Cordons
The incident commander must consider the safety of firefighters, members of other agencies and the public. Cordons are an effective way of controlling resources and maintaining safety.
After the initial cordon has been established to secure the scene, normally by the police, the incident is usually divided into two distinct areas:
The inner cordon controls access to the immediate scene of operations. Incident commanders should restrict access to the lowest numbers needed for safe and effective work. The inner cordon denotes the hazard area. The control of the inner cordon is detailed in the Cabinet Office document Emergency Response and Recovery.
Incident commanders must account for people’s safety and location. If an incident is using sectors they can delegate this responsibility to the sector commander, who should be aware of the people and personnel who are active in their sector.
An inner cordon gateway control system should be established and may include:
• Means of recording all people entering and exiting the inner cordon area
• Provision of safety briefing and agreed evacuation signals
• Checklists for PPE
• Personnel to escort non-FRS staff
• Details of working locations
• Tasks of other agencies
This cordon limits access to an area being used by the emergency services and other relevant agencies. The police will usually control outer cordons, and may also use traffic cordons. The police will identify safe routes into and out of the cordon for emergency vehicles and other agencies. Marshalling areas will usually be located within the outer cordon.
