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Ten Minutes in the Street: “A Little Smoke Showin’ with your Coffee?”
Ten Minutes in the Street
A Buildingsonfire.com Series
Interactive Scenarios, Where YOU Make the Call
Ten Minutes in the Street is back, bringing you insightful and provoking street scenarios for the discriminating and perspective Firefighter, Officer and Commander; where you make the call. You don’t have to have any special rank to participate in this interactive forum, just the desire to learn and expand you knowledge, skills and abilities in order to better yourself, create new insights, while sharing your experience and perspectives to help you and others in the street in making the right call; so everyone has the opportunity of going home.
Ten Minutes in the Street: “A Little Smoke Showin' with your Coffee?"
Volume 10, Number 8
The recruit firefighters just finished brewing a fresh pot of coffee and you’re about to have your first cup this morning when the tones and bells alert the station of a report of smoke coming from a house across the street from the caller. The communications center advises that the caller doesn’t know if anyone is home, but they are certain there’s smoke coming from the house, even though a slight morning fog layer is beginning to burn off. OK, so much for that coffee. You’re the acting chief this morning, so instead of riding the engine company, you’ve got the chief’s SUV. As you get ready to head out the door, you can hear the engine company fire up a bay over signaling you a driver is in the house and a crew is assembling and preparing to roll out shortly.
You’re out the door and down the street. A couple of quick turns and a few intersections later, you’re heading down the street towards the smoke that you can see rising over the trees and house peaks. You arrive, on-scene in a residential neighborhood and observe fire in the upper second floor of a 1-1/2 story wood frame. You drive past the front and take in a good view of the Bravo, Alpha and Delta sides of the structure. You establish command in the driveway of a house across the street that gives you a good view of the occupancy. Two Engine Companies are enroute, along with a truck company, ems unit and a Rescue company. Mutual aid has also been dispatched, that will give you two additional engines and another manpower squad company. The first-due engine is about four minutes out. The street has ample hydrants at both ends and mid points. The house is midway down the street, with access from both directions
Scenario Questions
· What is your command risk assessment and size-up of the structure, occupancy and present fire conditions?
· What will your transmit in your initial communications upon arrival?
· What kind of information must be transmitted by a first-arriving company of command officer and why?
· What’s your initial incident action plan (IAP) and strategy?
· What are the sequences of primary tactical objectives that must be implemented in a timely manner?
· What do you know about this type of structure and occupancy, how will the building behave; how will the fire behave?
· What is the Ten Minute milestone; what do you expect to be doing or have happen after ten minutes have elapsed after your arrival?
- Attachments:
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Vol10NO08.pdf, 180 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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As you get ready to head out the door, you can hear the engine company fire up a bay over signaling you a driver is in the house and a crew is assembling and preparing to roll out shortly.
The first-due engine is about four minutes out
My first question, being two part, is how freaking fast was I driving, or how damn slow is the pump crew? I mean if I heard them getting ready to roll, how can they be 4 minutes out when I'm on scene and we left from the same location??? :-D
For this incident, the first in report would go basically, story and a half, wood frame, residential structure, fire showing from the upstairs "D" side window and self venting from roof.
First in pump would be fire attack, second due back up, Rescue would be RIT, Truck would do a search.
Since the fire is already self venting, there shouldn't be a need to worry about vertical vent. This appears to be a fire in the upstairs or attic so basically a 1 3/4 handline should take care of this. After 10 minutes I would expect the fire to be out and overhaul taking place.
I know I didn't touch on everything, but I wanted to touch on the time disparity of the pump and IC arrival. :-)
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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REALLY tight bunker pants???
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Chris, you know what's coming next. Do you have 360-degree views of this fire?
If I have four minutes prior to the engine's arrival, that's my first action if I don't hear victims screaming for help.
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Permalink Reply by WestPhilly on
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I'll take a quick look at the rear since I saw everything else on the drive-by. Then I'm going inside as far as I can to look for anyone who was "thisclose" to getting out. After that, whatever Ben says.
