Collapse Rescue Operations

It's a Saturday afternoon. You respond to a report of a building collapse with trapped occupants. (unknown number). Arriving on scene, you observe a three story brick and joist (Type III) occupancy with an apparent roof collapse into the third floor.

The section of the building is part of a larger block area extending along the Bravo and Delta sides.

There appears to be a V-shaped collapse of the roof with structural compromise into the third floor. You're advised that there are at least 36 occupants living in the primary structure. The first floor has a commercial establishment (neighborhood Bar & Restaurant), the second and third floors are apartments. There is a debris pile on the sidewalk in front of the structure ( Alpha side). Some occupants are observed self extricating and appearing in the street or in window areas. There is no evidence of any visible fire or smoke at the time of your arrival. What are you going to do?

What is your immediate priority and needs?
What are the first five steps in your Incident Action Plan (IAP)?
Assuming you have a least a first alarm assignment consisting of Three (3) Engine Companies; One (1) Truck Company; One (1) Heavy Rescue Company, the Battalion Chief and a Safety Officer either on scene or enroute;
How will you deploy and utilize your resources?
What will you need?
What are the safety considerations?
How long do you plan to operate at the scene? (Logistics and Planning)
What is the risk profile of the building(s)?
What will change IF a fire abruptly erupts from the rear first floor?

Now get to work…...

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 8:54pm

Immediate priority - 1st and 2nd engines evacuate the Bravo and Delta exposures. 3rd engine establishes water supply and sets up attack lines at the A-B and D-A corners. BC establishes command and ensures that no company sets up in the secondary collapse zones. 1st Truck driver and tiller set up the aerial from the far side of the Alpha street and tiller climbs the stick for overhead recon. 1st Truck officer and irons get utilities controlled from the rear if possible, especially the gas. 1st Rescue recons the collapse building to see if any non-trapped or lightly trapped victims can be rescued with minimal time and effort. 1st Rescue also remotely monitors the atmosphere for gas, and if the B or D walls are intact, we may consider having them do a core drill or small inspection breach and start looking inside with search cameras. Command calls for 2nd alarm, extra ambulances/medics, a USAR team, and three more chiefs - one for the Charlie side, one for Safety, and one for Accountability. The K-9 search team will be requested, if separate from the USAR teams. The 2nd alarm B/C will get Level II Staging. The 2nd alarm companies should be the same as the 1st - 3 engines, truck, rescue, B/C.

All utility companies will be requested - gas, water, electric, and sewer if sewer is separate from water.
If the building super/maintenance can be located, we're asking for blueprints, occupancy, and who is normally where at this time of day/day of week.

If we have a mobile command post, we're requesting it. If not, we may commandeer a nearby office building or restaurant as the CP.

We'll need to think about heavy equipment - cranes, high-hoes, etc.
We'll need a truckload or two of timbers for shoring. I hope Home Depot or Lowe's is open.

The safety considerations are secondary collapse, air monitoring for gas leaks, electrical hazards, potential for fire, and debris hazards.

We'll be here for at least 8 hours to 3 days, depending on occupancy, number of entrapped victims, and how heavy the entrapment is. If we're 6 hours in with no quick end in sight, we're requesting two more USAR teams, establishing 12-hour operational periods, establishing Planning and Logistics branches, and getting a full Command Staff including LIaison and Public Informtion Officers there. Ditto for law enforcement, including a senior LEO. The Mayor/City Manager will need to know about this one, as it's a high-profile event. Building Codes will show up on their own.

The 1st alarm Rescue officer is a big part of this - that's who is responsible for establishing shoring and rescue tactical priorities and determining what additional rescue resources are needed.

Hopefully if we have a fire, it will wait until the 2nd alarm is on scene. The 1st engine and truck from the 2nd alarm will go to the rear, establish secondary water supply and rear aerial recon, and be ready to hit the fire if it starts. This fire will be defensive if it starts. The building is already seriously compromised, and there's no safe procedure for shoring a burning building. Timber shores are notoriously combustible.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on October 23, 2008 at 9:00pm

Chief, it looks like your IAP is ready to roll, chinch up the chin strap and get to work....very nice reply. Training, experience and strategic level thinking are obvious through your reply.....

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 9:06pm

Naah, Chris, just a happy accident. :-)

To finish the 2nd alarm assignment, the 2nd and 3rd engines go to Level I staging to give me an immediate tactical reserve, and the 2nd alarm rescue goes to wherever the 1st rescue officer tells me the immediate need is - unless I know something Rescue 1's officer doesn't, in which case I overrule him and send Rescue 2 to work their magic somewhere else.

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 9:09pm

...and check the B and D exposure common walls for signs of impending secondary collapse, and get extra floodlighting because we're going to be here after dark, and is it shift change yet? I'd like to start my vacation a couple of shifts early.

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Permalink Reply by Jay Nicholson on October 23, 2008 at 9:17pm

Ben, it's no fun if you get the right answer right off the bat. ;)

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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on October 23, 2008 at 9:18pm

The biggest thing with this job is; resources (get them coming), planning for at least two (min) 12 hour operational periods, tech rescue/USAR expertise and establishing a workable and expandable ICS org.....

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 9:21pm

Jay,

You're talking about the IC starting his vacation a couple of shifts early, right?

Actually, we don't have this type of construction in our town, but we had plenty of it the other three places I worked.
Occasionally one of them would fall down for no apparent reason other than...
"Look what Mr. Gravity did!"

Ben

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 9:22pm

I'm surprised that Mick hasn't chimed in yet - I know he's lurking, and he's waaaay better at this than am I.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on October 23, 2008 at 9:25pm

Now who would want to miss all of this fun! Unless we elevate this to a couple of trapped occupants(requiring shoring,extrication,a gas leak, smoldering fire and changing weather conditions with dropping temps and rain on the way...

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on October 23, 2008 at 9:28pm

OK, Chief...

If you won't let me start the vacation, then I'm maintaining Single Command. There's no sense in setting up Unified Command - the cops and EMS are important, but except for scene security and patient care/transport, this is primarily a fire-rescue scene. If a fire starts, then it's definately all ours.