New on the Hub: Briefings on national operational guidance
National operational guidance matters, but it takes time to get through. The new National Incident Command System manual alone runs to 191 pages.
So we’ve added a new Operational guidance folder to the Document Hub. It holds three national documents published on fireireland.ie, and each one comes with a Hub briefing that pulls out the key points and what’s new.
The three briefings
- National Incident Command System (NICS), 2nd edition. This is the first new edition since 2006, and it is in effect from 1 September 2026. The briefing covers what has changed: the new Command Level 4, the removal of Transitional mode, transfer of command, the updated risk philosophy, new sections on decision making and operational discretion, and the 3Cs for working with other agencies.
- Good Practice Note 5.1: smoke and contaminants at incidents. How to cut your exposure before, during and after a fire: decontamination at the scene, no dirty kit in the crew cab, “shower within the hour”, and Red, Yellow and Green zones in the station.
- Good Practice Note 5.2: smoke and contaminants in training. The companion note for BA and compartment fire behaviour training: clean fuels only, gassing off kit after each wear, getting kit home safely, and extra protection for course assistants.
Each briefing starts with an at a glance summary, uses step by step checklists, and gives the section numbers so you can find each point in the original.
Please note
These briefings are summaries written by the Irish Firefighter Hub. They are not the official documents. The originals are by the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM) and are published on fireireland.ie. Where anything differs, the original applies, and you should always follow your own fire authority’s policy and training. Each briefing links to the full original document.
Spotted a mistake, or is there another document you’d like a briefing on? Email info@irishfirefighterhub.ie.