My last company, if we were instructed by dispatch to stage, we were expected to stage until cleared to enter by LE or Fire (the engine co in my old first in area oftened ignored staging instructions and would go on scene anyway....) If NOT told to stage, we were expected to go on scene and make patient contact like normal, though we were of course allowed to exercise discretion and back out if need be. In a case like this where you might expect to stage, but were not instructed to do so, they'd often say "No staging instructions, approach with caution".
(One time there was a shooting 2 blocks from our station, we were returning from the hospital listening in as our sister unit at station got the call...they got the approach with caution instructions and went and made scene...and then dispatch tried to tell them to stage...after making patient contact...they exercised their discretion, saying they werent in any more danger than parked a block away and stayed on scene ha)
