High Rise - June 2013 Flashcards
High Rise Manual
What is the definition of a high-rise building?
A building with either six or more stories or a building where the highest occupied story/floor is greater than 75 feet from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.
Page 2
The time needed to asses the situation upon arrival of the first units, gather information from the annunciator panel or fire control room and building personnel, identify and confirm fire floor, proceed to that floor, locate the fire, and prepare to operate is known as ___________.
Reflex time
Page 2
High-rise of this type are characterized by center hallways, numerous interior compartments (such as rooms, closets, etc.), and 24-hour occupancy.
Residential high rises
Page 3
Commercial high-rise buildings are characterized by _________ construction.
Center-core construction
Page 3
What are some common features to high-rise structures built prior to 1976?
- Compartmentalized office and residential spaces with maze like corridors.
- Non-compartmentalized open floor plans for commercial office occupancies.
- Presence of window air conditioning units and / or lack of building-wide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems
- Conventional windows that may be opened
- Lack of suspended ceiling (less hidden void space)
- Steel structural members encased in concrete.
- Exterior, masonry walls that are tied directly into each floor
- Pre- or post-tensioned concrete floors
- Reinforced concrete columns.
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A high-rise building constructed after the 1976 code change will be of _______, which provides resistance to collapse of structural members and floors and resistance to the passage of fire through floors and horizontal barriers.
Fire resistive construction.
Page 6
Required fire protection features for high-rises built after 1976 include what 8 features?
- A class 3 standpipe system The outlets on this system are 2.5 inches in diamater and have 1.5 inch reducers.
- A compartmentation option existed for buildings built prior to April 1991, however, the vast majority of high-rise buildings in northern Virginia were constructed after 1976 and are either partially or fully sprinklered.
- Firefighter’s service to the elevators
- HVAC systems capable of exhausting smoke
- At least two approved means of egress from each floor
- A building communications system
- A fire control room
- Standby and emergency power systems
Page 6
With a few rare exceptions, all occupied high-rise buildings in Northern Virginia have what 3 features?
- At least two approved exits from each floor.
- Enclosed stairwells
- Some type of smoke control system or compartmentation.
3b. This includes: windows that can be opened, tempered glass panels on at least two sides of the building that can be broken out, or a modified HVAC system that can exhaust smoke to the outside without contamination other floors.
Page 6
To create a fire wall, what is typically used to enclose stairway, elevator and other shafts in a high-rise?
What is the typical fire resistance rating at minimum?
Multiple layers or thick gypsum and masonry walls.
These will typically have a two-hour fire resistance rating at minimum.
Page 6
A common type of flat roof construction uses ______ with a rubberized or tar and gravel top layer supported by a steel bar joist.
This is also known as a _______.
composite Q decking
Built-up roof
Page 7
The interior walls of a residential high-rise, and when present in office use, will typically be made of ____________________.
Gypsum board mounted to metal studs.
Page 9
What is reinforced drywall?
Drywall that looks identical to regular drywall but encased inside the drywall is either a wire mesh or a solid sheet of Lexan.
Page 9
Many buildings with newer construction have exterior curtain walls constructed of glass or pre-cast metal or masonry panels.
Due to the way curtain walls are mounted to the floor sections or frame of a building, gaps of _________ to _______ inches are common between the floor and the exterior wall.
6 to 12 inches
Page 10
In this type of floor found in high-rise construction, the floor actually forms both the floor and the ceiling area for the level below.
Composite “Q” floor assembly.
Page 11
Fire resistive measures for floor/ceiling support systems include the direct application of spray-on fireproofing also known as ______ and suspended ceiling assemblies known as _______.
Intumescent coating
Membrane fireproofing
Page 11
Sprayed on asbestos fiber may be present in buildings built prior to what year ?
1980
Page 11
Low mass concrete is also referred to as ____ and can consist of up to _____ % air to reduce the density of the concrete.
Formed Concrete
20%
Page 11
Low mass concrete is ___% to ____% lighter than traditional concrete depending on how the mixture is proportioned.
10% to 88%
Page 12
Generally, buildings with fixed windows are required to have certain windows that can be broken. How do you tell which windows can be broken?
They are marked with a Maltese cross or fire helmet etched in the lower corner of the pane.
Page 13
_____ stairs usually have individual entrances and access only one section of the building.
i.e. Only go to floors 1 - 4 in a 12 story building.
Isolated
Page 14
_______ stairs are open, unprotected stairways leading from floor to floor within a single occupant’s space.
Accommodation Stairs
AKA access or convenience stairs
Page 16
When in a stairwell, what does the presence of a gate denote?
The last floor with an exterior exit.
Page 18 - Figure 19
Generally (after 1976), a hydrant should be located within how many feet of the FDC?
100 Feet
Page 20
Some HVAC systems have _______, a form of passive fire protection installed in the duct work, which is controlled by a fusible link that limits fire spread through the ducts.
Dampers
Page 24
Elevators in high-rise structures are typically controlled by __________.
electric traction
Page 24
What type of elevator allows the machinery to be mounted in the elevator shaft and / or on top of the elevator car?
A belt-driven system.
Page 24
These types of elevators bypass a portion of the building via a blind shaft which serves only a specified portion of the building and has no openings on other floors.
Express elevator
Page 24
What is the difference between independent service and firefighter’s service in elevators?
In independent service the elevator car doors will open automatically when arriving to a specified floor.
In firefighter’s service, the doors will not open until the “door open” button has been activated.
Page 25
Fire control rooms will contain what 10 features?
