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Five Minutes in the Street: Chief's Arrived-"We've got a Job"
The Chief’s arrived on location on the Alpha-Delta side at a reported fire in the grand room of a home and transmits a working fire in a residential occupancy. At first, the chief assumes he’s got a fire in what appears to be a typical 1.5 story wood frame residential (first picture on top), however after doing a partial 180 around the Delta side, he realizes he’s got a monster of house involved (second picture-Charlie side).
Its apparent what he thought to be a typical 2000 1.5 story wood frame residential, now appears to be at least a 5000 SF multi-level residential with numerous additions, extensions and access points, with a progressing fire that originates in the Grand Room ( Big, open plan, multi-floor, living room).
The call reporting smoke coming from the residence originates with the homeowner across the street. It’s a Saturday (Summer) morning. Not real early, not real late…The house is situated on a corner lot, with dual (Delta AND Charlie garage and driveway locations.
As the Incident Commander:
• What’s your Risk Profile and Assessment?
• What’s your resource needs?
• Expected Construction features, systems, hazards etc.?
• What kinds of challenges can you project, anticipate?
• Do you wish you were at home right now, off duty or maybe out shopping with the wife?
• What are you going to do, what’s your IAP?
You’re the first-due engine company:
• The Incident Commander assigns you to access the occupancy via the Delta side. ( Ohhh…..BTW, there are no hydrants in the immediate section of the area, closest hydrant is six streets away.)
• What are you going to do?
• What’s your Tactical Action Plan (TAP)?
• What’s your risk profiling telling you?
• Assuming you have a sizable tank supply, and the second due engine is only three minutes out, what are your actions, tasks and assignments?
You’re the first-due truck company, assigned search. You have a four staffed company.
• What are you going to do?
• What’s your Tactical Action Plan (TAP)?
• What’s your risk profiling telling you?
You’ve got a decent balance of alarm response heading your way, implement what you would expect to have coming on a structural alarm and work with your assignment.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John on
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To start with I'm gonna call for multiple alarms and have dispatch get me at least to ariels place one on the A-D corner and maybe the other at the driveway on the C-side, I would guess this is light weight construction. I would also be checking with neighbors or the owner to srr if anyone trapped. Since hydrants are 6 streets away I would be considering a massive tanker ops, have the engines right in front of the trucks and stretch multiple lines possibly 2 1/2" one up the C-side onto the deck area and possibly one on D-side. Trucks I would have them extend the stick and prepare for an ariel assault on the roof area, while the rest of the crew I would have going into the front of the structure and initiating a primary search if needed and to relay the interior conditions. I would be basing my decision on an offensive or defensive attack on what the truck company inside would relay to me, I am guessing since we have to have a tanker ops we are probably going to have a defensive attack as it may be minutes before we have a steady water supply.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on
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BTW...the sprinkler system ( if it was available) is out of service...LOL
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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I'm going to have to translate this into our ways Chris. Just because I feel like having a little say!
Seeing this on arrival would have the CO tasking a BA crew (two people) to take a line (38mm) in through the front door -for us there would almost certainly be a stairway just inside. Knowing the area, and the lack of water, would have a call going in to dispatch calling for two extra pumpers (on top of the three that would have responded on the first pager message), probably four Tankers (our Structural/Wildfire firefighting vehicles remember?) for a water relay and the BA Support van. After seeing the site and the building layout, the OIC would also have advised the next arriving Pumper to go to the rear (your 'C' side) and if possible to send a crew in via that raised patio area. We would be making enough noise to awaken any sleeping beauties (Saturday morning you said?) if the smoke alarms hadn't already done so and so finding if there were any people to get out of that house. A second crew may well be sent in through the front to do a primary search behind the hose crew. May have to wait for reinforcements though.
The look of the building would imply truss construction, safer to assume so anyway. The fire is still building, we should be able to get two crews within striking distance pretty quickly. There is a good chance of stopping this fire. (Until you throw something nasty at us Chris...)
As further crews arrive, they would be tasked depending on how the firefight was progressing. With the poor water supply situation, we would be unlikely to call for areial support. The nearest hose-layer may be called to attempt to get water from those distant hydrants - really depends on where I put the fire in relation to my Brigades' area.
A few of things to remember. We don't have truck crews. We don't cut holes in roofs. We nearly always send the first crew in with a hose. We always have multiple Stations responding to a reported structure fire.
Now I'll go back to reading how things are done in the North American way :)
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Permalink Reply by Trainer on
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I don’t know about the rest of you, but if I pull up to the house in pic 1 and do my 360 it’s most likely an OH-SHIT!
