The Ten Standard Firefighting Orders are a set of systematically organized rules designed by a
USDA Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
task force
A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
to reduce danger to personnel and increase fire fighting efficiency.
They were introduced in 1957 and since then only the numbering changed, in order to make them easier to memorize.
[Foresty.ok.gov]
10 Standard Orders
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The rules were based upon the success of the United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
' General Orders for Sentries
Orders to Sentry is the official title of a set of rules governing sentry (guard or watch) duty in the United States Armed Forces. While any guard posting has rules that may go without saying ("Stay awake", for instance), these orders are carefully ...
, a set of guidelines designed for safety and efficiency for military personnel standing sentry duty. The Ten Standard Orders were later supplemented by 18 Situations That Shout Watch Out, or the 18 Watchout Situations.[ While the original orders were designed to be implemented in an order of importance, the order was changed in the 1980s to remove this priority of orders and create an easy to remember list with each order beginning with an initial of "Fire Orders", then returned to the original order in 2002.][ A primary consideration for firefighters addressed by these orders is to be able to gain timely warning of a danger allowing the firefighter to safely escape.]Shoshone National Forest
Shoshone National Forest ( ) is the first federally protected National Forest in the United States and covers nearly in the state of Wyoming. Originally a part of the Yellowstone Timberland Reserve, the forest is managed by the United States ...
Blackwater fire of 1937 and the Helena National Forest
Helena National Forest is located in west-central Montana, in the United States. Covering , the forest is broken into several separate sections. The eastern regions are dominated by the Big Belt Mountains, and are the location of the Gates of ...
Mann Gulch Fire
The Mann Gulch fire was a wildfire started on August 5, 1949, in the Gates of the Mountain Wild Area, now named the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, in Helena National Forest, in western Montana. A team of 15 smokejumpers parachuted in that a ...
in 1949. The order can be a basis for evaluating the aftermath of a firefighting situation, although some firefighters have criticized the orders as being difficult to follow.
Standard Firefighting Orders
#Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts.
#Know what your fire is doing at all times.
#Base all actions on current and expected behavior of the fire.
#Identify escape routes and safety zones and make them known.
#Post lookouts when there is possible danger.
#Be alert. Keep calm. Think clearly. Act decisively.
#Maintain prompt communications with your forces, your supervisor, and adjoining forces.
#Give clear instructions and ensure they are understood.
#Maintain control of your forces at all times.
#Fight fire aggressively, having provided for safety first.
References
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External links
10 Standard Fire Orders
– National Wildfire Coordinating Group
Wildfire suppression
Firefighting in the United States
Wildfires in the United States
United States Forest Service