Residential and Commercial Townhouse Manual Flashcards
What has caused an increase of life safety hazard?
Potential of early collapse due to light weight construction
Because a variety of layouts and floor plans, what must be completed upon arrival?
A 360 lap to view as many sides as possible
What are characteristics of a townhouse?
Each occupancy has a separate address and its own entrance.
How many floors do townhouses range from??
Two to four floors in height and may be different in height from front to rear.
What is the definition of a townhouse?
A multi-story dwelling normally attached to several other units.
What is a back to back townhouse?
a townhouse consisting of two or more occupancies under one roof connected by side Charlie wall.
What is a piggyback townhouse?
Two stacked dwellings (one over the other) each with a separate address and entrance. Both share a common floor separated by a fire wall on that floor.
What is an over-under townhouse?
Two stacked dwellings (one over the other), usually with entrances on opposite sides.
What is a row house?
A multi-story building attached to at least two other dwellings which may or may not be separated by firewalls. Typically rowhomes have a common cockloft under a flat roof.
What is a duplex?
Two dwellings under on roof sharing a common wall.
What is a quad?
Four dwellings connected together under on roof with separate addresses.
What is a hybrid building?
A construction style that can be inclusive of various types of townhouse styles under one roof.
What is typical construction of a townhouse?
Lightweight frame using platform frame method (including fire stopping).
What is the typical construction of duplex and rowhomes?
Ordinary construction
What are the two types of roof frames?
Lightweight and wood frame
What is roof decking typically made of?
4’ x 8’ plywood sheathing or particleboard
What is a lightweight roof?
Triangular trusses that rest on the top floor load bearing and non load bearing walls, or parallel chord trusses or plywood I beams forming the peak from the front and rear load bearing walls to a ridge pole.
What is a wood frame roof?
Sawn wood rafters forming the peak from the front and rear load bearing walls to a ridgepole
What are typical roof decking materials on flat roof townhomes?
Gypsum integrated with fiberglass
Many townhomes in the 1980’s have what kind of plywood sheathing roof deck, known to decompose and be very dangerous?
Fire retardant
What are the typical roof styles of townhomes, and what can they occasionally be?
Pitched is typical, sometimes gabled, but can include flat or mansard.
What may be present in some attics?
Water heater and HVAC units. Some may have living spaces
When accessing the attic from the interior, where is the safest place to do so?
Hallways or bathrooms
What are walls typically constructed of? What kind of studs can be found?
2x4 wood studs. Lightweight aluminum studs may be found in non load bearing walls.
What kind of walls found in units with lofts or dormers will contain void spaces or may serve as storage?
Knee walls
What are foundation walls made from?
masonry block or poured reinforced concrete monolithic (cast in place)
Depending on when the townhouse was constructed, firewalls can be?
- Non-existent
- located between each address
- located between every other address
- between occupied living spaces and does not extend into the attics or basements
Firewalls can be constructed of what two types of materials?
Gypsum on both sides of wall studs or masonry
Rooflines may be what at each address to accomplish separating attic space?
Offset
What is the spacing of floor joists, trusses, or beams?
16 to 24 inches
What is the most common style of windows in townhouses?
double-hung, sliding sash
How should casement windows be treated if they are found?
As if they are barred windows and they should be completely removed
What ways do exterior doors swing on residential townhomes?
Inward
What way does the exterior doors on a commercial townhome swing?
Outward
Inward swinging doors typically lead to _____ and _____ while outward swinging doors usually lead to _____ or _____.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
Basement stairs and closets
What are the standard locks on exterior doors?
Mortise and rim
What kind of stairways are typically found in townhomes and how are they laid out?
Open stairway; Stacked over each other
Chimneys can be either ____ or ____
Masonry with a tile flue or wood framed with a metal flue
Interior walls of garages attached to living spaces must be what, including door frame, door, and hardware.
Fire rated
What is the estimated fire flow rate on a townhome?
10 gpm per 100 square feet
Vinyl and asphalt siding can contribute to what?
