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Ten Minutes in the Street: The Wrong Dragon?...."Just look over your shoulder"
I’ve commented with more than a few postings on the issues related to engineer building construction components and assemblies. I posed some questions related to Engineered Structural Assemblies & Systems (ESS) and asked if you knew what they represent and how these components, assemblies and systems may affect or influence incident operations.
I also presented some information on the pioneering efforts and quantitative results of the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) engineers and fire service representatives from the Chicago Fire Department, HERE and HERE.
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading through the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, LODD Reports or have invested time and effort to look through the data base of near miss reports and ROTW at the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System, you’d recognize the magnitude of the issues and multi-faceted challenges confronting the U.S. Fire Services in the areas of engineered structural assemblies, components and building features.
Paul Comb’s editorial image provides a poignant and distressing reality that the fire service needs to come to terms with, addressing and implementing the necessary components that assimilating refined combat firefighting techniques and methodologies; that align with the risks and hazards presented by current and emerging construction techniques, materials and consumer lifestyles that comprise our buildings and occupancies. We need to start looking over our shoulders; we need redefined strategies and tactics for today's buildings and occupancies. When we do have the opportunity to engage in firefighting with the dragon; we may not recognize the dragon has changed, it has evolved. Yet we stand poised to engage or take-on the dragon with faulted incident operations, strategic plans and tactical intentions that provide less than adequate results.
In those situations where we are deficient or we achieved less than expected results, we continue to miss the apparent or root causes and fall back on perceived notions and excuses. Building Knowledge = Firefighter Safety; Understanding today’s building construction, fire dynamics, fire loading and behaviors and instituting appropriate firefighting methodologies, we can achieve safe and successful fireground operations. Remember, the Predictability of Performance and the combat firefighting based upon Occupancy Risk not Occupany Type.
Have you and your company, battalion or department discussed limiting factors, enhanced firefighting tactics or operational experiences related to engineered systems, past fires, observed new construction or renovations and what it all means to your assigned duties or company assignments?
Are you and your company adequately trained to address “modern” construction, occupancies and conditions or is a much bigger dragon lurking in the shadows?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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We have went over building construction and components at a bare minimum to say the least. Definately wouldn't hurt to go more in depth with it. Thanks for the ideas Chris!!!
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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on
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Remember this Cap., this type of training isn't optional...it's mission critical. We seem to neglect one of the most fundamental training and education areas in our profession. The more knowledge of your buildings, occupancies and the methods, systems and materials of construction, the more prepared you'll be in the street, when it's needed te most....stay safe.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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I think it's time to put a PPV fan on that little ol' dragon to the Bravo side and concentrate on the massive Defensive operation on that Born Loser on Delta.
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I agree Chris. I agree. Stay safe brother!!
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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Great point sir, one that I tried to enforce in drills when I was Lieutenant in my old dept. I tried to discuss Building Construction topics and point out critical factors to look for, and do you know what the response was from another line officer that I had no respect for was? "Why do we need this, we are firefighters not carpenters!"
It makes me sick to see some of the "firefighters" today, and their training standards set so low...
Keep on posting sir, your material is top quality and I read it all like I was reading a firefighting textbook. Thank you.
Brian
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Exactly Moose....I can look at the facial expressions when going over building construction and they look like they are way out in left field. When you talk about fire attack or fire behavior, well then they are all on the edge of their seat and thinking. It's just like hazmat. I hate it but in this day and age we, as firefighters, have to know this. Not everything we do is glorious but when it comes to building construction, this is one of the most important lessons we can learn. It helps us to figure out how this fire is going to act, possible extensions, safety of our crews. It's ridiculous that firefighters don't take this subject more seriously.
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