Chapter 10 - The Early Stages of Emergency Operations Flashcards
What is imperative for the first arriving company to do at high rise fires?
Assume command.
As a general practice the first arriving company should never what?
Leave the lobby.
In all firefighting what is the first and highest priority?
Rescue and protection of endangered occupants.
What is very important to determine about the alarm floor?
If it has open tenant stairs and to where they extend.
With help on the way the incident commander can concentrate on the top priority of what?
Formulating a plan for the well-being of the building occupants.
The decision to evacuate the building leave occupants where they are or move to a safer floor is largely based on what?
The ventilation system
If no answers are available what should you assume about smoke?
Assume the entire building is threatened by migrating smoke.
Sometimes the best way to protect occupants is to do what?
Quickly put the fire out.
What must be done before the door to the fire floor is held open?
The entire attack stairwell must be cleared of occupants
Heavily involved high-rise floors may not be extinguished until what?
Some of the fuel has been consumed.
If the building still has occupants in it and if there is any doubt about being able to put the fire out, the initial focus should be on what?
Confining the fire.
That means leaving the stairwell doors closed and preventing extension of the fire to the floor above.
What walls may define the boundaries of the fire?
Demising
What is perhaps the most crucial variable in high-rise fires?
Location and magnitude of the fire.
If the nature of the ventilation system cannot be determined what must be assumed?
Lives are endangered by migrating smoke.
What is a serious fire?
If the IC cannot be confident of quickly putting a fire out.
Best practice is for firefighters to use elevators that do what?
Do not serve the fire floor, but get them close to it.
Once an elevator is in operation which floor should be selected?
The first floor above the elevator lobby.
If the elevator operates properly and stops at the test floor proceed to which floor?
Two floors below the suspected fire floor.
If there is heavy fire or smoke on that floor which floor do you try?
Take the elevator down one floor and try again.
When firefighters enter the stairwells before mounting the steps what is a good idea?
To label some directional indicators on the stairwell walls.
There are always at least how many stairwells?
At least two.
What are indications that the stairwell is pressurized? (3)
Firefighters may feel a rush of air as they open the door to enter the stairwell.
They may see ventilation openings in the stairwell wall.
They may hear the pressurization fan running.
Investigation of which floors is imminently important?
The floors immediately above and below the fire.