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Permalink Reply by Christopher J. Naum, SFPE on
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Insights: There was a driver in the house at the same time, who as you are leaving starts up the engine and is then in the waiting mode. There are a couple of recruits in the house (who made coffee and are doing morning duties) by they are not qualified to run the call.
In this case, the engine is "waiting" for additional personnel to arrive ( i.e. unstaffed volunteer house). Since you normally ride the seat on the engine, another qualified officer must arrive and assume the duty along with the balance of the engine company staffing deployment. So, if you got right out....and the engine is wating for some more personnel to arrive, that can be another two-three minutes, coupled with dress out, get on rig and head out the the...for a volunteer house to have an eight to ten minute dispatch, reflex, response and arrival time is not too uncommon in various areas around the country...If they selected to go a slightly different route, or the engine is traveling at a slighly lower speed due to the apparatus size etc., (versus your agile SUV) there certainly could be an on-scene versus arrival gap of a "long" four minutes. Had I mentioned this was a vol house, it would have provided clarity. BTW ...no other views....
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In this case, the engine is "waiting" for additional personnel to arrive ( i.e. unstaffed volunteer house). Since you normally ride the seat on the engine, another qualified officer must arrive and assume the duty along with the balance of the engine company staffing deployment.
I can understand the concept you are making here and to focus moreso on the questions posed, vs the time disparity, but I would like to take a different approach here then. If there is a staffing issue that the pump can't leave because of awaiting an officer etc, why not jump on the pump then and at least get a rig on scene that can actually do something rather than a command SUV?
After all, if still awaiting resources and personnel, at least handlines can get deployed, there can be an initial exterior knockdown if need be, etc. Those responding in could be able to respond direct, or at least on another rig, but either way, stuff can be laid out so when there are enough people, fire attack can take place.
I can understand if I was the only one on duty at that point and to get on scene, but if there are already personnel in house, why not respond in a rig that can actually be utilized? I understand the issues which do factor into many volly depts, but at least around my area, there are many volly depts that do have a chief officer respond direct, so that the response times are not as great, so they can say they meet response times etc. The issue is that command vehicle is not able to mitigate the emergency and there is still a time disparity awaiting the rigs which can do something.
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Permalink Reply by Matthew Voges on
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• What is your command risk assessment and size-up of the structure, occupancy and present fire conditions?
I would be looking at the fire load on the roof and the fire damage that it already has, so I worried about the roof giving way. As for the structure, it looks to be an older style of wood frame. I would be worried about putting guys in on the upper floor, maybe a search and rescue crew on the first floor as far as I would let anyone go in. The odds of someone being on the upper floor and still alive is to low considering the heave fire conditions on that floor.
• What will your transmit in your initial communications upon arrival?
Upon arrival. Unit 1 on-scene, we have a one and a half story residential structure smoke and flames showing from the “D” side second floor window and from the roof.
• What are the sequences of primary tactical objectives that must be implemented in a timely manner?
Well after I got a good look at the “C” side and found the utilities. I would start my preplanning and I would decide where I want my trucks at and what way I want them to come in from, to lay supply lines in. The first truck going straight to fire attack, pulling 1 1/4” lines. The second truck laying a 4” or a 5” in. The rest of the crew would be my RIT. I would have the Rescue Company go in on the first floor as search and rescue. Once I had a primary all clear, I would have I go to a defensive attack. I would have the Truck Company raise and hit the fire from the top, and 2 ½” lines on the outside.
• What is the Ten Minute milestone; what do you expect to be doing or have happen after ten minutes have elapsed after your arrival?
At the ten minute mark I would like to have a primary all clear and a stop lose. I would also put one crew in side to start over hall and to see if the structure is still sound to put more guys in to get a 100% cool down.
This is based off of the roof structure not being sound for an interlayer attack.
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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What is your command risk assessment and size-up of the structure, occupancy and present fire conditions?
