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Ten Minutes in the Streets: First-Due on a Saturday Morning-Smokin'
It always starts out this way…..a quiet Saturday morning. The shift tour is just getting started or you just happened to stop into the fire station for a cup of coffee and some kitchen table talk in the day room. The bells/tones come in for a report of smoke coming from a building located in your outer first-due area. The address is for a multi-use occupancy that houses a number of storage, distribution and office businesses.
• The structure is two stories and is approximately 45 feet wide x 450 feet in length.
• It was originally constructed in 1924 with significant modifications, additions, renovations, alterations and add-ons. It stated out as Type III Ordinary Construction but has some Type V Wood Frame and Type II, Non-Combustible features added over the years. It’s generally in good shape, but does show its age and wear.
• There is a mixed staff of warehouse, office and maintenance personnel working on premises this morning. (assumption ~ 12 employees)
• The call originates from a passerby and is quickly followed up by a report from a loading dock employee reporting smoke present at the far end of a product storage area ( More on this as the scenario unfolds)
• Weather conditions are unremarkable, slight breeze, moderate temperatures, clear skies…
• Your resources ( personnel and apparatus) are what you typically would have in your jurisdiction.
• The building does not have a fixed suppression system
• The area does have hydrants at both ends of the street coming in on the Alpha side.
You have a seven minute response time.
Let’s take these operations thru the first ten minutes of operations;
1. Take a role; First-Engine Company OR First-Due Chief Officer…..
2. What are your Risk Assessment and Size-Up Considerations?
3. What do you Know, What are you assuming, What do you need to know?
Pose your questions….I’ll respond to the questions as they relate to the strategic and tactical inquiries and your developing IAP.
More photos of the expanding conditions after some FFN engagement
4. What is the Building and Occupancy Profile suggesting to you?
5. Incident Action Plan thoughts?
6. What do you need now, (that’s hopefully enroute), that needs to be requested or that you’re hoping is available?
7. Where can this incident end up going?
8. What’s the Safety Profile?
9. What is the projected fire flow needs for this incident?
10. What’s projected for the first ten minutes..?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim Linke on
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1...First in Engine Company
2...Risk Assessment--obviously, structure conditions due to the fact that there have been multiple renovations and change in occupancy over the years. Where are the people? What is really burning? It appears from the picture that we may have unfinished wood burning (indicating structural), but is there a better vantage point? Is there a defensible position? What is the roof assembly in the part of the structure that is burning? Are there fire walls present between occupancies?
3....I know that somehing is on fire, I'm assuming that we have potential victims and I'm also assuming that the water supply will be crappy (as we have crappy water supply in my first-due where buildings like this are located). I'm also assuming that we either have wide open spaces with exposed structural members or void spaces inside...probably both.
4...The building is suggesting to me that once we have potential victims out of harms way that we will re-evaluate the situation and determine the line in the sand.
5 and 6....Immediate second alarm with those companies staged a couple of blocks away until we get set up. Allow plenty of room for aerial access. Large caliber smooth bore streams from a defensible space. Two Truck Companies to the roof to determine roof composition and roof assembly involvement (recon), and potential for defensive strip operations. Attack from unburned size with large bore streams in tandem. Large area search by at least two companies. Second alarm companies to assume RIT and structure softening. Most likely a third or fourth alarm op in our jurisidiction.
7....This will be a long day
8....Safety profile....proceed cautiously from unburned size utilizing aggressive heavy caliber streams and defensive ventilation operations to creat defenisble space. Potential write off of initial structure of involvement to safe the long side of the building.
9....I want 500-750 GPM initially from a defensible potiion...It's Saturday and I can't do math in my head that fast.
10....The first ten minutes will allow us to get rigs positioned, an initial water supply, and hopefully crews to the roof to determine how the next ten minutes (and ten hours ) will go.
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A couple of things to add, since my reply box wouldn't let me add any more...this occupancy also has a stong potential for haz mat, so I'd have the Haz Mat Team rolling. Access will be difficult due to fences, roads, and other security measures...I may be committing at least one company to address these issues alone.
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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on
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Smoke appears light, normal color and not under pressure. The fencing indicates this may be a sub-tenant leasing that area of the property. It's hard to tell if that gate is locked or not.
