Defining and Differentiating Primary and Secondary Searches

The firehouse kitchen table is perhaps the best place for a firefighter to receive informal training. Couple that same table with a TV and YouTube, and you have an infinite number of informal resources at your fingertips.

My station loves to engage in just this type of auxiliary training during mealtimes. If the news or a “classic country hits” playlist isn’t on the TV, we’re watching videos of structure fires from cities around the world.

Now, we all know that we tend to “armchair quarterback” this type of thing—“Why didn’t they pull a 2½-inch?” or “Have they seriously not set the truck yet?” or “There’s fire literally pushing out of the Charlie side. How are they not seeing this?”—and it's obviously important to watch these videos with a clear understanding that we weren’t there. However, with all of that said, one aspect tends to stick out in these videos, and it should raise a red flag—or, at the very least, warrant a serious discussion that goes beyond the kitchen table.

Failing your purpose

I fully understand that different departments operate differently, and I also acknowledge that I haven’t been on the job very long. (I recognize that I don’t know what I don’t know.) Nevertheless, in far too many videos, you hear whichever company was assigned to conduct a primary search reporting back, “Rescue 3 to command. Primary and secondary searches are complete.” However, watching further into the video, one can confirm that a secondary search never was announced over the radio again, and it’s reasonable to assume that an actual secondary search never was performed. This is a problem.

The primary function of a fire department is to preserve life. On the scene of a fire, that means ensuring that life hasn’t been lost or won’t be lost because of that fire incident. By neglecting to perform proper searches, you ignore and ultimately fail to live up to your main purpose. Firehouse Magazine published two excellent articles by Paul Mastronardi that outline in detail how a primary and secondary search ought to be performed. However, for the sake of this article, allow me to briefly revisit each type of search.

The primary search is a rapid, systematic search for viable victims of a fire. This is the down-and-dirty get in/get out search. The primary search is among the very first things to be performed at a “typical” structure fire, and it often is in zero-visibility conditions, because fire and smoke still very much are present. The purpose is to find anyone who might be trapped who still has a chance to survive if found.

The secondary search is far more methodical. This is done after the fire is controlled or extinguished. Ideally, the secondary search is performed by a different crew, and it must be absolutely thorough. The search crew tears apart each room, hallway, closet, etc., to ensure that nothing (nobody) is left unfound. Visibility shouldn’t be an issue at this point, and it’s important not to rush through the process.

By definition alone, it makes no sense to perform one search but call it both the primary and secondary searches. The primary is a speedy search for life, and the secondary is a meticulous search for anyone who was missed during the primary.

I’ve heard the argument that many fires end up being solely “room and contents” and that the other rooms in the house aren’t affected by the smoke, which made it easy to be thorough the first time. To me, that sounds like nothing but an excuse. If the rest of the structure has decent visibility, that’s great. That just means that your primary search gets to be a little more thorough than it would be without that visibility. However, it remains imperative that you remember that those conditions never mean that you neglect a secondary search.

You are obligated

The primary search is a vital part of our responsibility as firefighters. You can’t be callous enough to believe that it doesn’t need to be done well. The secondary search is just as important. This is your final stamp of approval, if you will. It’s your last chance to be sure that you didn’t miss anyone or anything that needed your attention.

To combine the two searches means that you fail to allow a second crew to perform another search. The first crew might miss something. It’s important to bring in that second crew—with perhaps slightly different methods, different sets of eyes, and fresh perspectives—to ensure that the structure was searched thoroughly and properly.

After I wrote this article, I re-read it to make sure that I didn’t miss something or say something the wrong way. I noticed a few grammatical errors and corrected them. This is comparable to when a bystander approaches the first-arriving unit and tells them whether the unit should be occupied.

After my re-read, I passed the article along to some of my friends in the fire service. I wanted them to read it, judge it and check it for errors. This is comparable to the primary search. It’s a quick look through the article to make sure that it’s ready to be sent away.

Finally, when Firehouse accepted the article, their editors took a thorough, methodical look at what I wrote. That was, shall I say, the secondary search.

Each step is important, but each step must be done properly to ensure the best result.

Leaving a fire scene without performing separate, proper primary and secondary searches is never acceptable. You owe it to those you serve to search correctly. You owe it to yourself to do your job the right way every time.

The search aspect of a fire scene is no place for complacency. Do it the right way and maintain the integrity of your company and your department by not cutting any corners.