NFPA 600

Standard on Facility Fire

Brigades

Presented by Chief Philip C. Stittleburg

1
 What is a Facility Fire
Brigade?
• An organized group of
employees at a facility who
are knowledgeable, trained
and skilled in at least basic
fire-fighting operations, and
whose full time occupation
might or might not be the
provision of fire suppression
and related activities for
Fire suppression is inside the
their employer “walls” of their facility

2
NFPA Has a Long History
with Fire Brigades

3
The Illuminated Broom
Award

4
 When are Fire Brigades
Required?
• When a facility decides to have a fire brigade OR
when another code, standard or regulation requires
fire brigades

• Examples of NFPA codes and standards

requiring fire brigades include:

o NFPA 801 Fire Protection for Facilities Handling Radioactive Materials

o NFPA 804 Fire Protection for Advanced Light Water Reactor Electric
Generating Plants

5
 NFPA 600
• Provides minimum requirements for

o Organizing
o Operating
o Training
o Equipping fire brigades
o Provides minimum requirements for the occupational
safety and health of the fire brigade members

6
 Applicability
• Applies to any organized group of employees
performing fire-fighting response duties including

o Emergency brigades
o Emergency response teams
o Fire teams
o Plant emergency organizations

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 Applicability
Does NOT apply to facility fire brigades that respond
outside the boundaries of the site where fire involves
unfamiliar hazards

Does NOT apply to medical response, confined space

rescue, hazardous materials response

Does not apply to fire departments complying with

NFPA 1500 (Fire Departments)

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 NFPA 600 Facility Fire Brigades
• Previously referred to as the
“Industrial Fire Brigade” Standard.
Committee changed title to
FACILITY fire brigade in 2015

• Ensures that users knew that NFPA

600 applies to educational facilities
such as colleges, commercial
facilities such as airports, healthcare
occupancies such as medical
centers, warehouses, governmental
facilities etc.- not just “industry” in the
traditional sense.

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 What is the difference between a
fire department and fire brigade?
• Basic difference between the two is familiarity-
o Fire departments fight fires at any facility and do not know the hazards they
may encounter

o Fire brigades generally fight fires only within the facility boundaries and will
always know the hazards and practice fighting fires on those hazards and
structures

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What are they?

11
 Roles and Responsibilities
• Facility Fire Brigade Management-overall responsibility for establishing
program, written policies, providing equipment, coordinating with local
fire authorities and selecting fire brigade members

• Facility Fire Brigade Leader-Establishes chain of command and

establishes qualifications, training programs, maintains and selects
equipment, establishes plans, provides training

• Deputy Fire Brigade Leader-substitutes for fire brigade leader in his/her

absence and completes tasks assigned by leader.

• Fire Brigade Members-perform duties as assigned in organizational

statement following SOPs and training provided

• Support Members-do not enter warm or hot zones but provide support as
assigned and trained

12
 Fundamental Requirements-
Chapter 4
• Four types of Fire Brigades

• 1) Incipient stage
• 2) Advanced exterior fire-fighting ONLY
• 3) Interior fire-fighting ONLY
• 4) Both advanced exterior and interior fire-fighting

All fire brigade members must be issued identification

13
How many members required for
each type of fire brigade?
• No set number established

• Differs from facility to facility

depending on the hazard

• NFPA 600 requires that the

organizational statement and
standard operating procedures
define the number of members

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 Organization and
Administration
• Written policies and procedures must be
established that include such items as

o Evaluating hazards and assigning duties

o Establishing occupational health and medical and
physical performance requirements
o Establishing baseline proficiencies
o Budgeting for all aspects of the fire brigade including
equipment
o Establishing means of communication

15
 Organization and
Administration
• A written organizational statement must be
established that includes
o Basic organizational structure
o Type, amount and frequency of training
o Number of fire brigade members
o Duties of fire brigade members
o Shifts when fire brigades are available

• Management designates and identifies all lines of

authority and duties and responsibilities
• Two Sample Organizational Statements provided in
Annex A

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 Other General
Requirements
• Written Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) must be developed

• A written Incident Management System

(IMS) must be established

• A risk management policy must be

developed

17
 Training and Education
Requirements
• Training coordinator designated to manage
training program

• Members must be trained to the level of competency

commensurate with their response duties and functions

• Members must meet requirements of NFPA 1081

• Periodic training required

• Fire brigade leader training must be more extensive than

that provided to members

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Drills
• Periodic drills required that are
representative of conditions
encountered during an actual
fire

• Must perform or simulate

actions to fight fires consistent
with the expected fires at the
facility

• Drills must be evaluated and

compared to pre established
performance standard

• Training and drill records must

be maintained

19
 Medical and Job-Related
Physical Requirements
• All fire brigade members other than incipient fire
fighting must receive physical exam and be certified
as medically and physically competent to perform
duties

• Must be done annually

• Requirements based on the risks and tasks

• Also must meet the job related physical requirements

which are also evaluated annually

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 Facility Fire Brigade Equipment
• Fire brigades must be provided
with the appropriate equipment
based on the hazards

• Equipment properly stored and

accessible

• Equipment must be inspected

and maintained

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 Fire Brigade Apparatus
• Fire brigade members
operating equipment must be
qualified

• Seatbelts mandatory

• Maintained, serviced and

inspected

22
 Chapter 5 Incipient Stage
Fire Brigades
• Incipient stage fire-Fire in initial stage which can be
controlled by extinguisher or small hose systems without
the use of personal protective equipment.

