On Thanksgiving night 2006, Firefighter Steven Solomon of the Atlanta Fire-Rescue Department was killed fighting a fire in a vacant, one-story private dwelling. The investigation revealed numerous issues, including a proper risk assessment by the initial arriving officer. Performing a rapid and accurate fireground size-up by the first-arriving unit is critical for both the safety of our members and the overall success of the incident. In today's ever-changing environment, students must learn that size-up starts long before we receive the first call and can be far less complicated when we approach this vital fireground task with a different mindset. While preplans can serve us in large warehouse or high-rise events, the majority of our fires involve private dwellings, and these are the fires where we see the largest loss of civilian lives. Proper size-up starts with the right mindset.