Which approach supports efficient coordination when following units may have difficulty arriving?

• A. Any position downwind of the incident is acceptable
• B. Lay your own supply line if next arriving apparatus will have difficulty following you to the scene
• C. Fire attack should not influence placement
• D. Establishing external water supply is rarely a consideration

Answer: (B)

When units arriving behind you may have trouble reaching the scene, keeping the operation moving hinges on securing a reliable water source yourself. Laying your own supply line ensures you have water for the initial attack without waiting for the next engine to connect, which can be delayed by access, distance, or terrain. This keeps the attack progressing and allows incoming units to connect and coordinate more smoothly, rather than stalling while everyone waits for a linkage.

The other ideas don’t address this coordination gap. Positioning downwind doesn’t resolve the water supply or arrival delays. Treating fire attack as irrelevant to placement ignores how the hose layout and attack needs shape where you should position apparatus. And saying an external water supply isn’t often needed contradicts the common practice of establishing a ready water source to maintain flow and incident tempo.