New Highrise

Question 1

What do we mean when we refer to a high rise building?

Answer 1

A building that is 6 floors and above
over 18m
A high-rise building is defined as a building containing floors at such height or position that external firefighting and rescue operations may not be feasible.

Question 2

You are the initial appliance at a fire in a high rise incident. what is your first priority

Answer 2

Securing the water supply

Question 3

What is the PDA for a fire in a high rise building?

Answer 3

5 pumps
Aerial appliance
Station Commander

Question 4

What is the PDA for A1 HR (fire highrise) which involves exterior cladding?

Answer 4

10 pumps
Aerial Appliance
Station Commander

Question 5

what is the PDA for highrise fire with multiple calls? (3 calls or more)

Answer 5

8 pumps
aerial Appliance
Station Commander

Question 6

What are the roles of the first two appliances?

Answer 6

First appliance
IC - Stay out side he building
MD - water supply and Riser 
FF - BA, 2x 45mm and TIC
FF - BA, 2x 45mm

Second Appliance
IC - Sector commander Fire - F.I.R.E bag + hydraulic door opening tool
MD - Assist with water supply
FF - ECO, IEC, FIB
FF - to carry out a comprehensive 360-degree scene survey.

Question 7

Third and fourth appliances to arrival at high rise will have the roles?

Answer 7

Third Appliance
IC - brief 4th to be external spotters
MD, FF, FF - 2 x BA, 2x 45mm, branch, ECB stand, Enforcer and report to the bridgehead

Forth Appliance
IC, MD, FF, FF - External spotters, IC with TIC

Question 8

What is the role of the firth Appliance?

Answer 8

IC - ECB, ECB stand, FIB and TIC
FF - 2x 45mm and Branch (bridgehead support)
MD + FF - Assist Aerial Appliance with water supply

Question 9

When siting appliances at a high incident what are considerations?

Answer 9

Aerials
other specialist appliances
other Agencies
Falling debris
Evacuation of building
Fire spread

Question 10

Name 5 possible symptoms that could indicate that the building as i should do?

Answer 10

multiple emergency calls (four or more 999 calls to the same address) or multiple fire survival guidance (FSG) calls, defined as three FSG calls or more from one premise type or a number of premises within a building; PN 790 - Fire survival guidance calls
emergency or FSG calls are being received to the same building but from a location that is remote from the initial fire
where it becomes apparent that Brigade Control is reaching capacity to manage the number of 999 calls and duration of individual FSG calls, the IC’s situational awareness may be impaired.
large numbers of people are evacuating
there is rapid spread of fire or smoke, either externally or internally from one compartment and/or floor to another
fire and/or products of combustion spread to locations within the premises remote from the original fire
fire is spreading via external cladding
reports of deteriorating conditions internally
where it is not possible to deliver sufficient extinguishing media or, for other reasons, firefighting activity is not controlling or extinguishing the fire

Question 11

With such limited time on arrival, the crew needs to immediately take steps to put a safe system of work into action. The key actions to take are?

Answer 11

• As a priority, to secure a water supply
• Then, secure the fire lift
• Set up bridgehead (F.I.R.E System)
• External Safety Officers take positions
• Implement cordons

All of these actions can take place simultaneously if enough Firefighters are present.

Question 12

Can an attack on the fire floor or the fire floor recce is carried out be carried out before external spotters are in place?

Answer 12

NO

the external spoters must be in place and must have an unimpeded view of all sides of the building.

Question 13

What level of FF must an external spotter be?

Answer 13

Competent FF and above

Question 14

In the early stages of an incident ESOs will report directly to?

Answer 14

the ECO and IC. This is essential to keep the IC’s situational awareness up to date while passing time critical information for the BA team. Lines of communication are likely to evolve if the incident or structure develops and it is likely that the ESOs will report to Sector Commander Safety.

Question 15

What will the ESO’s be expected to report back on?

Answer 15

• Change to smoke colour
• Failure of windows
• The appearance of smoke or flames in any external cladding
• Poss signs of spread of flames and smoke from any adjacent or remote parts of the building

Question 16

Is there the potential to attack the fire externally, if vented, with a solid core jet to delay the further development of the fire? but at what height will -
Delta 400, Ground monitor, Aerial monitor

Answer 16

• Delta 400 branch - will reach 4th floor
• a Ground Monitor will reach 10th floor
• an aerial monitor up to 64m provided they can get access.

Question 17

what does F.I.R.E bag stand for?

Answer 17

First Initial Response Equipment (F.I.R.E)

Question 18

What is the minimum rank for a Sector commander Fire?

Answer 18

The minimum rank of the Sector Commander Fire should be Leading Firefighter.

They are responsible for setting up the Bridgehead and committing teams to carry out any tasks beyond the bridgehead in line with the IC’s plan.

Nobody is to proceed beyond the bridgehead without the Sector Commander Fire’s authorisation, there is no room for freelancing, even with the best of intentions.

Question 19

Are the IC and ECO able to proceed to the Fire to perform a recce? and what must be in place?

Answer 19

Yes, it will give them an opportunity to see if a attack and back up jet could set into the fire floor. The potential benefits of taking the initial and back up jets from the fire floor are that the potential for compromising the fire doors leading onto the stairwells are minimised.

• They must not go past the protected stair
• External spotters must be in place
• communications
• maintain two door separation from the fire compartment.
• TIC

Question 20

Whilst a recce is being carried out by the IC and ECO, what could the BA crews do?

Answer 20

As the fire floor is likely to repeat the floor layout at the bridgehead, one BA wearer should recce the bridgehead floor layout, noting the location of the DRM outlet, door locks and configurations, to identify what forced entry equipment might be needed and any requirement for codes or drop keys, while the other BA wearer keeps control of the fire lift.

Question 21

In High rise procedure, it maybe possible after a DRA to set-in the attack and back jet (with dividing breaching) from the fire floor but this is only possible if?

Answer 21

two doors of separation are maintained

Question 22

What needs to be in place, as a minimum, to send the message “high rise procedure implemented”

Answer 22

the safe systems of work are -
- The location of the bridgehead has been risk assessed as appropriate for the incident.

• Access and egress to and from the bridgehead is secured and maintained.
• The bridgehead is established and a charged jet is ready for deployment. (changed from two Jets)

Question 23

If it has been confirmed that there is no immediate life risk, what must be in place before the initial crew is committed?

Answer 23

The initial BA must not be committed to the fire compartment without the back-up BA team unless there is an immediate risk to life or an immediate risk of serious escalation of the incident if action is not taken.