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Cole on
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Obviously we have several renovations and additions done to the initial structure. We can expect the use of truss floors and roofing, most likely all composite, lightweight materials. We should expect fire traveling in the areas of the open floor and ceiling spaces, with early collpase likely due to the construction features. Sloping terrain indicates we have a sub-level, with IC identification of such paramount, as well as designating divisions with this in mind to avoid any confusion.
Life hazard should be considered prime, as no mention of occupants meeting the arriving fire dept. personnel, although early Saturday could indicate family members to be in any number of possibilities, the size of the structure indicates a large area to be searched in the primary search. Although the fire appears to be in the "great room", with the potential for collapse, and rapid fire spread life hazard below the fire is also a serious risk.
The terrain also indicates a fairly good sized set-back, indicating a need for longer hoselines, which of course also shows needs for doubling up on engine company personnel. Obviously the striking of additional alarms, with additional companies will ne necessary. Though I do not see hydrants, I must of missed the part where the hydrants are six blocks away. Regardless, we have a residential neighborhood, witha cul-de-sac-type area for access, that posses to limitations to traffic of apparatus.
Resources needed above and beyond the initial assignment will be for more engines, to assist with the longer stretches both to the dwelling, and into it and to the point of origin. Also for a water-relay from the hydrants, and to consider tanker (tender) operations. The need for additional truck companies to effect the primary, and seceondary searches, as well as the ventilation and opening up of the interior to expose the fire, which will be labor, and staffing-intensive. A RIT team is the obvious, although this will call for more than one RIT assignment as well due to the potential of collapse, and the large area involved. EMS response should include enough initial crews for a minimum of four victims, which will be immediatly upgraded as information is obtained. Utilities must be controlled, and police assistence for traffic and access/entry is vital, and needs to be a priority, especially with the potential for a water shuttle operation.
Access for aerial/tower use is restricted by terrain as well. Placing the aerials is an important considertion here, and needs to take precedent over the engines on the available hard surfaces, such as the driveways. Portable (ground) ladder placement is vital for the search effort, as well as egress. VES operations can be used in the doormer areas, taking advantage of the roof features. Vertical ventilation over the fire area is vital, to limit the horizontal spread, providing it can be accomplished safely, as in off a ladder. The presence of a ridge-vent would help speed ventilation, should it be reradily accessible to removal.
The fire appears to be located in the very middle of the structure, which, again should provide for vertical ventialtion to pull it away from both sides. How the call was received may indicate how long the fire had been burning: Automatic alarm system tied into a central receiving station, vs. the caller accross the street who noticed smoke. That is vital information, and is a clue for the amounto f potential burn time, weakening the structure.
OOPS...I just read the hydarnt info. Damn. OK, we'll get through it.
I like the "C" side option better...up those deck stairs. Regardless, the engine will be parked away from the driveway access. A 2.5" line with a wye-gate will be stretched to the drive way area, where two 1.75" lines will be placed in service. The first engine company, assuming a crew of our, will stretch the charged hoseline to the area of the "great room" to locate, confine, control, and hopefully extinguish the fire, venting and searching as they proceed, and reporting their findings and progress to IC.
Note-Not to take ANYTHING for granted, the IC arrived and gave the initial size-up, identified the address and establishing command at the address, announcing the command post. Just so you can't say it wasn't done, huh?
The first arriving truck will position along the driveway to "scrub" the "C" side with the aerial, if needed, as well as provide for verticale ventilation. This is dependant upon the type of aerial, as in tower, stick, articulating, etc. The first-due truck company will split, assuming a four to five staff. VES will begin closest to the fire first, using ground ladders, and providing forced entry for the engine, if needed. Using VES will accomplish the vital truck company functions required first, to horizontal vent, provide ladder access, and begin the primary search. The second-due truck may begin to vent vertically.
These intial actions will provide for the first line to be strecthed, in a manor to accomplish the second stretch, using a gated wye, keeping the attack lines shorter. It provides for the engine to placed out of the way iof aerial access, and to prepare for a water-relay. Both driveways will be used for truck company access. If the first hoseline crew cannot find the fire and confine it, albeit using TIC's, we may be looking at a basement level fire, and proceed accordingly. However, TIC use will be of primary importance, given the extensive renovations possible. The ability to get the first line in place to confine the fire, and positioned between any occupants, will ensure the greatest chance of survivial. This, along with a rapid, orderly primary search, effective ventilation, and recognition of liteweight construction features, will provide for the necessary caution.
Upon the completuion of the search, if the fire has not been located and or confined, and continues to spread, defensive operations will begin.
