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Large Residential Homes Ops
Most jurisdictions have an area or two that have these semi-mansions in them. These larger homes are all built with light-weight construction and they burn fast.
Additionally, our typical hose lays may not reach all parts of the home and search and rescue operations will take longer than in a 1000-2000 square foot house. We have to prepare and train for these changes.
Doing a 360 of the building is a must. We have to know what we are dealing with on all sides. We may find a better, more appropriate entry point or see that we have a walk out basement to contend with.
Train for these fires, get used to knowing how much air you have available and how much you use when your stretching hose and doing searches. Some of the same techniques used for commercial fires can be deployed on these residential fires.
The use of skid loads can help gain more line from the front door. Using a search rope can help get in and out easier and safer. Just use common sense and be prepared.
Try to get out to these places while they are being built just to see the layout and size of these homes. A little familiarity may go a long way.
Stay safe and try to keep warm, it's freezing.
Additionally, our typical hose lays may not reach all parts of the home and search and rescue operations will take longer than in a 1000-2000 square foot house. We have to prepare and train for these changes.
Doing a 360 of the building is a must. We have to know what we are dealing with on all sides. We may find a better, more appropriate entry point or see that we have a walk out basement to contend with.
Train for these fires, get used to knowing how much air you have available and how much you use when your stretching hose and doing searches. Some of the same techniques used for commercial fires can be deployed on these residential fires.
The use of skid loads can help gain more line from the front door. Using a search rope can help get in and out easier and safer. Just use common sense and be prepared.
Try to get out to these places while they are being built just to see the layout and size of these homes. A little familiarity may go a long way.
Stay safe and try to keep warm, it's freezing.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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A good size-up is a major factor in success, or losing it, providing response times and early notification are on your side. Remember, there are ALOT of recesses, hiden areas in truss spaces for smoke, heat, and fire to hide, and travel. Nothing showing on arrival means absolutely nothing anymore. Think about how much space there is now for smoke to occupy.
The shortest route for hoseline stretch may be something unconventional to us, especially thse who always have sufficient access through front, side, or rear doors.Before anything is pulled, ensure of your best option to place the line between unburned, and burned, or fire, and occupants.
Also, understand that despite old habits, these structures require larger flows, equating to larger diamter hoselines. Far too may departments use 2.5" hose just to fill-in hosebed space, otherwise always using 1.5", 1.75" hose for just about everything. Train your firefighters, and they will be just as capable to stretch and advance a big line, so as to be able to actually extinguish fire, as opposed to fighting a losing battle.
If staffing is so bad, so agaianst you, consider changing to 2' hose, providing you have done the research, and equip your engines with the proper type nozzles. These are big buildings. Monitor air supply, and always ommunicate, know your position, and use accountability.
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Permalink Reply by Capt.Alex Arnold on
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Oh yes the infamous "Mac-Mansions". Here on beautiful Diamond Lake they are popping up all over. We try to go and visit them during the different stages of being built. It does pay off to visit them. We have found a few discrepancies while doing site visits. Of course some how, it seems that after them the county inspector goes by and makes sure that appropriate things like fire blocks are in place. :)
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