Make The Call #17

[3105]

Building construction should play a major role in size-up.....make the call.

[JDub]

It is a brick building so whatever is burning is inside or on that porch. Lob a deck gun to darken it down while crews are making there way to the units. Go into service with (I am assuming) a standard 1 3/4 off the standpipe. Also have crews doing intial searches for victums but use them also as recon to check fro extension.

[WebBoss]

Something I have a little experiance in...

This fire probably started on Division 2, broke through the patio slider door, and autoexposed into the Division 3 apartment.

Construction is very solid in these types of buildings. Usually a full brick exterior or concrete with a brick overlay. The floors are typically concrete slab. Simply saying, as long as the fire is caught and kept in check fairly quickly, the building will be safe and sound for a while. This is kind of like having a fire in the training tower at the academy.

If I were the IC, there would be a 1 3/4" line (200 foot) going up that ladder, through the window with the crew, and push the fire out the patio door. The same goes for the third floor. Another ladder, another line (250 - 300 foot), do the same work. Some of these buildings may not have standpipes, so you have to know your first due well. On the same note, unless you practice frequently, stand-pipe packs are very time consuming to deploy. Another route is to use the stand-pipe pack on the end of 2.5" or 3" leader line. This can also be time dependant.

In PG, apartment buildings like this were all over the place. In my companies first due area, we probably had 20 or more different buildings like this. Most PG Engine companies ran a 400' 1 3/4" with a smoothbore tip off the rear bed. This line was preconnected and packed in such a way that 2 men could have it in place in a minute or so. This worked real well for us in these types of buildings. Anything above the 2nd floor, we pulled the 400 footer. This was typically the first line on the fire, while the stand-pipe line was used as the back-up line.

Otherwise, make sure the truck checks the roof and throws alot of ladders. If it's a top floor fire, open the roof. If not, just make sure there's no extension.

You will need an additional Truck to aid with the overhaul and to find a place for the water to go as well because it's going to try to pool up on the slab floors.

Also for the safety fanatics, this job should get at least 3 RIT teams. One outside with the CP, and 1 for each fire floor. Get a team on the fire floor... you can have them force the other doors on the floor then stage a few rooms down the hall in a ready state.

Moral of the story here, 4 handlines, lots and lots of ladders, and a bunch of manpower. By the way, error on the side of safety, not all 4 lines should be supplied by the same engine.

[3105]

To our younger firefighters: Sean's comments about the type of building can make a HUGE difference in choosing a strategy and corresponding tactics.

Simply put, you MUST know the five different types of building construction and how they impact your decision-making.

Type I: Fire Resistive - masonry/concrete walls, floors, and load bearing members. Very strong, compartmented, and less likely be structurally compromised. the picture above is a perfect illustration of a fire resitive structure, which is typically used for high life threat structures such as apartments, nursing homes, hospitals, and even some schools. For my 31 compadres, Chestertown Apartments at 99 E. Second is a very classic example of a fire-resistive structure.

Type II: Non-Combustible features masonry/concrete walls and sometimes floors but a combustible roof structure. This is the one group where the name lulls people into thinking it's OK..it's not. A typical feature of this class is the steel bar joist roof member (like what's overhead in the 311 engine room). When affected by fire, these trusses tend to bow and collapse. The roof covering supports combustion and when heated, drips hot tar and other flaming materials downward to unaffected areas. Another 31 example would be the CVS on West Main. Typically found in strip stores, schools, office buildings, warehouses, commercial structures.

Type III: Ordinary features masonry/concrete walls with wood floor and roof joists; this means that the fire can quickly compromise the structure so that the floors and roof burn away, leaving four brick, cinderblock, or concrete walls standing unsupported. Very prone to collapse under heavy fire conditions as well as fire spread through void spaces. Typically found in older homes, taxpayers, and office buildings. Another 31 example would be Ralph's Market or Ekert Drug on Main Street.

Type IV: Mill / Heavy Timber are usually older, larger buildings with large open spaces and either masonry or wood walls and wood floors and roof structure. What makes these different from Ordinary is the size of the wood - typically 6 x 6 at a minimum. These are HUGE burners that will take hours to consume the fuel loading and lots of water to finally put out. Our District 31 example is the doomsday scenario of Moorestown Hardware at Third and Mill. You're going to need lots of water and personnel to keep this one in check once the structure itself begins burning.

Type V: Frame is your typical wood dwelling, apartment building, or other structure like a garage. Wood walls, floors, and roof structure of either stick or lightweight construction. This is the type we're most familiar with in our daily dealings.

[voyager9]

3105 said:

Type III: Ordinary features masonry/concrete walls with wood floor and roof joists; this means that the fire can quickly compromise the structure so that the floors and roof burn away, leaving four brick, cinderblock, or concrete walls standing unsupported. Very prone to collapse under heavy fire conditions as well as fire spread through void spaces. Typically found in older homes, taxpayers, and office buildings. Another 31 example would be Ralph's Market or Ekert Drug on Main Street.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the interior walls can be masonry or wood-frame in ordinary construction. This bares mentioning as it affects fire spread and compartmentalization.

[3105]

voyager9 said:

3105 said:

Type III: Ordinary features masonry/concrete walls with wood floor and roof joists; this means that the fire can quickly compromise the structure so that the floors and roof burn away, leaving four brick, cinderblock, or concrete walls standing unsupported. Very prone to collapse under heavy fire conditions as well as fire spread through void spaces. Typically found in older homes, taxpayers, and office buildings. Another 31 example would be Ralph's Market or Ekert Drug on Main Street.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the interior walls can be masonry or wood-frame in ordinary construction. This bares mentioning as it affects fire spread and compartmentalization.

[glow=red,2,300]You are absolutely correct, voyager - thanks for catching that[/glow]...it IS an important factor adding to fuel load and fire travel