- Annunciator panel(s)
- Telephone communication systems.
- Public address system
- Pressurization / smoke control systems
- HVAC controls
- Emergency generator and standby power status
- Automatic door unlocking system activate when the building goes into alarm.
- Telephone with an outside line for communication
- Key box with multiple sets of keys
- Copy of building plans indicating a typical floor plan, means of egress, fire protection systems, and fire department access.
Page 27
What is mushrooming?
Smoke rising upward from the fire floor to the roof / ceiling level. The smoke then banks off the roof / ceiling and migrates downward, back to the fire floor.
Page 30
What does cool and low lying smoke (cold smoke) indicated?
Fire that has been brought under control by the sprinkler system.
Page 31
The natural movement of air within a relatively tightly sealed building due to the temperature difference between the air on the inside and outside of the structure.
Stack effect.
Page 31
This may occur in sealed buildings when the temperature of the smoke is produced is not sufficient to cause it to rise all the way to the top of the building.
Stratification
Page 31
Movement of air in a vertical shaft, due to the outside temperature being higher than that inside can cause _________.
A reverse stack effect (smoke banks below the actual fire)
Page 32
What is the most effective method for controlling and preventing flashover?
Cool the overhead area using solid or straight streams.
Page 33
Wind driven fires can occur in winds as low as ______.
10-20 mph
Page 33
What 5 conditions must occur in order for a wind-driven fire to occur?
- Fire in the structure
- Failed or open window to the outside in the fire area / apartment
- Presence of wind on the exterior of the structure.
- Failed or open window to area / apartment leading into a common hallway (usually caused by the fleeing occupant leaving the door open).
- Unobstructed path to an outlet for the fire to vent (open apartment door across the hall, open stairwell, or open bulkhead door).
Page 33
Why should you not force the door directly across from the fire apartment in a wind driven fire?
This will allow the wind driven fire to have an outlet and increase the intensity of the fire.
Page 34
Contents of high rises have a rate of heat release that can allow for a fire to double in size every ______ seconds.
90 seconds
Page 34
The operational plan for high-rise fires must consist of what five basic points?
- Determine the fire floor
- Verify the fire floor
- Control Occupants
- Control of building systems.
- Confine and extinguish the fire.
Page 40
Whenever the initial line used in a high rise is a preconnected line from the engine, what 3 things must still happen?
- This must be communicated to other units.
- The engine operator must remain at the pump panel rather than abandon the apparatus.
- It is imperative that the standpipe system still be supplied.
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The fire load in residential occupancies is considered low and requires a fire flow of _______.
10 gpm per 100 sq. ft. of involved area.
Page 42
The fire load in commercial occupancies is considered moderate and requires a fire flow of _______.
20 gpm per 100 sq. ft. of involved arae.
Page 42
Companies should stop where when using the elevators on a high rise fire?
At least 2 floors below the fire floor.
If the fire is on the 6th floor or lower, personnel should walk up.
Page 48
What is the max amount of companies that should be in an elevator at 1 time?
2
Page 48
If the first and second engine are paired up on one line, where should the people on the 2nd officer and the fire fighters be positioned?
The second officer should be positioned at the stand pipe.
One firefighter should work the door from the stairwell to feed the hose as it moves.
Additional firefighters should be positioned at obstacles, pinch point and turns.
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What are the responsibilities of the third due engine?
Establish water supply to the secondary FDC (if one is present).
***If so, the driver / operator will have to remain with the apparatus. If no secondary FDCs are present then the entire crew can abandon the apparatus.
View the opposite side of the structure from where the first due engine position. Take note of fire / smoke location, number of floors, conditions evident, and persons in distress and report via radio
Proceed to the floor above the fire to work with the second truck company in checking for extension and for occupants.
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What are the responsibilities of the fourth due engine?
Park away from the building
The entire crew proceeds to the attack stairwell one floor below as the RIT.
*If the fire is below grade, the RIT shall position outside the IDLH however in close proximity of the fire floor. This may be one floor above the fire floor but not below the fire floor.
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What are the responsibilities of the fifth due engine?
The fifth due engine will report directly to the command post. Upon conferring with the Incident Commander, the entire crew will report to the lobby area of the building to assume lobby control.
Page 51
In residential high rises, what are your search priorities?
The fire unit
Exit hallways
The adjacent units and the unit(s) across the hall from the involved unit(s)
Page 53 and 54
In non-residential high rises, what are your search priorities?
The immediate fire area and floor
The floor above the fire area
The top floor including the hallways, stairwells, and elevators leading to these areas
Floors between the floor above the fire and the top floor
Page 54
Every alarm after the first alarm will bring at least what units?
At least 3 engines, 1 truck and one battalion chief
Page 56
What are the responsibilities of the 6th due engine?
The 6th engine establishes base and its driver becomes the initial base officer (it is expected that command will later assign an officer to this position as the command structure is built).
The officer should check in with the Incident Commander for assignment.
The remaining personnel should be prepared to set up staging at least two floors below the fire floor.
Page 57
How many spare cylinders should each unit on a 2nd alarm or greater bring to staging?
Two spare cylinders per unit
Page 57
What are the 5 main task of lobby control?
- Unit tracking and recording (officer and FF)
- Elevator operations (Driver / Operator)
- Building systems control (Left Bucket FF)
- Stairwell identification
- Coordinating civilian evacuation of building.
Page 58
What are the three basic ventilation tactics for highrises?
- Horizontal through windows.
- Vertical through stairwells
- Use of the building’s HVAC system
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