The Farmington Fire Department would like to extend its thanks to Captain Tim Birr of the Eugene, Oregon – Police, Fire and Emergency Services Department, for his valued assistance in developing this Guide, and to Office Manager Vicki Englert for its continual updates.

The Fire Department is under the direction of Fire Chief Thomas W. Aurnhammer, who in turn reports to the city manager and city council. A copy of the department’s organizational chart is included in the back of this guide for your reference. The department is organized into two divisions, as follows:

Fire administration is responsible for personnel management, budget, payroll, purchasing and planning. Chief Aurnhammer and Fire Department Office Manager Vicki Englert oversee these activities. Administration is also subdivided to include the areas of fire operations and the fire marshal’s office.

Fire Operations is responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing all fire suppression and training activities for the department. This is a massive effort as it includes basic training for new hires, specialized training, such as the handling of radiological and hazardous materials emergencies and emergency medical training. Additionally, periodic evaluations of all fire companies are conducted at the San Juan College Fire Training Tower to ensure that firefighting skills are maintained at a high level. Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bradshaw oversees these activities.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for all activities relating to fire prevention, public fire education, and fire/arson investigation. These include plans review for compliance with the Uniform Fire Code, the issuance of permits when required, fire inspections, coordination of inspections performed by fire suppression companies, enforcement of the codes, and public fire safety education programs. The origin and cause of fires are investigated and a close relationship is maintained with the police department and district attorney’s office to prosecute arson cases. The fire chief oversees these efforts along with Assistant Fire Marshals Dexter Lewis and Herb Veazey. Both the assistant fire marshals serve as public information officers.

Fire suppression is the largest division of the department and is made up of uniformed firefighters, engineers (equipment operators), lieutenants and captains under the direction of Battalion Chiefs Frank Cavaliere ("A" Shift), Andy Jordan ("B" Shift), and Mike Carpenter ("C" Shift). These are the crews that make up the city’s fire companies, and their activities are detailed elsewhere in this guide.

The Farmington Fire Department utilizes public information officers (P.I.O.) for the release of information. The major responsibility of the P.I.O. is to serve as a contact and a resource for the local media. The P.I.O. position is a responsibility of the fire marshal’s office. The fire marshal’s office can be reached by calling 599-1437.

Telecommunicators (dispatchers) work in the San Juan County Communications Authority Building (Communications Center), next to the San Juan County Fire Operations Center, in Aztec, NM. They bear a tremendous responsibility as, in addition to coordinating Farmington Fire communications, they dispatch for the Aztec, Bloomfield, Kirtland, Lee Acres, Hart Valley, Flora Vista, Cedar Hill, Center Point, La Plata, Blanco, Navajo Dam, Sullivan Road, Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-hle, Shiprock, Newcomb, and Lybrook Fire Departments. Services are also provided to New Mexico State Police District 10, and all San Juan Counties’ law enforcement agencies. The telecommunicators also handle direct lines between the San Juan Regional Medical Center and Four Corners Regional Airport, and additionally, monitor automatic alarms. The telecommunicators also coordinate emergency medical service units that operate out of San Juan Regional Medical Center, the paramedic stations in Bloomfield, Aztec, and Kirtland.

Please DO NOT call the communications center while an incident is in progress. Telecommunicators can become extremely busy during the early stages of a major fire or incident, or when handling several alarms at once, and may become curt or impatient with non-emergency telephone calls. Unless the incident is in the parking lot of the county detention center, it is not visible from the communications center, and the only information the telecommunicator will have is from radio traffic that can be monitored by scanner. We ask that if you need information on an incident, contact the incident commander at the scene or the P.I.O., by using the details in the next section of the guide.

Routine inquiries on fire and rescue runs may be made by contacting the fire marshal’s office by calling 599-1437, or stopping by fire station #1, at 301 N. Auburn.

On the incident scene, the battalion chief or the P.I.O. will be your primary source of information. Battalion chiefs are readily identifiable at the scene by the white helmets and coats they wear. We ask that you understand that a chief has a large number of responsibilities at most incidents and suggest that you approach him only when he is in a safe location and not otherwise occupied.