My first thought is its still morning so its best to assume someone is home. Fire in the bedroom makes me think someone left a beaurty utensil on or a candle. I wil have extenstion into the attic area.
· What will your transmit in your initial communications upon arrival?
IC onscene with a Single family dwelling with fire through the room from the 2nd floor. I would emphasize second floor, you can have fire though the roof from the basement.
· What kind of information must be transmitted by a first-arriving company of command officer and why?
Have the frist due engine come straight into the scene and begin primary search. I have 2 engines on the road and my biggest concern is life right now. I know with at least 750 gallons (hopefully) I can get 5-7 minutes before I have to worry about water. I would throw a 14ft ladder myself (assuming a 4 man crew) on the Delta side.
· What’s your initial incident action plan (IAP) and strategy?
The house is still savable at this point. My action plan is to establish if there is someone inside. Find out the spread of the fire. Determine needs to accomplish this.
Manpower is an issue at this time of day for volunteer departments. With 4 engines a truck, rescue and squad I should have enough to accomplish what I need to do but once again my concern is thier dispatched but are they responding. I can do what I need with 2 engines and a truck. But manpower will become an issue as they tire.
2nd Engine would lay in and back up the first crew with suppression.
Direct the truck to come into the develop from the opposite route. Start a trench cut to slow spread
Many develops are designed so that one way is shorter and many times you end up with a parade line
up with apparatus back up for blocks and not in a position to be utilized.
I would also have the rescue come the same way as the truck and act as RIT. All other units can stage.
· What are the sequences of primary tactical objectives that must be implemented in a timely manner?
Search and rescue
Water Supply
Supression
Ventilation
· What do you know about this type of structure and occupancy, how will the building behave; how will the fire behave?
An SFD probably built in the 50's or early 60's. 1 and 1/2 stories, Ballon contruction with a basement (?)with 2 add ons to the rear.
I think the fire would advance to the Apha side coming out the upper front window.
· What is the Ten Minute milestone; what do you expect to be doing or have happen after ten minutes have elapsed after your arrival?
Primary search to be completed.
Water supply to have been established
Suppression with 2 1 3/4 lines in place
Ventilation have begun
Relief of first due crews
Checking for extension and hot spots
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John,
I definitely understand were your coming from. Once we actually had to ask the chief to respond to the firehouse so we could get out because he went responding to the fire. To me its an issue for volunteer companies. Unless you know you can get out without problems. As an officer I never went responding, even the time I had to drive by a working vacant apartment fire. I asked if anyone was inside and proceeded to the firehouse. Had to drive the first engine out.
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I might go with that, or I might do a complete 360 on foot, depending upon what I see on my quick peek. I've found that the vehicle-mounted, 3-sides size up can miss important details, especially at night.
The other thing I like to do on a 360 is to check doors for heat and to see if they're locked, to look in windows to see if I can see fire or victims, and to use a thermal imaging camera to check for heat sources and victims. (Our battalion rig carries a TIC)
This is especially true at night, where it is easy to miss the gas meter/valve assembly hidden in some decorative landscaping from the street, even if it's on Side B or D.
You can't do that "touch the building" stuff from inside the chief's car.
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Ben,
If I'm gonna be on location for four minutes before the cavalry shows up - as in this scenario - I'm definitely going inside. (Maybe even find a garden hose I can take in with me). Nah. That would be too good to be true.
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Whether or not I go inside depends upon what I see from my walk-around.
Going inside is an extension of that "touch the building" thing I mentioned.
I probably will at least take a peek inside the A and C doors - assuming the porches aren't rotted through or something.
How far I go inside depends upon fire conditions, structural conditions, and obstructions inside. If all of the floors are completely rotted away, the interior stairs are collapsed, and I see sagging rafters and the like, I might not want to go too far into the interior.
It's all situational, and we don't have enough information to know the whole situation here.
If the structure is solid, access/egress isn't impeded, and I don't see any other immediate threat, I'm going inside too - at least in the downstairs, which doesn't appear to be involved.
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