Ch 7. Fighting Fires in Older Apartment Buildings

Question 1

problems that exist in older apartment buildings

Answer 1

Life Hazards and ease of fire spread

pg 67

Question 2

These subdivided structures [older apartment buildings] pose a tremendous problem from the standpoint of ___.

Answer 2

Fire protection

pg 67

Question 3

Many of these buildings [older apartment buildings] are ___ construction.

Answer 3

balloon frame

pg 67

Question 4

The biggest threat of fire spread lies in ___, usually the interior stairway.

Answer 4

dominant vertical channel

pg 67

Question 5

What allows us to get inside and have a look around these [older apartment] buildings to see where fire can and will spread?

Answer 5

EMS runs

pg 67

Question 6

A ___ ties the wythes of brick together.

Answer 6

header course

pg 68

Question 7

What will likely make or break you at a fire in an older apartment building?

Answer 7

The construction features.

pg 69

Question 8

It shouldn’t com as too much of a surprise to find ___ that havent been approved [in older apartment buildings].

Answer 8

alterations

pg 69

Question 9

Far too many of these [older apartment] buildings aren’t ___.

Answer 9

up to building codes

pg 69

Question 10

[Older apartment] Buildings with masonry walls will almost certainly have ___, especially on ___ walls.

Answer 10

header courses; load-bearing

pg 69

Question 11

The header courses ___.

Answer 11

tie the masonry together

pg 69

Question 12

If you find header courses, suspect a ___ building.

Answer 12

true masonry

pg 69

Question 13

If no header courses are visible, then chances are you’ll find ___ in the exterior walls. Fire can and will ___ inside these apparently crick walls.

Answer 13

wood studs; spread vertically

pg 69

Question 14

With ordinary and wood-frame buildings, the interior walls will be of ___. Original walls will be of ___. Newer walls will be of ___.

Answer 14

wood; lath and plaster; plasterboard

pg 69

Question 15

The [older apartment buildings] roof assemblies will almost always be supported by ___. These will be ___ in flat roofs and at about a ___ degree angle in gable roofs.

Answer 15

wooden rafters; nearly horizontal; 45

pg 69

Question 16

Most buildings that were originally designed as apartment buildings have ___ roofs.

Answer 16

flat

pg 69-70

Question 17

The ___ will contain the last set of ceiling joists and the rafters above them.

Answer 17

cockloft

pg 70

Question 18

The roof’s final exterior weather proofing, for either type of [older apartment] building, will be of ___; ___; or of a ___ over either wooden planks or plywood.

Answer 18

tarpaper; tar and gravel; newer membrane roof

pg 70

Question 19

If you find ___ [on the roof or floors of older apartment buildings], suspect that alterations have taken place on the existing roof.

Answer 19

plywood

pg 70

Question 20

[Older apartment] Buildings of true ordinary construction have their upper floors tied into either ___ of a ___.

Answer 20

joist pockets; corbel

pg 70

Question 21

True ordinary construction floors are supported by ___ wooden joists. These will generally run ___ to the shortest exterior walls- normally the front and back walls. This would indicate that any walls ___ to the joists are load-bearing.

Answer 21

2x8 or larger; parallel; perpendicular

pg 70

Question 22

The set of joists that support the first floor will be set into pockets; otherwise, they’ll be resting on ___.

Answer 22

the foundation.

pg 70

Question 23

In ___ construction, the joist on the foundation will be nailed to the exterior side wall. The joists rest directly on the ___ and are nailed to the studs. On the upper floors, the joists rest on a ___ and are again nailed to the studs.

Answer 23

balloon frame; sill; ribbon

pg 70-71

Question 24

Sill:

balloon frame vs platform frame

Answer 24

balloon frame: the bottom portion of the exterior wall
Platform frame: rests on top of the foundation
pg 71

Question 25

Besides the stairway, which is the dominant vertical channel, ___ can also cause concern because, in there, fire can travel to all areas of the building, especially in the case of balloon frame construction.

Answer 25

hidden voids within walls

pg 71

Question 26

A large multi-family home being subdivided into apartments may only provide ___ for the tenants.

Answer 26

one way in and out

pg 71

Question 27

Some of these lack interior stairways. Fire in almost any portion of a building can bring heavy smoke and intense heat to ___. Consider these to be a priority for early search.

