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Ten Minutes in the Street: The Building Profile Upon Arrival
You arrive and are the senior company officer and assume command. You arrive on either the Ladder Truck or the Engine Company- both arrive in quick succession. You have staffing of four and four on each company.
Focusing on Situational Awareness and Building Risk Profiling, describe what you observe from street side, what you project and what can be expected as the incident begins to unfold.
• What is unique about the building?
• How do you think the building will perform under structural fire conditions?
• Give us your Risk Profile.
• What is obvious and what is not?
• What Command Risk Factors will influence your decision-making?
• The Building presents a number of Tactical challenges for suppression, search, rescue and ventilation. Identify what some of those might be and how to address them?
Now get to work...and be safe, the fire is extending....
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Chris,
You really know how to pick 'em.
his building appears to be a Type III (Ordinary) 1st floor with a two-story Type V (Lightweight Combustible) addition. The building age is unknown, but it's definately at least 30 or 40 years old.
There are some obvious and some not-so-obvious things from Side A;
Obvious - commercial occupancies downstairs, residential on Division 2 and 3.
Not so Obvious - There are four front doors. Three of them go to the small commercial shops downstairs. The fourth (2nd from the left) appears to be the only entrance leading to the interior stairs to Division 2 and 3.
Even Less Obvious - Division 2 and 3 may be old enough to be baloon construction, or the structure may be damaged by age, termites, and weather.
Risk Profile - How solid is the building and how long has it been burning? There is a strong possibility that the fire has blocked the Division 3 stairway landing, trapping occupants in the apartments. The risk profile of Side C is unknown, so getting recon to the rear is a high priority. I want to know about fire escapes, utilities, exposures, apparatus access, and most importantly any victims at the windows, victims who have jumped, and fire conditions in the rear. The rear is probably and alley, but I'll let CSI find this one and show us.
This fire is OFFENSIVE, based on the risk profile, almost guaranteed civlian entrapment(s), the autoventing, and the fact that this looks to be a fairly solid dimensional lumber frame in the fire area.
This fire is a 3rd alarm on arrival, plus 3 additional ALS ambulances and 4 additional chiefs.
IAP - RECEO - VS Profile
Rescue/Life Safety - Division 3, right now. Engine 1 officer and Truck 1 crew need to report on victims, structure condition, and Division 3 tenability, ASAP. If our water power can't get a quick knock or if the fire is worse than we can see from the outside, we may have to rethink the operational mode to "Marginal"
Exposures - Interior horizontal exposures on Division 3. Definate exterior exposure on Side D, probable exposures across an alley on Side C.
Confinement - Engine 1's 2.5 will hopefully get this, but the big line's lack of maneuverability will slow them down once they get inside an apartment.
Extinguishment - The smaller hand lines backing up Engine 1 should get this.
Overhaul - Later
Ventilation - Horizontal autoventilation, vertical vent to reduce norizontal spread on Divison 3 and vertical extension into the cockloft.
Salvage - Later, but consider private valuables in the residences and businesses.
Tactical Objectives
Engine 1 - Lays in 5-inch LDH, leaves Hydrant firefighter to charge the supply line. Driver pumps, Officer and Nozzle take a 2/5 inch line with a smoothbore tip into Door #2 and advance up as quickly as possible to hold the stairs. This is the crux move for this entire fire. If we can't hold the stairs, the occupants are toast. The hydrant firefighter joins his crew once he charges the supply line.
Truck 1 - I normally don't advocate truck officers taking command, but this one is the time to do it. The truck is spotted outside the collapse zone, and the Irons and Tiller enter with TIC, search rope, irons, hook, and can for Division 3 search and rescue. The driver sets up the aerial, even though it will take him twice as long to do it by himself.
Command has 3 more engines and a B/C on the 1st alarm, a RIT truck and a rescue on the working incident, 3 engines and a truck on the second alarm, and 2 engines and a truck on the 3rd.
Engine 2 stages in the opposite direction. Their entire crew reports to Engine 1 and takes two 1.75 inch lines upstairs. These are to take advantage of the additional maneuverability and to get inside the Division 3 apartments where extension is likely.
Engine 3 stages at the B-C corner and recons the rear. The officer communicates the rear size-up to Command. If there are no victims and fire showing, on Division 3, the driver and hydrant will protect the exposures while the officer and nozzleman temporarily become truckies. If there are rear fire escapes, Engine 3 will access them, go to Division 2, and start searching with TIC, search rope, Irons, and a water can. If no usable fire escapes are present, Engine 3 throws their 24-foot extension ladder as secondary egress from Division 3 and their roof ladder as secondary egress from Division 2.
