Ch. 13 - Fighting Fires In Enclosed Malls Flashcards
What is the size of average retail store?
Less than 22 sq ft to more than 4000 sq ft.
What size are anchor stores?
Customarily they are at least two levels and may be 50,000 to 100’000 sq ft per floor.
What are standpipes systems like in enclosed malls?
They can be vertical or horizontal.
When do stores do most of there annual sakes volume and how much?
60% or more can be during the December holiday season.
When are the highest and lowest life hazards in enclosed malls?
Highest around the winter holidays, in the spring and when kids are returning to school. Lowest during the offseason months of June, July and October.
What can be said about fire sprinklers in enclosed malls?
They should be protected by automatic sprinklers if they are larger than 12,000 sq ft, but may be unsprinklered if there are fire separations that reduce individual areas to less than that size.
What kind of construction can be expected if the exterior load-bearing walls are wholly of concrete and the building is only one story?
Tilt-up concrete construction. These buildings are essentially held together by steel cable, which can fail at around 800 degrees F.
What does unprotected openings mean in these buildings?
Ease of access from store to store, which means easy routes for fire and smoke. Newer malls also suffer from this problem.
What does heavy smoke conditions mean to search?
We must feel for victims, rather than simply look for them, and we have thirty-minute SCBA, which last for about fifteen minutes under these conditions.
How much fire flows could a fire require that involves half a floor of an anchor store?
More than 16,000 gpm to control.
What aw the primary and secondary strategic considerations for the IC in enclosed mall fires?
Primary will probably be life safety.
Secondary will be extinguishment.
What is the priority following fire attack?
Ventilation. The two distinct concerns being first and foremost life safety and the second is the need to minimize fire loss. Controlling evacuees is another problem.
For fires in an anchor store, where should the initial line be taken?
In through an adjacent door.
In a fire in one of the smaller stores along the mall itself, where should the initial line be taken from?
Where are many of these fires started?
In from the central walkway.
Many are started by arsonists in the fitting rooms.
Fires in the back room of stores are usually started how?
Accidental, resulting from careless smoking or misuse of electrical equipment.
When the fire occurs along the pedestrian walkway, where should the line be taken in?
Via the closest means of access.
What can be said about ventilation in enclosed mall fires?
Ventilation should not initially be a major concern due to HVAC codes designed to keep smoke several feet from the floor. If the HVAC system shuts down, ventilation can prove to be the most restrictive strategic factor at a fire. If vertical ventilation is required, take the roof and take the glass, but ensure the area below is clear before doing so.
What are the two constraint of search in enclosed mall fires?
Staffing and time.
How much area can one officer and two firefighters search?
No more than 5000 sq ft in fifteen minutes.
What will drain resources faster than any other foreground operation?
Large area search.
What can be said about backup lines in enclosed mall fires?
They are a necessity and they have a dual role. To protect the interior crew and ensure their route of egress and they may also be needed to maintain the evacuation route for civilians.
What is proper line placement for a backup crew?
Directly behind the interior crew. They aren’t looking for fire, they’re looking for victims.
What is the first responsibility of the backup team?
Search crews, if they are inside.
When should the support team start inward to meet the RIT members in they are using 60 minute bottles?
No more than 12 minutes after the bottles have been activated.
What happens if the travel time for the RIT from the safe zone to the target area is more than 15 minutes?
There’ll be problems. Each member of the RIT support team needs to carry two or more bottles.
If staffing allow, where should paramedics be assigned?
One to triage and one to treatment.
What is a major issue at a fire in an enclosed mall?
Salvage. Significant loss of property can be averted if merchandise is protected as soon as possible from the effect of fire.