Answer 27

attic apartments.

pg 71

Question 28

3 Primary problems in older apartment buildings

Answer 28

1. Civilian life safety
2. firefighter safety
3. fire spread
   pg 71

Question 29

___ will help you detect whether fire is spreading vertically or not.

Answer 29

opening up early and often

pg 72

Question 30

Understanding ___ and having ___ keeps many fires small and manageable

Answer 30

construction features; sufficient personnel

pg 72

Question 31

___ and ___ are the most important strategic considerations at these [older apartment building] fires

Answer 31

Cutting of spread; capturing the dominant vertical channel

pg 72

Question 32

[in older apartment building fires] Place the first line so as to ___. In almost every case, ___ will prove the most expedient route.

Answer 32

keep the fire confined to the original apartment.; running the line up the front stairway
pg 72

Question 33

Normally, older apartment buildings have ___ stairways, with the apartments arranged ___ on either side. ___ units per floor is the norm.

Answer 33

center; symmetrically; 4

pg 72

Question 34

___ is the main killer in these [older apartment building] fires.

Answer 34

The dominant vertical channel

pg 73

Question 35

What two tactics will serve to remedy the problem of the by-product of combustion traveling upward and endangering the occupants on the upper floors [of older apartment buildings]?

Answer 35

1. roof ventilation directly of the stairway
2. bring in backup line
   pg 73

Question 36

2 purposes of backup line in older apartment building fires

Answer 36

1. ensure the stairway is clear
2. ensure that crews and self-evacuating tenants can transit the area safely
   pg 73

Question 37

Fire flows of ___ gpm will be required if approximately half of a single apartment is involved

Answer 37

200

pg 74

Question 38

When do you need to check the apartment directly above the fire for extension?

Answer 38

as soon as the flames have been knocked down

pg 74

Question 39

The ventilation crew’s immediate concern on arrival should be with ___.

Answer 39

the dominant vertical channel.

pg 74

Question 40

Many [older apartment buildings] have ___ over the main interior stairway, and this makes initial topside ventilation easier.

Answer 40

a skylight

pg 74

Question 41

Unless needed elsewhere, where should the ventilation crew remain and why?

Answer 41

on the roof in case the fire takes some other avenue and finds the cockloft
pg75

Question 42

Besides initial venting, when can horizontal ventilation begin?

Answer 42

after the bulk of the fire has been knocked down

pg 75

Question 43

what can be effective in spot-venting small areas?

Answer 43

negative-pressure electric fans

pg 75

Question 44

Unless you drill with ___ and use it all the time, and unless you’re certain how an influx of air will influence fire spread in each individual structure, it may be best to wait until the fire has been knocked down before using them.

Answer 44

Positive-pressure ventilation

pg 75

Question 45

Under most circumstances, initial lines will be ___ of older apartment buildings.

Answer 45

taken through the front door

pg 76

Question 46

Even if there is another way out [of older apartment buildings], ___ and ___ may thwart most of the occupants from rescuing themselves.

Answer 46

rapid fire spread; heavy smoke condition in the common hallway
pg 77

Question 47

The best way in and the area to start the search can often be derermined from ___

Answer 47

outside.

pg 77

Question 48

In commencing search operations, the rule is to ___.

Answer 48

start as close to the fire where savable victims might be, then work back and up until the atmosphere is no longer IDLH.
pg 77

Question 49

A ___ search may prove safer and more efficient if the apartments are very large or very deep.

Answer 49

modified oriented

pg 77

Question 50

They key [to a modified oriented search] is in ___

Answer 50

maintaining voice contact with the searchers.

pg 77

Question 51

One of the primary concerns [for the backup crew] is ___.

Answer 51

maintaining the most direct route inward for firefighters and the most direct route outward for evacuees.
pg 77

Question 52

It must be stressed that the sole purpose of the backup group is ___

Answer 52

to protect interior crews and ensure the viability of a safe path.
pg 77

Question 53

___ do not seek out and extinguish fires

Answer 53

backup crews

pg 77

Question 54

when might a backup crew be assigned first? and where should they be placed?

Answer 54

a fire in which heavy fire is in the lower floors of the building and threatening the main stairway. It should be place on the stairway.
pg 77

Question 55

What is the best indicator as to whether fire has entered a void within a wall?

Answer 55

bare hands on the wall

pg 78

Question 56

Who should be responsible to assess the building and determine alternate, emergency means of ingress and egress?

Answer 56

RIT

pg 79-80

Question 57

Logically, who is the best person to track the location of interior crew?

Answer 57

a member of RIT

pg 80