apartment fires Flashcards
what are 2 big areas of concern for apartment fires
increased life hazard
potential for fire spread (230)
any significant fire upon arrival of the 1st unit should warrant the request of a ___
second alarm
a second alarm will be called for a fire involving ( 2 items)
more than 1 apartment
if fire has extended into the structural components of the building
apartments are typically built in combinations of __ __ and __ units per building
4,8,16
high priority must be given to search all apartments on or
above the fire floor (231)
the ic should assign crews to check all exposures for possible
victims and extension
t/f co can travel anywhere is the building and must be considered when evacuating occupants for the structure
true
regardless of the exterior façade the majority of apartments are composed of lightweight type ___ construction and they possess all of the dangers and concerns associated with this type of construction material
V
floors in apartments are generally composed of wood __ -___ material. most
I-joist
truss roof assemblies in apartments tend to be more stable than those in other types of structures due to the _______ both bearing and nonbearing
number of walls beneath them (232)
___ ventilation should still be done with caution and only if no substantial fire has entered the truss area
vertical
depending on the age of the apartment they typically have ___ plywood or wafer board sheathing supported by 2x4 rafters
1/2”
apartments tend to be __ because it is more economical for kitchens and bathrooms to share plumbing shafts
symmetrical
typically apartments on the same floor will ___ each other
mirror
true or false. although apartment symmetry is not always the case it is very common
true
builders prefer to share plumbing shafts for economical reasons resulting in most apartment and hotel kitchens and bathrooms being stacked. this creates __ __ that run the height of the building - ready avenues for extension
pipe chases
checking the __ __ for heat on the roof of an apartment fire is an indication that fire could be traveling up the chase
soil pipes
utilization of a___ is an effective way to check extension by it does not substitute for thorough overhaul. it may not give accurate conditions behind drywall
TIC
compromises in platform framing should be less of a problem in ___ which are built by lightweight methods, than in private dwellings
apartments (233)
apartments are required to have __ hour protection for each unit
1
compromises in platform framing should be more or less common in apartments
less
wood has an average ignition temp of ___ degrees
400
wood burns at a rate of 1” every __ min
40
mot apartments are not constructed of 2x4’s anymore rather they are composed of __ x __
1 1/2 x 3 1/2 or less
what ways are there to predict when floors or roofs are going to collapse
there are none
as a general rule once the room has ___ it can be assumed that the structural members are now being affected
flashed
gusset plate or gang nail is light gauge sheet metal with small nailing points protruding from it which penetrates the wood approximately __
1/4”
one of the most significant characteristics of the truss is that each piece of the truss will simultaneously be exposed to the __
fire (234)
the openness of the truss area is conducive to __ fire spread under the roof
lateral
engineered beams are formed with 2x4 top and bottom cords and laminated ___ as the web members
plywood
laminated I beams fail without warning in as little as __ min
5
glue in laminated I beams will cause the fire to burn __ and __
hotter and faster
normally if conditions in apartment fires allow for interior attack, structural collapse with not occur; however advanced fires that thwart entry can cause general __ __
total collapse
most bedrooms in apartments are no bigger than 12 x 12 which would only require __ gpm to control the fire quickly
48 (235)
glass breaks at about __ degrees
700
the size and design of most apartments make it ideal for ___ ventilation
PPV
most apartments are smaller than ___ sqft and cam be pressurized quickly
1000
PPV is not always feasible due to the size of the ____
landing
because attic spaces are divided by a __ __ at each apartment boundary, fire teams have an advantage in that area
fire draft (236)
in apartments if PPV is not available the inherently small area of most apartments can be ventilated quite effectively by opening the right ____
windows
streets within apartment complexes are generally narrow and some will be blocked by a ___ fire unit
single
incoming unit must be disciplined not commit to a position until
communicating with command
if a fire team that decides to vertically vent can approach from the top of ___ apartments
uninvolved
fire teams should not get into the habit of extending 1 3/4 inch lines farther than __ ft, as the nozzle flow will begin to reduce rapidly
250 (237)
for apartment located farther than __ ft away from the fire lane consider dropping 100-200 ft of 2 1/2 inch hose and wye off of that or use the 2 1/2” with the high rise pack and or a disconnected preconnect
100
when their are probable victims but their location is unknown the best rescue strategy is to
put out the fire
if resources are available , search, rescue, ventilation, and suppression operations should be conducted
simultaneously
beyond the immediate life hazard , all direct exposures should be ___ until the fire is under control
evacuated
the attic space above apartments is one large open area divided by
fire drafts
unless the fire team can observe the building while it is under construction they should assume that these fire separation have ___ often for phone or cable tv lines
pierced
will fire drafts slow or stop the fire
slow
fires in the attics of apartments should be vented form the top and attacked from ____
underneath (238)
if there is significant fire in the attic space of an apartment building, the officer may have to set their of defense over currently ___ apartment building.
