Basements Flashcards
Operational procedure
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IC to remain at surface level, unless preplanning dictates otherwise.
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Consider early request for additional resources.
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Consider availability / use of fixed installations.
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Consider requesting attendance of senior fire safety officer.
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Locate seat of fire from outside building if possible.
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Consider early appointment of safety officers and sectorisation.
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Early consideration of implementing Stage II BA control and the use of EDBA.
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Prior to committing BA teams consider options for ventilation.
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Ventilation only carried out on instruction of IC.
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Consult with responsible person on options for ventilation.
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Consider the impact of ventilation on fire spread and persons involved.
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Prior to ventilation position covering jets at openings.
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Basement must not be ventilated whilst BA teams are committed.
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Monitor the effects of ventilation.
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Minimum number of personnel committed to basement area.
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Ensure weight of attack (45mm jet minimum) is appropriate and adequate support jets (45mm minimum) are in place at all times to protect access and egress routes.
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BA teams may need to descend through a ‘thermal barrier’ to gain access, a branch set to spray should be considered to provide protection from heat/smoke.
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Maintain clear egress routes from basement.
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Secure water supply, twin lines to appliances supplying fire fighting jets or fixed installations.
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Use thermal image camera, including image capture facility, to locate fire and/or casualties where available.
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Consider risk of fire spread in relation to compartments and the presence of any ducting.
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Consider the use of guidelines.
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Consider the need for frequent reliefs and availability of BA wearers due to arduous conditions.
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Risk of electric cable entanglement.
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Consider the use of a leaky feeder to support/maintain effective communications.
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Crew welfare arrangements, hydration and effects of metabolic heat stress.
Other sources of information should also be investigated, such as
automatic fire alarm panels or premises information boxes, to provide key information such as the size of the basement, access and ventilation options
Prior to committing BA teams, ventilation of the basement must be considered and the IC must locate facilities or other options available for this purpose. Any decision to ventilate must take into account the following:
(a)
The adverse impact this may have on persons involved in the premises.
(b)
The benefits of undertaking early ventilation, for firefighters entering, or persons evacuating the building.
The IC must consider requesting the attendance of a senior fire safety officer (SFSO), to gain advice before
operating ventilation or smoke extraction systems
Personnel committed to the basement area, should be kept
o the minimum number to complete the required task
Once the IC has committed BA teams to the basement area with a minimum 45mm jet and a support crew to protect the egress route with a minimum 45mm jet, a message should be sent to
“basement procedure implemented”.
At this point IC should ensure that stage II BA entry control is implemented if appropriate.
Prior to committing BA teams a
a suitable, sufficient and sustainable water supply must be secured. If working from a hydrant, the pump must be supplied via twinned lines of 70mm hose. If working from open water the supply must be virtually inexhaustible e.g. a river or canal.
Under no circumstances should a basement or any other part of the premises that may affect the basement, be ventilated whilst
whilst BA teams are committed. This is because the influx of oxygen may lead to rapid fire spread and possible backdraught conditions
Once at the scene of firefighting operations, water should be applied to the fire using
combination of techniques, comprising direct attack and gas cooling depending on the circumstances.
