Exercise 4. Read and translate the text A Firefighting Strategy

Firefighting is the process of extinguishing fires involving three main fire incident priorities: life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation.

The first part of the action plan in firefighting is strategy, which establishes “what” should be done. The basic guide for developing a strategy is known as RECEOVS. This acronym outlines the strategic priorities that need to be considered before a firefighting strategy is created. They are as follows: rescue, confinement, extinguishment, overhauling, ventilation, and salvage.

Rescue is protection of life, which may involve removal of individuals from a burning structure or other dangerous situation, evacuation of a hazardous area, and relocation of occupants to a safe area.

Exposure protection is the process of protecting neighboring structures or property from the structure that’s on fire.

Confinement is activity directed at limiting the spread of fire. Firefighters should protect all six sides surrounding the fire: over, under, in front of, behind, to the left, and to the right of the fire.

Extinguishment is elimination of the flame and reduction of the fully involved areas to a localized fire and smoldering sections.

Overhauling is complete extinguishment of all smoldering fires.

Ventilation aimed at removing heat, smoke, and toxic gases from a structure is usually done to support other activities such as rescue and fire attack.

Salvage is protection of property during the fire and after firefighting operations have been completed.

Every hazardous should be considered separately because the order of these priorities depends on the situation.