Orange County
Fire rescue

The American Fire Service is built around the capabilities of the fire engine as the backbone of a successful fire response system. The engine company requires high quality equipment, personnel, leadership, and training to operate at a variety of incidents in a safe and effective manner. 

To hold true to our mission statement, we exist to provide life-safety and property protection delivered with compassion, respect and integrity, so that our community and visitors can enjoy a high quality of life. We must maintain a level of consistency at the task level. Differences in task level procedures, terminology, tactics, and practices can have a negative impact on the tempo of the incident and the safety of responders. 

The members of the Training Section are committed to improve emergency responses by delivering high quality, consistent training to firefighters who respond to incidents together and to standardize operations at the task level wherever possible. The Fireground Operations Manual captures the best practices of our fire department as a foundation for consistency in training delivery and emergency response. 

This manual covers the general categories of engine company operations and the basic tasks within each category. It is intended to provide a standard platform for recruit and apprentice training and to serve as a resource for tenured personnel. The Fireground Operations Manual is not exhaustive in its content. Advanced concepts and methods are found in specialized manuals outside of the scope of this text. The inclusion of information was reached by consensus between firefighters and officers with a specific commitment and interest in improving operations and training. The manual is an example of meaningful collaboration between skilled professionals that results in positive change within the fire service and improves our delivery of service to the citizens we serve.