NIOSH just released a draft alert on the dangers of fighting fires in vacant/unoccupied structures. The alert includes case studies of four incidents where firefighters died and were injured fighting fires in unoccupied structures.

Many of the recommendations in the alert are unsurprising, if important. In a quick scan, two stood out in my mind:

• Establish, clearly mark, and monitor an exterior collapse zone at structure fires where there is a risk of collapse. Consider all manual fire-suppression activities within the collapse zone to be an offensive attack. Those within the collapse zone but outside the building might not always consider themselves engaged in an offensive attack. This is a good reminder that the danger of being within the collapse zone elevates any fire-suppression activity to the risk level an offensive attack.
• Work with municipal agencies such as the local housing authority to identify and mark unsafe and unoccupied buildings. This has become more important as foreclosure rates have skyrocketed. Many departments are using simple marking systems to identify vacant houses and their associated risks. If your response area has a high number of vacant buildings, consider implementing such a system if you don’t have it already.

The bottom line here as I see it? Risk management. As the alert states, “No offensive interior attacks should be made in unoccupied or unsafe structures.” Yet it also notes that NIOSH investigations have identified numerous cases in which fire crews entered and remained in high-risk fire situations when it was known that no occupants needed rescue. That must change.