The PAR is used to account for personnel during firefighting operations. Which scenario would indicate it is time to conduct a PAR?

• A. Missing firefighters or a change from offensive to defensive operations.
• B. When a new unit arrives at the scene.
• C. When the incident ends and everyone is out of the hazard area.
• D. When the public information officer requests it.

Answer: (A)

A PAR is a safety check used to account for every firefighter operating inside a hazard area. It should be conducted whenever there is a real risk that someone could be unaccounted for or when conditions change in a way that affects safety. If a firefighter is reported missing, that immediately signals the need for a PAR to locate them and confirm the status of everyone else. Likewise, a shift from offensive to defensive operations changes who is in the structure and in the exposure zone, so re-checking personnel locations ensures no one is left unobserved as tactics change.

Other events, like a new unit arriving, are part of resource management but don’t by themselves trigger a PAR unless they involve entering or operating in the hazardous area. Ending the incident and everyone being out of the hazard area means the PARs already completed; there’s no ongoing need to conduct one at that moment. A public information officer requesting a PAR isn’t a standard trigger because PARs are driven by on-scene safety needs, not external requests.