Preplanning isn’t busywork. It’s the difference between arriving blind and arriving ready. In the heat of a fireground, you don’t have the luxury of flipping through fire department procedure binders or calling the building manager to ask where the shutoffs are. You need instant access to intelligence, including construction types, hazards, water supply, and human factors.
That’s where fire department preplans prove their worth. Done right, they’re dynamic tactical playbooks. Below are the eight essential components every department should integrate into its pre-incident planning, each expanded with real-world details and lessons learned from the field.
Table of Contents
1. The Building and its Surroundings
When it comes to fire department preplans, everything starts with the bones of the building and its surroundings. If you don’t understand how a structure is built, what it’s made of, and what it’s surrounded by, you’re already behind the curve before the first line is charged. A strong preplan gives crews a roadmap of both the obvious and hidden risks, helping them anticipate fire behavior, collapse potential, and exposure hazards long before tones drop.
Construction Type and Collapse Risk
You need to know whether you’re walking into legacy masonry or lightweight engineered wood. NFPA and NIOSH line-of-duty death investigations repeatedly point to hidden truss failures and rapid collapse timelines. Preplans should highlight structural systems and clearly mark high-risk areas such as bowstring trusses or bar joist roofs. Crews must also consider renovations since many older buildings conceal modern lightweight systems behind brick façades. That mismatch can be deadly if overlooked.
Surrounding Exposures
Buildings rarely stand in isolation. Document setbacks, adjacent structures, alleys, and exterior hazards such as propane tanks or overhead power lines. Fire spread to exposures is a predictable killer if not pre-anticipated. For dense urban environments, map out access issues like narrow alleys, locked gates, or overhead wires that could block aerial operations. In suburban or industrial zones, exposures may include storage yards, shipping containers, or chemical facilities, each with its own escalation potential.
Environmental Considerations
Topography, wind corridors, and vegetation near the structure can radically influence fire behavior. For industrial facilities, document drainage routes and storm sewers, which are important when dealing with hazmat runoff. Wildland-urban interface (WUI) zones add another layer. Combustible brush or tree canopies may bring a fire to your front door faster than expected. Even seasonal factors matter. A preplan written in winter may look very different when vegetation is at peak growth in July.
2. Detailed Layouts, Assets and Building Systems
Preplans live or die on the quality of their detail. It’s not enough to know there’s “a school” or “a warehouse.” You need the granular, boots-on-the-ground view of what’s inside and how it functions. That means floor layouts, hidden fuel packages, utility shutoffs, and fire protection systems. When alarms sound, you don’t want to be guessing what’s behind a door or where the sprinkler riser is buried. This section of a preplan should give your crews the tactical x-ray vision they’ll rely on in the heat of operations.
Floor Plans and Room Use
Don’t settle for generic diagrams. Capture room function, fuel loads, and vertical openings. For hospitals, that means patient wards, surgical suites, and oxygen storage rooms. For schools, that means gyms, cafeterias, and science labs. Even in commercial strip malls, noting tenant types and inventory hazards can save lives. Preplans should mark stairwells, elevator shafts, and other vertical openings that accelerate fire spread. Consider pairing diagrams with annotated photos for rapid familiarization.
Utilities and Control Points
Map every shutoff, such as gas, electric, water, solar disconnects, and HVAC dampers. Label them with photos, GPS coordinates, or QR codes linked to mobile apps. The seconds saved can stop a bad scene from becoming catastrophic. For industrial complexes, highlight redundant or secondary feeds that may not be obvious. Remember renewable energy. Solar panels and battery storage units create electrocution hazards long after the main utility is cut. Clearly indicating lockout/tagout procedures in the preplan can help crews move quickly without improvising under pressure.
Fire Protection Systems
List fire pumps, standpipes, sprinkler control valves, alarm panel locations, annunciator panels, and suppression systems (foam, clean agent, kitchen hood). Record maintenance history if possible; knowing the sprinklers have been out of service for six months changes your entire tactical posture. Note whether systems fully or partially cover the structure. In high-rises, indicate pressure zones for standpipe outlets; in warehouses, note ESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinkler designs versus standard systems. Where suppression systems tie into off-site monitoring, crews should know who gets the alert and how fast help is expected.
