Task Force
Castle Beach Fire Department employs the Task Force model which consists of the Engine and Light Force. As described in previous pages, the Light Force is made up of the truck and the pump. When put together with the engine, these three rigs form a task force. When responding as a single resource, the truck company leads the way with the engine and pump following respectively. This allows the truck company to setup close to the building should use of the aerial device be necessary. The engine pulls up close to the building and hoses are pulled from the apparatus to put out the fire. The pump stays by the hydrant to ensure the supply of water going to the engine. When called to a fire, this team can perform all functions at the scene of a fire: suppression, search and rescue, ventilation, and FAST (Firefighter Assist and Search Team). On their own, this diverse group of man can single-handedly take care of many incidents. One of the benefits of the task force that led to its implementation in the department protocol is having the ability to dedicate multiple personnel to a single task such as suppression, ventilation, search and rescue, and FAST.