The City has been divided into five districts by the fire department. Each of the districts has a fire company assigned to it under the supervision of a company officer (captain or lieutenant). The company officers are supervised by a battalion chief, who is on duty for a 24-hour period, like the officers and firefighters under them. The battalion chief is responsible for directing all fire department operations, emergency or otherwise, for the entire city.

At most small incidents, the battalion chief will not be present. In this case, the company officer will be your primary source of information. The word "captain" or "lieutenant" on the sides of their red helmet can identify the company officer.

It is our intention to assist you at fires and other emergencies as much as possible, and we ask that you assist us by following three basic rules:

1. Park your vehicle far away from the scene so as not to block or interfere with the positioning of fire apparatus that may be arriving or laying hose line after your arrival. Do not drive over hose lines.
2. Be alert to the fact that fire scenes may have hazards. Overhead wires, collapsing structures, toxic smoke and high-pressure hose lines are but a few of these hazards.
3. Use common sense in staying out of the way of fire department operations at emergencies. If in doubt about anything, please ask.

Due to the unique nature of a hazardous materials incident, we ask that you follow some additional ground rules for your own well being and safety.

1. Approach the incident from upwind and from uphill whenever possible.
2. Do not drive through spills or vapor clouds.
3. An area will be established for media people to standby during the incident. This area will be adjacent to the "Haz-Mat Command Post" and can be identified by the orange barricades marked "MEDIA".
4. Again, due to the unique nature of a haz-mat incident, your access to areas involved may be restricted. When in doubt, check with the incident commander or P.I.O.

For those of you who monitor fire department radio traffic with scanners, please be advised that as part of the incident command system (ICS), telecommunicators do not make use of "10-Codes," as on the law enforcement channels, and use "clear text" instead. All of the ICS components work together interactively to provide the basis for the effective management of an incident. The consistent use of common terminology is one of the most important components. Some of the more common radio terminology you will hear on the radio is the establishing, assuming, passing, and terminating of command. Additional information on the ICS is covered in the next section.

The incident command system (ICS) provides a system to manager personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications. The Farmington Fire Department utilizes the ICS on all emergency incidents. The size of the ICS organizational structure is based on the complexity, rather than the size, of an incident. The incident commander (IC) utilizes as much or as little of the system as needed to control and terminate the incident.

The ICS organizational structure develops in a modular fashion at any incident, from the top down. The five (5) functional areas of the system that can be implemented, as the need for additional resources develop, are command; operations; logistics; planning; and finance. A large-scale incident may require each of these areas to be staffed and managed by section officers. The concept is that each of these sections is a tool to be utilized by the IC. While the IC may not activate a particular section at an incident, the responsibilities of that section remain with him or her. A model ICS organizational chart is provided at the back of this guide for your reference.

Basically, firefighting is divided into two areas: engine and ladder operations. The primary responsibility of engine companies (pumpers) is to extinguish the fire. This is accomplished by using water carried on the engine or by connecting the engine to a fire hydrant or, in extremely rare cases, drafting water out of a pond or stream. Members of engine companies "stretch" hose lines into the involved structure, attempting to get as close to the fire as possible before applying water. The use of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is required in this type of operation. The SCBA worn for this operation carry compressed air, not oxygen as is often reported. In most cases fog nozzles are used, which causes minimal water damage. When exposed to fire in a confined area, each cubic foot of water converts to 1,700 cubic feet of steam, extinguishing the fire by removing heat. This method exposes the firefighter to a great amount of heat, both from the fire and the resultant steam, but it is the most effective and least damaging way of fighting an interior fire.

The second major area of firefighting is ladder (truck) company operations. If the engine companies are the infantry of firefighting, then the ladder companies are the combat engineers. Ladder companies are responsible for a number of operations at fires. These include:

Of the above functions, ventilation is perhaps the least understood by non-firefighters. A room involved in fire may reach temperatures over 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat from such a fire will rise to the highest point in a building and then spread laterally and downward, spreading fire as it goes. This phenomenon is called "mushrooming." Besides mushrooming, such a fire will inevitably create enough smoke to reduce interior visibility to near zero. Despite modern protective clothing and breathing apparatus, it is impossible for firefighters to penetrate very far into such an environment, and any non-firefighter unfortunate enough to get caught in such a situation would have little, if any, chance of survival.