3. Access Routes
Even the best knowledge of a building’s interior means little if crews can’t get into position quickly and safely. Access, placement, and tactical routes often decide whether the first five minutes go smoothly or spiral into chaos. A strong preplan spells out these details so no one is improvising under duress.
- Apparatus Placement: Identify primary and alternate routes for apparatus. Mark overhead obstructions, bridge weight limits, and cul-de-sacs. In many preplans, a lack of apparatus maneuvering detail leads to wasted minutes of repositioning.
- Entry and Security Systems: Preplans should specify Knox Box locations, keyholder contact info, card readers, or electronic locks. If crews are forced to breach without this knowledge, they lose precious time and create new hazards.
- Tactical Zones and Evacuation Corridors: Mark potential staging zones, command post sites, and evacuation routes for both civilians and responders. Stadiums, malls, and arenas in particular demand pre-identified crowd flow models.
4. Water Supply and Hydrant Data
Water supply is the lifeline of any suppression effort. If your crews don’t know where to tap in or what limitations exist, you’re already fighting uphill. Preplans should strip away the guesswork by documenting the exact status of hydrants, mains, and supplemental supply options.
- Hydrant Locations and Flow Capacity: Note every hydrant with flow ratings, distance from the structure, and seasonal reliability. Frozen or buried hydrants in the winter months are common pitfalls.
- Main Size and Pressure Zones: Record the diameter of mains and any known pressure-regulated zones. In older neighborhoods, low-flow mains can cripple operations if not pre-anticipated.
- Alternative Water Sources: Identify drafting sites, static water tanks, ponds, or cisterns. Rural areas often demand these backups, and knowing access points ahead of time is critical.
- Redundancy and Reliability: Document water system vulnerabilities, such as industrial users that can drain pressure, or areas with frequent main breaks. Note any secondary supply systems or tanker shuttle plans.
5. Hazmat Preparedness
Hazardous materials and unique facility risks can change an ordinary fire into a long-duration, high-stakes incident. A strong preplan outlines how they behave, how they’re stored, and what response looks like when things go sideways.
- Chemical and Hazardous Storage: Document the location, type, and volume of stored chemicals, fuels, or compressed gases. Pay special attention to placarding, container types, and temperature sensitivity.
- Process Hazards: In manufacturing or industrial facilities, note reactors, boilers, or pressurized systems. Understand how they shut down and what cascading failures might follow.
- On-Site Emergency Resources: Record whether the facility has its own hazmat team, foam supply, or specialized suppression agents. This can mean the difference between containing a spill and calling for regional support.
- Mapping Secondary Threats: Don’t just think about the building itself. Document runoff routes, exposure risks to surrounding neighborhoods, and potential plume models for toxic smoke release.
6. Occupancy and Life Hazards
Understanding who is inside a building and how they move is important for any preplan. Population levels can fluctuate dramatically depending on the time of day. A university campus, for example, might house thousands of students and staff during the day but only a few hundred overnight, while nursing homes and hospitals maintain high loads of immobile occupants around the clock. Capturing these variations ensures crews are prepared for realistic rescue scenarios rather than theoretical numbers.
Vulnerable populations require special consideration. Pediatric wards, mental health units, correctional facilities, and high-rise residential buildings with elderly or disabled tenants present unique challenges. Knowing the location and needs of these occupants ahead of time allows responders to prioritize resources and make tactical decisions without hesitation.
Evacuation routes and assembly points must be mapped with human behavior in mind. Stairwell widths, elevator reliance, choke points, and crowd dynamics all affect how quickly people can be moved to safety. A preplan that accounts for these factors transforms a building layout from a static blueprint into an actionable, lifesaving tool.