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Permalink Reply by Smoke Eater on
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We would have an Engine and 2 tankers from our station. Soooo..... Looking at the house you definately have many hiding places for fire. All units will come in on the C side. I am going to call for tankers and manpower from at least the next 3 closest depts. There is a house with a swimming pool on the A-B side of the house. I can try to get an engine in there to run a line to the street to fill tankers untill we can get a good shuttle operation going. Could this possibly be a duplex or just a really rich family? I will also call the power company to shut off the power to this house. I would watch the trees on the D side since they are kinda close to the next house. I am also going to call for 2 arials from our neighboring dept. One on A-D side and one on C. We will have to set up 2 or 3 dump tanks for them and set up a jet syphon for them. We will make entry to do a quick search for victims as well as any fire and note conditions inside and act accordingly. After arials are set up call for more tankers to help supply them. We would also try to get someone on the roof to vent over the fire and report on status of the roof. EMS on standby at the scene for victims or rehab of personel. PD to close off the road to rubber neckers and for crowd control. If possible this is going to have to be an aggressive attack to stop the spread. Going defensive may not be a bad idea if the fire runs the voids between the sections faster than we can knock it down.
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You raise a good point about the pool. In an area with poor water supply, asking neighbours about the existance of and access to pools is a good move. There is a light weight vehicle in a nearby Brigade with good pumping capacity - on a Mercedes all wheel drive chassis, it could gain access to many pools.
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Permalink Reply by Moose on
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Our primary response from our station would be two engines, tower ladder and a rescue with manpower. Our first engine would pull up on the "A" side front yard past the driveway and have the crew stretch our pre-connected 2 1/2" line with gated "Y" on the end up to the door and from that wye stretch 2 inch and 3/4 lines to the fire; one to the first floor and the other to the second floor to keep the grand room from extending to the second floor area.
The second engine is our supply truck with 3000 feet of 5" hose, this truck would set up a large scale tanker shuttle operation with 2 portable ponds to supply the attack engine and ladder. This would be set up in the area of the "AB" corner in the street, and stretch 2 short 5" supply lines, one to the engine and one to the ladder.
Our ladder, (95' Tower ladder), would pull kitty corner into the driveway on the "AD" corner and get a crew to the roof for ventilation, than set up for possible aerial stream ops. Half of the truck crew (we have seating for 8 in the truck) would commit to a search of the building, starting close to the fire and working out, than PAR when they are done and report for orders.
We call for an additional engine, tanker and manpower from one MA dept, than tankers and manpower from the next 3 MA depts. We have a tanker with 3500 gallons, our primary MA has a 4000 gallon tanker, our next is 3000 gallons, and the next two are 2500 and 3000 gallons respectively. Using the formula to figure out GPM's for each tanker would give us the total GPM's for the tanker shuttle ops.
Looking at the last picture I see a covered pool in the back with a diving board...guess what? Im asking the neighbor nicely to use their water and starting the mutual aid engine to pump that out to the attack engine for an extra backup supply should anything happen to one of the tankers and they are delayed. Than we promise the homeowner to come back and fill it for them!! LOL
Locate, confine and extinguish the fire in the Great room. Do continued size-ups of the situation and get regular reports from exiting crews. Our dept we are trained to report directly to the IC and give him a quick briefing on conditions when we exited and what we did to try and alleviate them, than report to rehab for EMS check up and re-hydration. Set up our two ambulances for rehab on the "BC" corner in the road, with vital signs, water, cooling station and spare air bottles for changing. Oxygen for everyone that needs it.
Call for the only other truck in our county which is a 75' snorkel about 15 minutes away to set up in the rear driveway on the "C" side and set up for possible aerial ops, with an additional MA engine from them as well to set up a supply ops for the "C" Sector.
Call the County FAST and set them up near the first ladder in the driveway on the "AD" corner. Establish the next arriving chief officer as "C" sector ops chief and set him up in the driveway on the "C" side. Set up another officer as water supply ops and have him first approach the neighbors with the pool, than establish a tanker shuttle with the hydrant 6 blocks away. Set up a staging area on the front yard with a staging officer giving the IC frequent updates on available manpower and call for more if needed through the County Coordinator who is automatically dispatched for every MA fire. Set up a Logistics Chief and have them get refreshments, and any other things we need on scene like utility control or Red Cross for the family.
Did I miss anything?
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Chris,
I don't have time to work through an entire IAP and tactics right now, and there have already been some good replies.
There are two primary structural considerations here:
1) lightweight construction with large, relatively unsupported spans.
2) a walk-out basement
There are two very conflicting sets of priorities from those two things.
I'd like to see what everyone's opinion on those priorities are.
Ben
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If, as appears possible, this fire is still only in the upper level of the house, is the basement much of a consideration initially? We seem to have arrived quite early, and have a good chance to confine the fire, maybe to room of origin. If we find on entering, or on further investigation below, that the fire has actually spread up from the basement, then that will change my attack. I would be withdrawing crews from that 'grand room' immediately. Chris?
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