uninvolved
fire that start in the attic often burn much ___ before they are reported than those that have extended into it
longer
never limit water flow when it is needed to put out the fire, but once the fire is out use water ____ and be keenly aware of leaking nozzles and hoses
sparingly
when the fire is in the upstairs apartment and water damage is a concern __ should be assigned as early as possible
salvage
for most apartment fires a ___ coordinated attack is necessary
aggressive
when arriving at a significant apartment complex fire, one should consider requesting a __ from dispatch
2nd alarm
for apartment fires a second alarm will be called for
involvement of more than one apartment
fire extension into the structural components of the building
what is considered the structural components of a building
attack, floors, walls
ideally the 1st arriving engine should be close enough to the involved apartment to be able to use __-__ lines
pre-connected (239)
in an apartment complex fire does the truck need to be immediately near the engine
no
in an apartment fire the ic should communicate the best __ __ for the truck because the backing the truck up will be time consuming
approach route
unit should be disciplined to __ where they are out of the way and can adjust their approach to the involved apartment
stage
most apartments have __ hydrants throughout the parking lot
private
water supply in apartment complexes is usually supplied form __ directions, but larger fire crews can easily run out of water
2
a ___ group should be established to bring in additional water from hydrants outside of the complex
water
is catching a hydrant a good idea if an apartment has significant smoke showing
yes
a proper __-__ will help identify hose lay requirements
size up
a ___” hose line should be used to extend hose lines which will allow for better fire flow and the ability to extend two lines off a single wye
2 1/2 (240)
in addition to a hose line what should the attack team bring with them
set of irons
PPV fan
TIC
if the fire is located in a 1st floor apartment ___ or __ ventilation should effectively ventilate the fire
PPV or horizontal
is it possible for fire to extend into the attic through common plumbing shafts
yes
if the fire is in the second story apartment PPV or ____ ventilation may be appropriate
horizontal
if the fire is in the second story apartment PPV or horizontal may be appropriate depending on the size and extent of the fire, ___ ventilation may be considered
vertical
any involved single occupancy on the top floor should be a sign that the fire will likely spread into the __ space soon if it has not already
attic
what are for general cues that fire has already spread into the attic space
major fire invlvement of 1 top floor apartment invlvement of 2 or more top floor apartments
hot rising smoke from attic vents
fire has vented through the roof
__ and___ meters are usually grouped together at one end of the building and should be marked by apartment number
gas and electric (241)
is recommended to shut off the entire buildings power and gas when there is a fire in an apartment building
yes
it is recommended to shut off the entire buildings power and gas when there is a fire in an apartment building, if there is a ___ available, then it should be used. doing so is much safer than using the main on/off switch for the building as the main could arc and cause catastrophic failure
shunt trip
avoid electrical __
vaults
what tools should a crew that has been assigned utilities take with them
forcible entry tools ( irons, bolt cutters)
what is the minimum PPE for controlling utilities
turnouts
helmets
gloves
eye protection
if PPV or simple horizontal ventilation is used, then a crew should wait several ___ before making entry with the attack line so that the ventilation is given sufficient time to work
seconds
once entry is made the fire should be located and sprayed with water quickly a __-__ degree for pattern should be set when making entry to protect the crew
30 - 40
if the crew gets into a confined area a ___ stream will cause fewer disturbances in the thermal layering and less steam to come down onto the crew
straight
on should pull ceiling just inside the door to ensure there is not fire overhead and to protect the ___
egress
search begins as soon as
entry is made
check for victims at the ____ __ and then check the reminder of the apartment
point of entry
if a victim is found what information should be relayed to command
victim found
actions being taken with victim
resources needed
if victim is being brought out of the building
once the crew is confident that the fire is out the remainder of the overhaul should be left until after the __ is complete
investigation (242)
what are the benchmarks that should be reported to command from the interior division
personnel in structure (243)
water on fire
knockdown
primary all clear
progress reports should be given to command in what form
CAAN
the ___ company should always be positioned to access the roof. they should work toward roof access until otherwise by command
truck
the truck company should plan providing a __ __-__ and moving towards providing vertical ventilation if ordered