7. Pre-Incident Mapping and Mobile Tools
Having preplans on paper is no longer enough. Crews need instant, accurate information at their fingertips, presented in a way that’s easy to interpret under stress. Digital tools, visual intelligence, and real-time updates transform preplans from static documents into actionable tactical resources.
- Digital Access: Binders in command vehicles are outdated. Preplans should be accessible on MDTs, tablets, or smartphones.
- Visual Intelligence: Include annotated site photos, drone imagery, and 3D building models wherever possible. Crews process visuals far faster than text. A geo-tagged photo of a riser room door can be more actionable than a long paragraph description.
- Dynamic Updates: Digital systems allow preplans to function as living documents. Update after inspections, renovations, or occupancy changes. Integration with CAD systems ensures crews always see the latest version while en route.
8. Maintenance and Continuous Improvement
A preplan is only as good as its upkeep and the familiarity of the crews who use it. Regular review, collaboration with facility personnel, and integration into training ensure that preplans remain accurate, actionable, and immediately useful when the alarm sounds. Without ongoing maintenance, even the most detailed preplan can become obsolete.
- Regular Review Cycles: NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 1620 recommends annual reviews, but many departments tie updates to occupancy permits or inspection schedules. The key is consistency. Outdated preplans are worse than none at all.
- Joint Walkthroughs: Work with facility managers, safety officers, and maintenance crews. They know building quirks that won’t appear on blueprints. Walkthroughs also foster relationships that pay off in emergencies.
- Training Integration: Fold preplans into drills and tabletop exercises. Use them for company-level walk-throughs, command simulations, and scenario training. Preplans are only useful if your crews are familiar with them.
Advanced Fire Department Preplan Blueprint
Fireground success starts long before the first alarm, inside the planning room, in the digital files, and on the maps your crews carry with them. An advanced preplan guides every decision, from arrival to suppression to evacuation. Each component, from construction type and hazards to occupancy patterns and water supply, must be documented with precision and layered with expert-level detail. This approach turns a standard preplan into a tactical playbook that crews can rely on under pressure, ensuring no critical information is left to chance.
| Component |
Expert Detail to Include |
| Construction and Surroundings |
Structure makeup, exposures, engineered features, smoke behavior |
| Layout and Systems |
Complete floor plans, HVAC, utilities, alarm/strobe locations |
| Access and Tactics |
Vehicle approach, complicated access, staging, Knox Box, tactical zones |
| Water and Hydraulics |
Flow rates, pressure, pump details, hose-lay mapping |
| HazMat and Special Risks |
MSDS data, NFPA 704, grain hazard notes, mass-gathering risks |
| Occupancy and Human Factors |
Load counts, vulnerable occupants, evacuation logistics |
| Digital Presentation |
GIS, AR-ready maps, device sync, dashboards, annotations |
| Review and Maintenance |
Update schedule, inspections, training, use of scenario-based drills |
Preplans as a Force Multiplier
A strong fire department preplan is a tactical advantage that can save lives and property. From understanding structural composition and building layouts to mapping water supply, access points, hazmat risks, and human factors, every detail contributes to faster, smarter, and safer decision-making on the fireground. Digital tools and visual intelligence ensure information is immediately accessible, while regular review, walkthroughs, and training keep preplans accurate and actionable.
Next steps for departments looking to maximize the value of their preplans include:
- Conduct a comprehensive review of all existing preplans to ensure structural, layout, access, and hazard data are current.
- Integrate digital tools such as GIS, mobile apps, and AR-enabled maps to make preplans more usable in the field.
- Collaborate with facility personnel to uncover hidden risks, clarify access, and strengthen relationships that pay off during emergencies.
- Incorporate preplans into training exercises so crews are familiar with the content and know how to apply it under pressure.
- Establish a regular maintenance schedule for updates, inspections, and scenario-based drills to keep the information fresh and reliable.
By approaching preplans as living, dynamic resources rather than static documents, fire departments transform them into true force multipliers. When every detail is accounted for, crews can act decisively, mitigate risk, and make every second count on the fireground.
