Fire operations
Minimum staffing for fire suppression services
NFPA 1710 outlines the following minimum requirements for staffing fire suppression services (based upon operations for a 2000 square-foot, two-story, single-family occupancy with no basement, exposures or unusual hazards):
The Standard sets requirements for the number of personnel required per company, not per apparatus. Therefore, if a company is composed of two or more engines, it can staff each engine with two personnel, as long as the company contains a minimum of four personnel continually operating together (§ A.3.3.8). Since most jurisdictions deploy one engine or truck per company, most jurisdictions must staff each engine or truck with a minimum of four personnel.
Note that the above criteria applies to low hazard situations in single-family occupancies as described above. In jurisdictions with tactical hazards, high hazard occupancies, high incident frequencies, or geographical restrictions, companies must be staffed with a minimum of five or six on-duty members (§ 5.2.2.1.2). The number of additional fire fighters above four is predicated on the specific duties to be accomplished at these high hazard locations as well as the time requirements associated with initiating these tasks.
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