RECEO
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Used by fire fighters (including the Country Fire Service) at structural fires as a guide to objectives.
RECO stands for:
- Rescue
- Exposures
- Contain
- Extinguish
- Overhaul
The extra 'V" and 'S' stand for Ventilation and Salvage which can be done at any time to complement RECEO.
The aim is for fire-fighters to follow the RECEO acronym in order, to be most effective. The first priority is to Rescue any casualties that maybe affected. The next priority is to prevent the incident from spreading, and getting worse, by protecting the Exposures. Once the exposures are protected, the fire itself can be Contained. This may mean putting out the edges of the fire, but leaving the fuel burning in the middle. After Containment, the fire can be extinguished and the incident can be completed by rendering the scene safe during Overhaul.
These principles can be applied to almost any incident encountered by a fire service, by simply changing the words, while keeping the meaning. For example in a Hazmat incident, Rescue is still the first priority. Exposures may include evacuation, or pre-emptive blocking of drains etc. Containment might include containing the spill (Uprighting the leaking container, or building a dirt Bung to hold the leak). Extinguishment would translate to cleaning up the Hazardous spill.