Truck 2 stages at the D-A corner out of the collapse zone. Instead of staffing RIT, they ladder the D-A corner with the aerial and vent the roof over the fire if the roof is tenable. Once they vent the roof, they bail and are re-assigned to search Division 2. They'll stay in one team of 3 for this, leaving the driver to operate the aerial.
Rescue 1 takes the RIT assignment normally staffed by Truck 2. The driver and hookman establish the RIT cache outside the collapse zone near Truck 2 while the officer and irons force any necessary Side A/Division 1 commercial doors and do a quick search. This shouldn't take a lot of time or effort, and shouldn't require them to mask up since no smoke is showing downstairs. If Truck 1 needs help with victims upstairs, Rescue 1 goes to help with the rescues and Truck 3 takes RIT when they arrive.
When the 2nd alarm arrives, Truck 3 is assigned to the B-C corner for additional ladder access and exposure. They take RIT if Rescue 1 had to help with Truck 1's rescues, otherwise they throw additional ladders on Side B for secondary egress. The driver sets up the aerial at the B-C corner for additional exposure protection.
Engine 4 - water supply to Truck 2 for Side D exposure protection, and then two of them throw Truck 2's ground ladders to Division 2 and 3 on the A side for secondary egress. The other two members stretch a second 2.5 inch line from Engine 1 as a backup and stage it on Side A in the street.
Engine 5 - water supply to Truck 3. The driver and hydrant firefighter throw Truck 3 ground ladders to Side B for secondary egress, the officer and nozzleman get the utilities if Engine 3 didn't get them initially.
Medic 1 - Rehab down the street past Side D.
Medic 2, 3, 4 - stage with Medic 1 and prepare to move, treat, and transport patients.
Truck 4 - beef up RIT if we're still engaged in an interior firefight. Start salvage and overhaul as directed if the fire is out.
Engine 6 and 7 - stage on the Side B cross street, one block away. They're my tactical reserve for now.
Battalion 1 gets Command from Truck 1's officer. Truck 1's officer is reassigned to Accountability.
Battalion 2 - Division C
Division 1 - Safety
Battalion 3 - Medical Group
Battalion 4 - Staging
Cops - Crowd and traffic control, secure valuables once it's safe to do so
Investigators - start the investigation
Red Cross - shelter, feed, and clothe the displaced residents
Liaison - work with the utility companies to control the electric, gas, and water/sewer utilities
Emergency Management - work with the Red Cross to get a shelter open and staffed
Division 2 - rearrange the rest of our companies and (if necessary) mutual aid units to cover the rest of the city.
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Permalink Reply by Reap on
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I'm not sure if I missed it or not. Line to the basement to check and see if thats the origin considering the balloon frame? First truck to the roof in my IAP. Vent for life. Engine can search while finding the fire until additional resources arrive. Lets give any possible victims some breathing room and the engine clear light to find vics and the fire. Hit the second alarm on arrival for overhaul through the extension to the lateral apartment and most likely cockloft.
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Good points, Rich.
I don't think about basements much, because we basically don't have them.
We have slabs built on sand.
This fire has autovented, so I'm not as worried about venting for life as you are, but you may have different experiences on these. I'll freely admit it's been a long time since I've fought one of these. I'd prefer a search team to go get the vics, but that's a situational choice.
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Permalink Reply by Mick Shelley on
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Excellent size up Chief, I do beleive you covered it vey well. That's why you get the BIG Bucks. LOL
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The bucks aren't as big as you think, but they usually pay for the blood pressure medication. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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There appears to be stair access on the "D" side, likely an exterior stairs. This is where the line appears to be going. The distance between the two windows showing fire almost appears to suggest the stairwell in between them. Which could mean fire in two seperate apartments. The first-due truck will have to split to locate the best possible route for the initial stretch. We can expect fairly heavy life hazard here. The thrid division (floor of obvious fire showing) needs to be searched quickly, from the most exposed to the least. Athough the actual number of companies on the first alarm assignment are not given, going with an average of "2 and 2" with a BC, a second alarm or greater alarm will be ordered, with provisions for RIT/RIC in that upgraded response.
