The Baltimore City Fire Department is changing its rules of engagement when it comes to battling fires.

In a memo obtained by WBAL, firefighters must now battle fires from outside a building, unless advised to go inside by a battalion chief.

Firefighters will only go inside a building if there are several checks of the building. If a building is vacant, crews must remain outside until they can see someone inside who is trapped.

Union officials are concerned the wording is too vague.

“My take on ‘well-involved’ could be different than another person’s,” Baltimore City Fire Union Local 734 president Matthew Coster said. “So, when you have different officers from all over the city and their idea of what’s well-involved or not, we don’t want our members to be confused by that.”

The fire union called timing of the new policy’s release as insensitive since it came out between the funerals of Firefighter Rodney W. Pitts III and Capt. Dillion Rinaldo.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Coster said. “Did it come out at the right time? Probably not.”

The fire unions plan to meet with the fire chief early next week, fully expecting changes to be made to the new directive.