By making an opening in the roof, the fire, heat, and smoke are allowed to escape upward and out of the building, thus keeping the fire from spreading and making the interior more tenable for engine company crews moving hose lines into the fire. Most people fail to realize that the damage caused by making such openings is far less than a fire will cause if left unvented.

A fire company is the basic unit of firefighting consisting of a crew of firefighters and their equipment. There are several types of companies in the Farmington Fire Department. A description of them follows:

Engine company – Often referred to as a pumper or fire engine. Engines are the most common type of company in Farmington. Equipped with a pump, engines carry a large amount of hose in various sizes, several hundred gallons of water, ladders sufficient to reach second floor windows, SCBA, emergency medical supplies, oxygen and assorted minor equipment. The crew of an engine normally consists of a captain or lieutenant, an engineer (equipment operator) and a firefighter.

Ladder company - Often referred to as a hook and ladder or ladder truck. Farmington has a 105-foot aerial ladder. Equipment consists of a full assortment of hand-raised ladders ranging from fourteen to thirty-five feet in length, tools used for forcible entry into buildings, power saws, equipment for salvage (including a vacuum cleaner that picks up water), SCBA and other assorted tools and equipment—in short, almost anything needed for most fire emergency situations. The crew of a ladder company is normally made up of an engineer (equipment operator) and a firefighter.

Rescue unit – Often referred to as a squad or rescue squad. This unit carries tools used for rescue and equipment and extrication (most commonly used for vehicle, industrial accidents, and water and high angle rescues.) The crew also functions as a "Rapid Deployment Team" at structure fires, in the event that other crews operating in a building interior become trapped or disoriented. This unit also responds as a second out unit to EMS calls within its district, and the crew is made up of two firefighters.

Brush units – Sometimes referred to as a mini-pumper. These units have a skid-loaded pump and water tank mounted on a one-ton four-wheel drive pickup truck. These units respond to brush fires, along with an engine company, and provide access to areas that cannot be reached with the larger engine. The crew of this unit is normally made up of one firefighter.

Airport rescue and firefighting vehicles (A.R.F.F.) – These units provide fire protection to air traffic at the Four Corners Regional Airport. A.R.F.F.’s carry tools and equipment as well as special extinguishing agents for aircraft fire emergencies. The A.R.F.F. crew consists of an engineer (equipment operator) or firefighter.

Special response unit – Often referred to as a haz-mat unit. This unit carries tools and equipment to deal with the spill or leak of hazardous materials.

The unit also is equipped with a large amount of resource material to aid in the identification of the large number of industrial chemicals in use today. This unit does not have a regularly assigned crew; haz-mat team members from station #4 put the unit in service when needed. This unit is also utilized as a command post for large-scale fire, rescue, and fire investigation incidents.

* Denotes Reserve Unit

Aging stereotypes to the contrary, firefighters do not spend the time between alarms playing cards and checkers. In order to meet the challenges of a modern and growing city like Farmington, the preparations for emergency services are extensive. The Farmington Fire Department prepares its members in a systematic manner. Below is a sampling of the activities a company goes through each week.

Company inspection of businesses helps to eliminate fire hazards and to acquaint the firefighters with the general layout of buildings in the event a fire should occur.

The drill is the manual training necessary for firefighting operations. This includes ladder work, pump operations, breathing apparatus, hose layouts, rescue techniques, emergency medical care, practice fires, and much more

Apparatus maintenance is the continuous task of preparing fire apparatus to operate under the most adverse conditions. This time may be spent on simple lubrication, repair, or modification of equipment to improve efficiency.

During the class periods, subjects for discussion range from hazards and characteristics of fire gases and chemicals to building construction and fire prevention. Several specialized classes dealing with fire tactics, radioactive materials, emergency medical techniques, etc., are scheduled throughout the year.

A building tour involves developing the familiarity with the characteristics of a building or a business that is vital in a firefighting operation. Such characteristics include electrical panels, sprinkler systems, stairways, elevators, exits, and special hazards that may be present.

