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Truck Company Operations and Roof Work
We've gotten some requests for some scenarios related to Truck Company Work and Roof Operations. We'll give the engine companies some relief (OK guys, take a much needed blow, at least for the moment). Here's what we have.
You've arrived and observe heavy fire progressing from the number 1 floor on the Alpha side and extending vertically along the face of the townhouse. It appears the fire is impinging along the roof soffit area and is progressing.
The number 2 floor windows are intact at the present time.
The building is a traditional back to back townhouse arrangement consisting of a total of twelve (12) two story wood frame units.
The building was constructed in the early 1980's, it’s around 19:30 hours on a weekend. The fire was originally called in as a kitchen fire. The building is not easily reachable from curb side, its set back a ways from the parking lot area and has some obstructions due to parked cars.
Your alarm assignment consists of Three (3) engine companies; One (1) Truck Company; One (1) Rescue Company (Heavy rescue, not EMS), one (1) EMS ambulance, two (2) responding chiefs and a safety officer. (Company level staffing per your agency). Response times and arrival sequence per your agancy also. The first due engine co. and the truck company are on scene.
Now concentrating on Truck Company operations and roof work, let’s discuss the strategic and tactical issue affecting this fire; Factors related to ventilation operations, ventilation options, safety, fire behavior, fire travel, resources, structural stability, time allocations, interior and exterior truck ops, tactical profiles, assignments etc. You can interject some engine company ops to support the truck work, but let’s keep the focus on Truck work.
OK, now let’s get to work... but lets be careful out there..</</i>b>
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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based on the size of the building would you assign sectors for safety officers to give the building a 360 degree observance of safety? Multiple safety officers?
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Permalink Reply by NOVAFireman on
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You only need 1 safety officer on this job. First arriving officer should have done a lap to check Side Charlie before commiting anyone to the interior. Since there are 2 chiefs responding on this call, one of them could go to Side Charlie and set up Division Charlie.
The truck and rescue OVM's should also be on Side Charlie throwing ladders and performing VES operations to the 2nd floor. They too should radio back to the IC reporting any changing conditions observed.
My department gets 4 engines on an alarm assignment for the simple fact of having a line and crew to Side Charlie and still having a dedicated engine crew for RIT.
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Permalink Reply by Truckinainteasy on
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As the Truck officer I have at most a 3 man team and the outside team may have 5, usually 3. I will take the interior team to start our search after determining the interior extent of the fire. Fire impinging on the soffit can make for rapid progress over your head. After completing the search we will be pulling ceilings on Floor 2 A and listening for reports from the outside team on conditions on Side C. Although we have other tool assignments on townhouses and apartments the whole inside team usually brings another hook so we can all work in cases like this. The outside team has to be smart and communicate their vent options particularly on Side A. We don't want fire going right in the window. Opening the roof is not indicated at this point for me. I can get alot more work done faster by concentrating on dropping the ceilings. Tactics need to change quickly IF you find finished floors in the attic or significant involvement over your head, indicating a possible collapse. The Rescue Company should split and send their personnel into the exposures to make sure we had no lateral extension.
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Knowing your district is important. Open cocklofts are a major problem, but most have at least sheetrock fire stops. Opening the roof of a PD is usually my last resort, there are so many ways to quickly horizontally vent it that it doesn't make sense. This should be a quick fire if the engine is flowing the right amount of water, we move a line to floor 2 and we DROP the ceiling!
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