1st due quick attack of the 'office' with the 2nd in hitting the hydrant and establishing a water supply. Truck checking for extension into the main bldg and venting.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on
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Hey Tim;
Thanks for the great insights and contributions....let's see if we can get some more participation from the FFN.....
BTW, hope all is well w you and your family...
Chris
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Permalink Reply by Marc on
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1. Take a role; First-Engine Company OR First-Due Chief Officer... Capt. on first due engine company
2. What are your Risk Assessment and Size-Up Considerations? what is made and if ppl are still in the building
3. What do you Know, What are you assuming, What do you need to know? i know something is buring, ii need to kmnow where and i need to know if ppl are still with in the building
Pose your questions….I’ll respond to the questions as they relate to the strategic and tactical inquiries and your developing IAP.
More photos of the expanding conditions after some FFN engagement
4. What is the Building and Occupancy Profile suggesting to you? that the fire started between shifts
5. Incident Action Plan thoughts? get another taskforce for RIC
6. What do you need now, (that’s hopefully enroute), that needs to be requested or that you’re hoping is available? ok to a reported smoke it would be a task force...so i know that i have another truck and apump enroute. i would request Battlion, Division, EMS 3 Rescue Ambulances. 1 more taskforce 2 single engine companies and our RAT (rehab air tender)
7. Where can this incident end up going? it can just be either a piece of machinery buring and a single engine o. can handle. or the whole building could be on fire and the structure is in bad shape
8. What’s the Safety Profile?
9. What is the projected fire flow needs for this incident?
10. What’s projected for the first ten minutes..? My engine co will hook up to a hydrant and start to make entry into the building. most of the other resources should be arrived on scene. turn over command to Battlion.....more to come later, but i got to go
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Permalink Reply by Daniel T. on
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1. First Engine Company
2. - Risk Assessment- Due to structur conditions and change of occupancy I would expect a heavy fire load. Where re the employees? Is the whole product storage involved? What kinda products are stored? Is HazMat involved? Are there some fire walls?
3. I know there is something on fire, its located at product storage, maybe some products are involved (HazMat), possibly we ve some people trapped in the building, I assumed that we have some water supply for the first attack
4. All operations and action are extremly dangerous. Life saftey should be the first priority.
5. request 2nd alarm, initiate search with assistance of 2nd Engine ( R.I.T), establishing water supply, 2nd alarm companies to the roof for ventilation and to determine roof composition, set up of staging area, defense attack...
6. additional Engines, ladders, pumper, HazMat units.....
7.lose of the whole proberty
8.
9. I guess 2000 gallons/min if the whole building is in
10. Get the victims out and stop extension
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OK, the First-Due and Second Due engines are on scene, supply lines getting stretched, smoke is more pronounced, things are heating up.....Let's get some more engagement, the clock is tickin' away......
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...ok, I guess it s time to stop the interior/ roof operations and get the crew out of it. I would switch over in defense operation.
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Permalink Reply by Jack on
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Judging from this picture. If all employees are accounted for. Order everyone out and begin external operations. Call for a 3rd alarm. Postion 3rd alram in a defensive postion on the Charlie side of the building.
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Permalink Reply by Truckinainteasy on
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I'm late in the game with this one, but here is my take as a Chief. I'm thinking the building is probably non combustible, lightweight steel. Roof Ops would be doubtful for me. The buiding layout works to our advantage in one or two ways. Narrow and long, many exterior openings. We can work through getting overhead doors opened, searching along the overhead door side of the building where most employees would probably evacuate to and commence an attack in the most direct route. Once the fire is located the 1st engine can drop 1 or 2 21/2 lines at the overhead door with fire access and reverse a supply line to the hydrant. The 2nd engine can do the same or lay in once the fire is located. I would position a tower ladder or squirt near the door with the most direct approach to the fire as back up. This is easily a multiple alarm fire.
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Permalink Reply by Rick Westerman on
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Is that a bow strung roof on the bravo side? game changer if it is. Our dept. policy: any evidence of truss involvement in fire is a defensive operation. After life safety has been addressed(could be a marginal situation) and an all clear has been obtained. Probably just write off that end of the structure, locate a solid area to make a stand. Most of the good stuff has already been mentioned, good call for Haz-mat. another good one Chris, thanks for the training.
Fraternally, Rick
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Alright, appears things have heated up a bit and the IAP is about to change...."what are the thoughts out there?"
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