Minor equipment carried on fire apparatus ranges in complexity from simple hand tools to complicated extrication equipment. All of this equipment must be maintained on a regular basis to ensure its operational readiness.

Time is allotted for map corrections, street familiarization, and hydrant locations. All of these are of vital importance when responding to an emergency in which time is our formidable foe.

The Farmington Fire Department requires its members to engage in an on-duty physical fitness program, which involves exercise periods in the fire stations.

Advancing a Line – Order to move hose line toward a given assigned area from point where the hose-carrying apparatus has stopped. Also called "stretching a line".

Aerial Ladder – A mechanically operated turntable ladder attached to a ladder truck, manufactured in various lengths as 65-, 75-, 85-, or 100-foot aerials with three or four sections at 25 feet each.

Air Masks (S.C.B.A.) – A self-contained breathing apparatus providing air supply from a tank of compressed air worn on the Firefighter’s back.

Alarm Assignment – A designation, usually in advance of the event, of the units to respond to a given fire alarm or signal; the entire complement assigned to any given alarm. As "the entire first alarm assignment went to work." (Example: two engines, one ladder, one battalion chief - a typical structure fire assignment).

Arson – Arson consists of maliciously or willfully starting a fire or causing an explosion with the purpose of destroying or damaging any building, occupied structure of property of another, or bridge, utility line, fence or sign; or with the purpose of destroying or damaging any property, whether the person’s own or another’s, to collect insurance for such loss. (N.M.S.A. 30-17-5).

Automatic Sprinkler – An appliance for fire control and extinguishment by which water is piped to specifically designed orifices or sprinkler "heads" distributed throughout a property and operated automatically in the event of fire. During a fire, the sprinkler heads above the involved area activate one at a time; the entire system does not go off at once.

Battalion – The battalion chief commands the fire personnel on a shift and carries other comparable responsibilities in the fire department, which require the attention of a chief officer. The battalion chief wears white turnouts and helmet for identification.

Captain – Officer in charge of a fire station, or any other position of comparable responsibility in the department. The highest rank in an individual company unit.

Charged Line – A line of hose filled with water, ready for use and always under pump or hydrant pressure.

Chief – A fire department officer of greater than company officer rank.

Class A Fires – Fires involving ordinary combustibles best extinguished by cooling action (water).

Class B Fires – Fires involving flammable liquids or gases usually extinguished by smothering agents (dry chemical—CO2).

Class C Fires – Fires involving energized electrical equipment (never use water to extinguish).

Command Post – A center of operations established at large and multiple-alarm fires by the incident commander to direct and coordinate firefighting activities.

Communications Center – Location from which 9-1-1 calls are answered, all alarm signals are transmitted, all units are dispatched, and where records are kept of the movements of emergency units. Located at the San Juan County Communications Authority Building.

Drill School – A fire department school where engine, ladder, and rescue company drills may be performed by company units under the supervision of the fire department instructors and where probationary firefighters are instructed in use of equipment and basic techniques.

Engine – A fire department pumping engine, commonly termed a "pumper", or a "triple combination," (pump, hose, and water tank), also carries an assortment of small ladders and firefighting tools/appliances.

Evolution – An agreed operational sequence requiring teamwork and covering various basic firefighting tasks such as the placement of hose and heavy ladders.

Exposure – Adjacent property that may be endangered by a fire in another structure or by an outside fire. In general, within forty feet may be considered to involve exposure hazard although in very large fires danger may exist at much greater distances. Also, flying brands may present an exposure hazard for extensive distances if there are, for instance, wooden shingle roofs in the path of the brands. After the saving of life, the protection of exposure is the first duty of the fire service because the safety of the community comes before that of any individual property owner. However, in the vast majority of cases, the extinguishment of a fire, however severe, is the most effective method of protecting exposures.

Extension Ladder – A sectional ladder of two or more parts, which may be extended to various heights. The extension ladder has a bed ladder and one or more fly ladders, the top being the tip. Most common lengths of fire department extension ladders are 24- or 30-foot extensions on pumpers and 25-, 35-, 45-, or 50-foot extensions on ladder trucks. An aerial ladder is a large mechanically raised extension ladder. A pole ladder is a large extension ladder requiring tormentor poles for use in raising.

