NFPA 1700: Guide for Structural Firefighting – Fire Control, Firefighter Safety & Victim Survivability

NFPA 1700: Guide for Structural Firefighting – Fire Control, First Responder Safety & Victim Survivability

The NFPA 1700 Guide for Structural Firefighting is the authoritative resource for improving fire control tactics, protecting first responder safety, and maximizing victim survivability in structural fire incidents. Developed by NFPA with input from leading fire service researchers and practitioners, this guide translates the latest fire behavior science into actionable operational guidance for firefighters and fire officers.

Whether you’re a company officer, fire chief, training officer, or firefighter, NFPA 1700 gives you the evidence-based framework to make better tactical decisions — decisions that save lives on both sides of the fire line.

What's Inside

• Evidence-based guidance on structural firefighting tactics and strategy
• Fire behavior principles and their impact on firefighting operations
• Ventilation, water application, and search and rescue coordination
• Firefighter safety considerations including risk assessment and accountability
• Victim survivability profiling and its role in tactical decision-making
• Guidance on transitional attack, interior operations, and defensive tactics

Who Needs This Guide?

• Fire chiefs and company officers making tactical decisions at structural fires
• Fire training officers and academy instructors
• Firefighters seeking to deepen their understanding of fire behavior and tactics
• Fire departments developing or updating standard operating guidelines (SOGs)
• Fire service researchers and safety professionals

Every structural fire is a life-or-death decision environment. NFPA 1700 gives fire officers and firefighters the science-backed tactical framework to control fires faster, protect their crews, and give victims the best possible chance of survival — because better decisions save lives.

Published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) — the global leader in fire, electrical, and life safety standards since 1896.