2nd due truck will need to get the building laddered. Electirc wires are showing in front, which will preclude aerial placement for the time being. VES can begin with those windows not involved in fire. The roof will be a priority here as well, first to make a 360 view from the roof looking for victims, and looking for obvious fire conditions. Roof should be opened as close to the fire as possible. The first-due truck will report access and egress points and any other information they may obtain.
Each engine company will obtain a water supply. The first line will be a 2.5" line. No point in arguing the nozzle type. That is department-specific. But since this is my fire, 2.5" handlines will be smooth bore nozzles. SO...we are stretching the "big line" first, combining both engine companies IF necessary for advancement. (handling and advancing a 2.5" line is not as difficult as is percieved, providing it is drilled on a regular basis). We should expect a common cockloft, and with this amount of fire showing we should expect extension.
Exposure to the left is the only one visible in the picture. This exposure appears to be mixed-use occupancy, with little seperation between buildings.
There appears to be an automatic fire alarm system. There needs to be an extensive invetsigation of the basement/cellar area as well. Considering the cockloft problem and the possible fire extension, we need to go to a third alarm. This fire should be considered marginal at the point of time in the photo.
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Permalink Reply by Truckie Jay on
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I agree totally Great Job Ben! Like you I don't have many basements in buildings like this. For the most part we know which subdivisions have the basement option and which don't. Then there is the commercial structures with basements. As we find them we place in BOLD print across the top of the pre-plan sketch BASEMENT and flammable/combustible items stored in ( ) underneath.
I'm thinking common hallway in Division 2 & 3 so Engine 1 lay in from your water supply and advance a line to Division 3 and HOLD that HALLWAY! But I would leave my Engine Officer in Command and have both firefighters advance a line to Division 3.
IC would conduct a 360 and radio his finding to all units on scene and responding. Second alarm was transmitted on arrival.
Truck would split their crew; Officer & Can man to Division 3 for SAR with Driver & Hookman to Division 2. This would help in determining if the fire is restricted to Division 3 or in the walls going vertical.
Squad would throw ladders, Side A & B (or C depending on layout) Division 3. Then either assist in removing vic from ladders, if needed. Once that info is gathered, they would conduct secondary search.
Engine 2 (mutual aid for us) Fire Attack
Engine 3 (mutual aid as well) Vertical Vent
Truck 2 (callback/volunteer) RIT
2nd Alarm
Relieve interior crews performing Fire Attack and Hallway protection. Truck 2 place aerial in position to protect Exposure D. 2nd Engine on second alarm Exposure C, if needed.
With us, a minimum of 3 Chief's would arrive on the 1st alarm. IC (unified) and Safety would be handled by these Chiefs. Engine 1 Officer would handle Operations till additional Chief's arrive on 2nd alarm. At that point E-1 Officer would rejoin crew.
As for the rest I would mirror Ben's tactics.
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I agree with with everything but setting up the ladder. I can't tell but those power lines look to be on the same side as the fire. I don't have much experience with ladder trucks. I may be wrong in my thinking. Maybe someone could show me the way with this one.
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Jeff,
I can't tell if there are stairs, a fire escape, or just a firefigher out of camera range holding the line off the ground on Side D, but it's possible. The similar structures I've seen like this have a central stairs with big landings on Div. 2 and 3, but not really a common hallway running from B to D, but it's possible here. Good eye, brother.
I saw the power lines, but they look to be very close to the building. Careful ladder placement should get the ladder to the roof without being too close the wires. If I'm wrong (a 3-D look would help with this) then a snorkel could still do an up-and-over the wires and get the bucket to the roof.
Side B and maybe the Side C alley should still be available for straight sticks or a tower ladder.
Good job.
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Ted,
I'm not sure about the brick veneer Type V vs. the Type III. I've seen ordinary, single-story businesses like this that weren't built with substantial lintels, but had masonry bearing walls running A to C between the business occupancies. Later additions tend to be wood, because it's cheaper and faster to build, and because the downstairs masonry might not hold the extra weight of two more floors of brick walls all that well.
Regardless, you caught an important size-up point that I overlooked.
The good news is that unless there's a basement fire (no sign of that, but maybe it's in the rear) the downstairs contstruction isn't a big deal at this point, since it's not involved.
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It depends on where the wires are in relationship to the building. If they're either very close or across the street, it's not big deal.
If they are in the way, it would block the D-A ladder placement but not a A-B, B-C, or maybe even a C-D placement in the rear alley or street. Without a 360 view, we can't know which it is or where the best places to set up are.
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