roof size up
if vertical ventilation is going to be utilized in the ___ it should be done early on
IAP
a ___ division should be assigned to fires involving the top floor apartments
roof
exposures divisions should be prioritized and assigned to other apartments that are threatened by fire extension. these divisions should be named by ___ relationship to the primary fire apartment
geographical
___ is responsible for establishing some type of ventilation prior to making entry
interior (244)
what is the basic progression of offensive operations
get water vent enter search extinguish
if the initial ventilation is not adequate the ic may assign a ventilation group to improve and ___ the preexisting ventilation
upgrade
offensive operations that are being conducted will meet the __-_-__requirements
two in two out
an IRIT or full RIT must be assigned following the __ alarm assignments
1st
the initial company officer can meet the requirement of 20in-2out by conducting fire attack with one of the ff while another ff and engineer remain outside. this provides an opportunity for the initial company to be ___ if the conditions warrant
proactive
RIT should assemble their tools and __ the building, identify all avenues of entry and egress, throw ladders to 2nd story windows, remove security bars ect
evaluate
RIT should be familiar with the building and prepare for the ___
worst
if there is an immediate rescue situation upon arrival a __ group will need to be assigned to mitigate the problem
rescue
if there is an immediate rescue situation upon arrival a rescue group will need to be assigned to mitigate the problem. this will be one of the 1 st arriving units. the other part of the rescue strategy will be to make sure other affected apartments are clear of occupants. an __ group will need to be assigned to accomplish this priority
evacuation
should one of the initial units be assigned to evacuation group
yes
evacuation group should start with the most ___ exposures and move out from there
threatened
unless there are victims or several removal problems how many crews are needed to accomplish evacuation
1
although a rescue group may not always be needed at these incidents, the ___ of other apartments will always need to be addressed
evacuation
medical group treats
fire personnel (245)
ems group treats
victims
rehab fall under __ group and will mostly be used for rehabilitation ff
medical
separating civilians and ff allows each group to better treatment true or false
true
utilities should be assigned to someone from the __ alarm
1st
it is always a good idea to have a safety officer at any structure fire. it is required that an __ is appointed to fill this roll
officer
the ___ officer should constantly evaluate the operation and provide input to command
safety
per ics if a safety officer is not appointed, then the __ __ retains those responsibilities
ic
any working structure fire should have some form of ___ established
rehab
extensive operations such as those utilizing multiple crews should have a __ rehab area established
formal
air 1 can be paired with a rescue to set up a __ group
medical
if a rescue situation arises upon arrival in which immediate action could save lives, then a __ group should be assigned
rescue
rescue situations are very stressful situations that require officers to maintain a strong and __ command
organized (246)
the pio is paged with any __ all call and will respond or designate someone to respond
500
if a second alarm is called then level __ staging and a staging area manage should be established
2
for apartment fires level 2 staging should be located ___ the complex, but close enough so that crews can respond in a reasonable time
outside
if you are the staging area manager, you are responsible to account for all units in staging and notify ___ of the resources available
command
a good rule of thumb is to have at least __ engine __ truck __ and __ rescue in staging ready to work
1 engine
1 truck
1 rescue
it is the ___ responsibility to request these units and maintain a minimum ready reserve
staging area managers
when acting defensively at apartment fires the entire primary building has effectively been
written off
the goal of defensive operations at apartment fires is to keep the fire from spreading to other buildings and to attempt to save part of the involved building. this is done by prioritizing exposures and assigning__ to support them
divisions
when fighting a defensive fire, if possible, units should select positions where they can accomplish exposure protection and alternatively _ __ __
hit the fire (247)
place all apparatuses out of potential collapse zones and in such a manner that they will not be exposed to __ heat
radiant
at defensive apartment complex fires it would be ideal to position a __ company on each side of the involved structure
truck
supplying water for defensive operations presents a unique concern because it is necessary to locate __ water sources
multiple
a ___ group may be needed to bring additional water from outside the complex
water
deck guns, monitors, elevated master streams and 2 1/2” hose are appropriate at what type of fires
defensive
