using a Life-Fire-Layout at all new thresholds on the interior. Again if we look at the statistics provided by the Firefighter Rescue Survey, 14% of victims are found within 6 feet of an interior door. Additionally, this technique will force the firefighter to take the tactical pause discussed earlier. This, in turn, will lead to overall increased efficiency when searching because it enables the firefighter to effectively analyze newly acquired information from their surroundings and utilize it to inform subsequent decision-making.
Finally, during the Life-Fire-Layout, consider incorporating a “Callout.” This involves audibly announcing “Fire department!” to prompt a response from any conscious individuals within the structure. After calling out, the firefighter should hold their breath to allow them to hear the faintest responses; a cough or a moan may be the only response the victim is able to make. If a response is received, directing the search towards that area will immediately expedite the search and rescue efforts and reduce the victim's exposure to the IDLH environment, resulting in improved victim outcomes.
Consider incorporating the Life-Fire-Layout into upcoming forcible entry and search drills, as it proves effective for both exterior and interior doorways. Include a verbal callout to communicate with conscious victims to potentially locate them quickly in IDLH environments.
Training Objectives
Upon completion the firefighter should be able to….
Explain the importance of a 6-foot search near exterior doors.
Perform a Life-Fire-Layout after forcing an exterior door.
Recognize when conditions necessitate the use of a Life-Fire-Layout during interior searches.
Perform a Life-Fire-Layout during a search drill, as conditions dictate.
Cole Kleinwolterink is a member of the Waukee Fire Department, Granger Fire Department, and Fire Science instructor at Des Moines Area Community College.
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