Extension (of fire) – Spread of fire, usually during the course of firefighting operations, to areas not believed to have been previously involved as extension of fire through open partitions into the attic or extension through an un-protected opening into another room or building.

False Alarm – An alarm for which no fire existed or for which the Fire Department response was unnecessary or due to accidental operation of fire alarm devices or a malicious act.

Fire – Usually an unintended or undesired burning; rapid oxidation of combustible materials resulting in light and heat. The types of fires with which firefighters are concerned may be termed "unfriendly" as opposed to hearth fires or furnace fires.

Fire Alarm – A device or the information received over such a devise as "to sound a fire alarm." A "fire alarm system" should not be confused with a "fire detection system."

Fire Buff – Person interested in firefighting operations, fire equipment, and firefighters. A fire service enthusiast.

Fire Escape – An emergency means of egress from a building in event of fire, with special reference to an exterior stairway—usually of iron construction.

Fire Prevention – That part of the science of fire protection that is exercised in advance of the outbreak of fire, both to prevent such outbreaks and to minimize loss when fire does occur.

Fire Suppression Rating Schedule – A schedule of by which underwriters insurance grade the fire defense of a community. The grading schedule takes into account water supply, the fire department, fire alarms and communications and other factors. Community classifications run from Class 1, receiving the highest rate recognition to Class 10, receiving no recognition. A community’s classification determines fire insurance rates.

First Alarm – The initial alarm signal and the normal first alarm response in the district where fire is located. After the emergency is evaluated, successive alarms may be issued, i.e., 2^nd, 3^rd, etc., automatically calling for additional companies.

Flame Resistant – Resisting the spread of flame along the surface and having material or surface of a nature that does not propagate flame once an outside source of flame has been removed; flame retardant.

Flammable – Capable of burning or producing flame at ordinary temperatures, of being easily ignited; incorrect terms: "inflammable"; antonym: "non-flammable".

Flammable Liquids – Any of numerous liquids which readily ignite and burn at temperatures below 200 degrees F. Sometimes classed by whether they will "flash" (give off flammable vapors), above or below 100 degrees F. into combustible and flammable liquids. Any flammable liquid may be dangerous in the presence of flaming or glowing materials and may be explosive when its vapor is mixed with certain percentages of air or oxygen.

Flash Point – The temperature at which a liquid gives off vapors sufficient to form an ignitable mixture with air near the surface or in the vessel used.

G.P.M. – Gallons per minute, the most common measure of water flow in firefighting; used to measure output of fire department pumpers, hose streams, nozzles, hydrants, water mains, etc.

Ignition – The beginning of flame propagation or burning. The start of a fire.

Ignition Temperature – The temperature at which a fuel ignites and flame is self-propagating.

Incendiary – An unfriendly fire believed to have been deliberately set. The person who perpetrates such a crime.

Incident Command System (ICS) – The combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating within a common organizational structure with responsibility for the management of assigned resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertaining to an incident.

Involved – The building area, room, or structure either actually enveloped in the flame and smoke of a fire, or in danger of such involvement. As "firefighters were unable to save building involved but succeeded in preventing extension of the fire".

Laying a Line – The evolution where a fire hose (line) is advanced from a fire hydrant to the scene of a fire. An officer may say "bring us in a line", which means he wants another company to perform the above evolution.

Life Safety – The first responsibility of the fire service is the safety of lives and then the protection of property. This must always be in the minds of the first fire company or unit to arrive; although, in general, rescue and life safety are the duties of the ladder company. In the vast majority of cases, even where the fire is severe and the need of rescue of occupants is immediate, the most effective means of saving life is by getting water on the fire and especially to deny fire the control of vertical openings such as stairways and elevator shafts.

Mushroom – Extension of fire on upper floors due to pent-up heat which reaches the upper parts of the building through unprotected openings and is denied efficient means of escape unless ventilation is speedily and properly conducted by firefighters.

Mutual Aid – Two-way assistance by fire departments of two or more communities freely given under pre-arranged plans or contracts on the basis that each will aid the other in time of emergency; also providing for joint or cooperative response to alarms near municipal boundaries.

