A pre-plan in Fire is organized into nine named sections. Each one is plain text with bullet points (Markdown), so you do not fight a form. You only fill in the sections that apply -- if the building has no on-site water supply concerns, you can skip that section.
The nine sections
- Hazards -- What is going to surprise a crew. Hazmat, structural collapse risk, unguarded openings, propane tanks, solar panels, lithium batteries, anything that changes tactics.
- Water Supply -- Hydrants nearby, on-site standpipes, internal supply, residual pressure concerns, the closest backup source.
- Occupancy Load -- Who is normally in the building and when. Schools have peaks. Nightclubs have peaks. Warehouses have skeleton crews.
- Response Considerations -- What this property needs different from a normal response. Specific apparatus, recommended approach, staging area.
- Utilities -- Where the gas shutoff is, where the electrical disconnect is, where the alarm panel is, where the FDC is. Cross-reference with what is on the property record.
- Structural -- Construction type, year built, roof system, truss type, parapet, load-bearing walls, recent renovations.
- Life Safety -- Sprinklers, alarms, smoke removal systems, areas of refuge, evacuation procedures specific to this building.
- Contact Summary -- The names and numbers crews need on arrival. Often duplicates property contacts on purpose -- this is the version printed on the response copy.
- Narrative -- Free text for anything that does not fit elsewhere. Long-form context, recent history, agency-specific notes.
Adding a section
- Open the pre-plan in edit mode.
- Click Add Section.
- Pick one of the nine kinds.
- Write the content in plain text. Use line breaks for paragraphs and dashes for bullet points.
- The section saves as you type.
Tips
- You can only have one section of each kind per pre-plan. If you add another Hazards section, it replaces the existing one.
- Sections are ordered automatically in the order you add them. You can rearrange them by dragging.
- Write for the officer reading the pre-plan on arrival. Short sentences and bullet points beat long paragraphs.