The firefighting threat assessment matrix is a risk assessment methodology used by German firefighters and aid organizations in order to identify the risks at the action scene. It has a form of a table with threats as columns and vulnerabilities as rows. The proposed here terms Threats and Vulnerabilities (not really defined in the origin) come from the field of risk management. The filled table helps the commander to prepare the strategy for handling the situation.
Since the table is just virtual, in the commander's head only, there is an underlying mnemonic scheme for naming the threats in German language (4A-1C-4E-Rule).Heinrich Schläfer: Das Taktikschema, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart, 1990 For each vulnerability each likely threat is checked, not just the most likely/important one.
There are two versions of the Threat matrix, the classical and the extended. While the classical one is undisputed in the basic training of the German firemen, some experts recommend the extended version, as it allows for better description of the situation.
Vulnerabilities
humans animals environment property rescuers equipment
Scientific research The Threat Matrix is used in some scientific projects as it allows for providing a human-computer interface in order to describe the emergency situation to the commanders.
References
External links
Ulrich Cimolino: Erweiterung des Gefahrenschemas, z.B. Einsatzleiterhandbuch, ecomed Verlag, ab ca. 2002 Karl-Heinz Knorr: Die Gefahren der Einsatzstelle, Kohlhammer Verlag, Roland Lipp und Bernd Domres (Hrsg.): LPN 4 – Berufskunde, Organisation, Einsatztaktik. 2., überarbeitete Auflage. S. 216–223. Stumpf und Kossendey, Edewecht, Wien 2000, Hans Kemper: Fachwissen Feuerwehr: Gefahren der Einsatzstelle, ecomed-Verlag, Heinrich Schläfer: Das Taktikschema, Verlag W. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart, 1990