Overhauling – A late stage of the fire extinguishment process during which area involved in the fire and the contents involved are carefully scrutinized for any remaining trace or embers and effort is made to protect property against further damage due to the elements, etc.

Oxygen Deficiency – Insufficient oxygen to support life or to support flame. When oxygen content of the air falls below 16 percent, flame production is reduced and Firefighters are in danger of asphyxiation from oxygen deficiency; below six percent, breathing ceases. In addition to oxygen deficiency, there is danger from smoke, heat, and gases unless firefighters are protected by SCBA; and these conditions may become serious before oxygen deficiency is acute.

Pike Pole – A type of plaster hook with metal head, shaped in the fashion of an old-style battle pike, which is used to pull plaster from wall or ceiling. Helps locate hidden fires in walls.

Pumper – A fire department pumping engine of generally 1,000 gallons per minute rated capacity and carrying hose and other firefighting equipment. Also a pumper company.

Pyromaniac – A pathological fire setter as contrasted with a person’s starting fires to defraud or to cover up other crime.

Rekindle – An instance where fire department is called back to a location because of re-ignition by latent heat, sparks, or embers or due to presence of smoke or steam. A rekindle is considered somewhat of a professional embarrassment due to inadequate opening up or overhauling. Re-ignition seven or eight hours after a severe fire is not unusual and is one reason why watch lines and details should be maintained for a considerable time after a major fire.

Rescue – The saving of life endangered by fire or a person trapped in a vehicle due to an automobile accident. Generally employed in the sense of assistance to persons unable to help themselves, although loosely used to describe assistance rendered to persons in danger or trouble.

Responding to an Alarm – Fire company under way or traveling to a fire in response to an official alarm or emergency call.

Run – Response to a fire or alarm. The term arising from the fact that in the days of hand-drawn apparatus, Firefighters ran to the fire with their engines. Even when horse-drawn apparatus were introduced the number of riders was limited and Officers were required to run ahead of their apparatus to clear the way. The number of runs per unit remains an important measure of activity because it is an indication of workload and the frequency which a unit is out of quarters and must be covered by other companies.

Salvage – Work or procedures to reduce incidental losses from smoke, water, and weather during and following fires. The use of waterproof salvage covers is one of the most common means that fire departments use to prevent water damage. Smoke ejectors and deodorants are also used.

Seat of Fire – Area center where the main body of fire is located as determined by the outward movement of heat and gases and where the fire is most deep seated. Frequently, when the seat of the fire is extinguished, much of the heat is eliminated; and the mop-up stage follows.

Size Up – The mental evaluation made by the Incident Commander which enables him to determine a course of action –includes such factors as time, location, nature and extent of fire, weather, and firefighting facilities (usually radioed back to communications center).

Smoke – A combination of gases, carbon particles, and other products of incomplete combustion hindering respiration and obscuring visibility and access to the seat of a fire. Coping with smoke is one of the tasks for which firefighters require special training and experience.

Smoke Explosion – An explosion of heated smoke and gases, which have been pent-up in a burning building, when air is admitted, completing the fire triangle of fuel-heat-oxygen. As the self-ignition temperature of many solids is in the 450 degrees F. to 800 degrees F. range and such temperatures may be present in buildings in which a fire has gained headway, all that is needed is introduction of air containing more oxygen to produce combustion so rapidly as to have the appearance of an explosion. Also called a "backdraft."

Telecommunicator (Dispatcher) – One who answers 9-1-1 calls and dispatches emergency equipment over the radio.

Turnouts – Protective clothing worn when turning out (responding) to an alarm or fire. Usually consists of boots and pants, coat and helmet.

Underwriter-Laboratories, Fire research and Testing Inc. (UL) – Laboratories maintained by capital stock fire insurance companies, which test, and list various items for fire equipment meeting good practice and safety standards.

Ventilation – A technique for opening a burning building to remove heated smoke and gases to prevent explosive concentrations and to permit advancement of hose lines into effective positions for fire extinguishment.

Working Fire – A fire of sufficient magnitude to require the services of all firefighters responding to it as opposed to an alarm that does not require a full assignment (i.e., trash fire, car fire, etc.). Often referred to by firefighters as a "real" fire or "worker."