• Incipient stage means

o Fires can be fought in normal clothing
o Not required to take evasive action to avoid smoke or heat
o Not required to wear SCBAs
o Can fight fire effectively with fire extinguishers OR with handlines flowing up to
473 Liters/minute (125 gpm)

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Incipient Stage
Fire Brigades
• Annual training and
drills involving live fires

• Annex of NFPA 600

describes live fire
training safety
procedures

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 Advanced Exterior or Interior
Structural Fire Brigades-Chapter 6
• Requirements for both advanced exterior and interior structural
fire brigades are the same

• Facilities may have fire brigades that do only one or that do both

• Fire brigades can only perform the duties as designated and

trained.

• Advanced Exterior-Offensive fire-fighting beyond incipient outside

an enclosed structure

• Interior Structural-Fire suppression beyond incipient stage or

rescue inside of a building or enclosed structure

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 Train on what you do…
Interior, Exterior, What are the
hazards you encounter?

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 Advanced Exterior or Interior
Structural Fire Brigades
Requirements for protective gear, training, equipment
based on zones

• Hot Zone immediately surrounding a hazardous area, which extends far

enough to prevent adverse effects to personnel outside the zone

• Warm Zone outside the hot zone where personnel and equipment
decontamination and hot zone support takes place

• Cold Zone-contains the command post and such other support functions
deemed necessary to control the incident

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 Different Requirements for Hot, Warm,
Cold Zones
• Non-fire brigade personnel not • When in the hot zone, at least one facility fire
permitted to enter the warm or hot brigade member with the capability to call
zones for assistance remains outside the hot zone
and maintains an awareness of those located
• SCBA and thermal protective
inside the hot zone.
clothing worn when entering the hot
zone. • When operating in the hot zone, additional
brigade members are standing by in the
• Thermal protective clothing worn
warm zone with approved equipment to
when entering the warm zone
provide assistance or rescue
• Must have an established
• Facility fire brigade members positioned in
communications system when
the warm zone are visible to command
operating in the hot and warm zones
positions at all times

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Advanced Exterior or Interior Structural Fire Brigades-

Protective Clothing and Equipment

• Thermal protective clothing and equipment for

each member entering hot and warm zones

o Protective clothing, helmets, gloves, footwear meeting NFPA 1971

o PASS devices in accordance with NFPA 1982
o Open circuit self-contained breathing devices in accordance with NFPA
1981
o Closed circuit self-contained breathing devices in positive pressure mode
only
o Approved hoods for hot zone
o Equipment maintenance

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 Advanced Exterior or Interior
Structural Fire Brigades
• Teams of two or more if
using SCBA.

• Communication
required.

• Must have two

members outside the
area with SCBAs.

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 Advanced Exterior or Interior Structural
Fire Brigades-Training and Drills

• Quarterly training

• Semiannual drills

• Live fire training annually that includes props that

simulate or duplicate the hazards and conditions
that could be encountered

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The Relationship of NFPA 600
to NFPA 1081

Standard for Industrial Fire

Brigade Personnel
Professional Qualifications

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 NFPA 600 references
NFPA 1081
• NFPA 1081 shall be used to establish minimum levels
of proficiency in both skills and knowledge to permit
facility fire brigade personnel to safely accomplish
the site-specific response duties.

• Personnel shall meet the minimum job performance

requirements of NFPA 1081 for each site-specific
task expected to be performed by brigade
personnel before their participation in emergency
response operations.

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 NFPA 600 - Facility Fire Brigade
Fundamentals Training and Education
• Facility fire brigade personnel designated as leaders
shall receive training and education commensurate
with their response duties.

• Annex: Facility fire brigade leaders should be

provided training on the incident management
system. For information on performance standards
for facility fire brigade leaders, see NFPA 1081;
Chapter 4 of NFPA 1021; or other relevant
performance standards.

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 NFPA 600 - Facility Fire Brigade
Fundamentals -Training and Education
• Only qualified facility fire brigade personnel shall operate facility fire
brigade apparatus.
• Qualified apparatus operators shall have completed formal training using
performance-based standards.
• Facility fire brigade apparatus operators shall have valid driver’s licenses for
the type of vehicle as required by state law or corporate policy.
• Apparatus shall be operated in compliance with applicable traffic laws.
• Facility fire brigade apparatus drivers shall be directly responsible for safe
and prudent operation under all conditions.
• Annex For information on performance standards for facility fire brigade
apparatus operators, see NFPA 1081; Chapters 4 through 8 of NFPA 1002; or
other performance standards.

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 NFPA 1081
• All industrial fire brigade personnel duties involve initiating
communications, responding to alarms, using tools and
equipment, suppression, apply special extinguishing
agents, perform a fire safety survey, and completing
incident reports.

• All industrial fire brigade personnel shall have a general

knowledge of basic fire behavior, operation within an
incident management system, operation within the
emergency response operations plan for the site, the
standard operating and safety procedures for the site,
and site-specific hazards.

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 NFPA 1081 - Scope and
Purpose
• Scope. This standard identifies the minimum job
performance requirements (JPRs) necessary to
perform the duties as a member of an organized
industrial fire brigade providing services at a specific
facility or site.

• Purpose. The purpose of this standard is to specify

the minimum JPRs for industrial fire brigade
personnel. It is not the intent of the standard to
restrict any jurisdiction from exceeding these
requirements.

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 NFPA 1081 - Application
• The management of the industrial fire brigade shall
establish instructional priority and the training program
content to prepare individuals to meet the JPRs of this
standard.

• The JPRs found in Chapters 5 through 8 are not required

to be mastered in the order they appear.

• The management of the industrial fire brigade shall

establish an ongoing process to ensure that members
continue to meet the JPRs of this standard.

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 Job Performance
Requirements (JPRs)
• The primary benefit of establishing professional qualifications
standards is to provide both public and private sectors with a
framework of the job requirements.

• Professional qualifications standards identify the minimum JPRs

for specific emergency services levels and positions.

• Professional qualifications standards for specific jobs are

organized by major areas of responsibility defined as “duties”.

• JPRs describe the performance required for a specific job and

are grouped according to the duties of the job.

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NFPA 1081 – Specific JPR
Chapters
• Incipient Industrial Fire Brigade

• Advanced Exterior Industrial Fire Brigade

• Interior Structural Fire Brigade

• Industrial Fire Brigade Leader

• Industrial Fire Brigade Support

40
Incipient Industrial Fire
Brigade
• Transmit and receive
messages
• Respond to an
emergency
• Return equipment to
service
• Complete a basic
incident report
• Extinguish incipient fire
• Conserve property
• Exit hazardous area
• Attack an incipient
stage fire
• Activate a fixed fire
protection system
• Utilize a master stream
appliances
• Establish a water supply
• Perform a fire safety
survey
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 Advanced Exterior
Industrial Fire Brigade
• Utilize a pre-incident • Conduct search and
plan rescue
• Interface with outside • Conserve property
mutual aid • Overhaul the fire scene
organizations
• Establish a water supply
• Use thermal protective
clothing • Exit a hazardous area
• Use SCBA and PASS • Perform Rapid
device Intervention
• Attack an exterior fire

42
 Advanced Exterior
Industrial Fire Brigade
• Perform a fire safety survey
• Gain access to facility
locations
• Use master stream
appliances
• Extinguish an ignitable
liquids fire
• Control a flammable gas
fire
• Use special extinguishing
agents
• Interrupt alarm
conditions
• Activate a fixed fire
suppression system
• Extinguish a Class C fire
• Utilize tools and
equipment
• Set up and use
portable ladders
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 Interior Structural Fire Brigade
• Use thermal protective
clothing
• Use SCBA and Pass device
• Utilize a pre-incident plan
• Attack interior structure
fire
• Force entry
• Perform ventilation
• Overhaul
• Exit a hazardous area
• Establish a water supply
• Interface with outside
mutual aid organizations
• Conduct search and
rescue operations
• Conserve property
• Perform rapid
intervention
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 Interior Structural Fire Brigade

• Interrupt alarm • Use special

conditions extinguishing agents
• Activate a fixed fire • Utilize tools and
suppression system equipment
• Use master stream
appliances • Set up and use
portable ladders
• Extinguish an ignitable
liquids fire • Perform a fire safety
• Control a flammable survey
gas fire • Extinguish a Class C fire

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 Industrial Fire Brigade Leader

• Assign task and responsibilities

• Develop an initial attack plan
• Implement an action plan
• Coordinate multiple resources
• Implement support operations
• Direct personnel during a training evolution

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 Industrial Fire Brigade Support

• Initiate a response to a reported emergency

• Respond to a facility emergency
o Building evacuation
o Sprinkler system control
o Electrical power control
o Utility control
o Process control
o Fire Pump/Fire Water operation
o Salvage
o Traffic control and site security
o Escort
o General support services

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 Summary
• NFPA 600 and NFPA 1081 Correlate
• NFPA 600 - Source document for organizations
• NFPA 1081 - Professional qualifications document
for individual certification
• Specified the minimum JPRs for industrial fire
brigade roles identified in NFPA 1081

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Thank You!

Questions?

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