Vertical and horizontal fire spreading
Personal entering a fire with fire under them must _____
Sound the floor!
Life safety is the highest priority and should be achieved through what?
Interior fire containment and extinguishment with a thorough primary search.
When all occupants have been accounted for, what is the strategic goal?
Firefighter safety and fire extinguishment
How should the rescue problem be addressed?
Interior primary search for victims focusing on areas near the fire, as well as bedrooms and means of egress
How should the interior exposure problem be handled?
Rapid containment of the fire including advancement of an interior attack line to protect any occupants within the structure focusing on the interior stairway if present or vertical voids.
Crews ordered to perform rooftop ventilation on a lightweight room must ______.
Be independently supported by the use of an aerial device or a roof ladder
What situations should cue a second alarm?
Known rescues
Fire in two separate occupancies
Fire on more than one level of a townhome
Fire in the attic space
What is the first alarm for a townhouse fire?
4 engines 2 trucks 1 rescue 1 medic unit 2 BC 1 command air 1 EMS capt
What is the assignment list for a tanker task force?
3 tankers
1 Engine
1 BC
What is the first engines initial action?
View as many sides as possible, position to allow for rapid advancement of hoselines, leave priority position for the truck… Pull at least 2 address past or before the involved unit to make sure the truck has is positioning.
What is the second engines initial action?
Ensure water supply, ensure first line is operational, deploy second line
What is the third engines initial action?
Position to allow crew rapid access to the structure while maintaining access and egress to the incident for additional resources. Prepare for secondary water. Visual inspection of side charlie, check for fire extension and possible exposure line. If it cannot park on side charlie, THE THIRD ARRIVING ENGINE SHOULD POSITION AT THE END OF THE ROW CLOSEST TO THE INVOLVED UNIT TO ENSURE HOSLINES CAN BE PLACED IN THE REAR.
What is the fourth engines initial action?
Position out of the way, RIT, driver ensures secondary water is complete.
What is the first trucks initial action?
Position in most strategic location that will allow for rapid placement of ladders and entry to the structure. Turntable should be placed directly in front of or upwind of the involved area. Other duties; force entry, conduct primary search, coordinate ventilation.
What is the second trucks initial action?
Position on the rear or in a position to cover the rear. If no access, position on side A in front of the uncovered exposure. Rear operations are still priority.
The second line for most townhouse fires will be placed where?
With the initial attack line or above the fire.
Where is the second line typically pulled from?
The first engine
What are the purposes of the line above the fire?
Protect the company doing the search and extinguish vertical extension
How many hoselines can be stretched through one enterance?
NO MORE THAN TWO
Where should master streams be aimed?
At corners of the building and not directly at the building, utilizing a sweeping motion when flowing water
What size line should be used for a soffit attack?
2 1/2 inch matching the pitch of the roof and flowing under the gutter through the soffit.
What are two particularly challenging characteristics of basement fires?
- limited access points
- The potential to have immediate, unimpeded fire impingement on the structural support for the floor above
What are two important needs of the two lines on a basement fire?
to be coordinated and rapidly get into position is of the utmost importance
What is the preferred point of initial attack of a basement fire?
an exterior access point that leads directly into the basement
What kind of nozzle pattern should be used if a basement cant be isolated?
Narrow fog pattern aimed at the ceiling over the stairway to contain the fire to stop vertical extension
How should well advanced basement fires be handled when there is no exterior entrance?
- A fire stream through a basement window
- Removing a band board on the exterior, using a straight or solid stream once this is complete
- Extend a window cut down
- Deploy a bresnan distributor nozzle from the exterior placing the nozzle over the immediate fire area is preferred and most effective
If a determination is made that a basement attack must be made through the interior, what must be in place before that happens?
A second handline
When large volume flows are anticipated, what should be designated early in the incident?
A water supply officer
If you do not need reach or penetration of a master stream, what nozzle should be used?
A narrow fog nozzle because it will extinguish fire more rapidly than a smooth bore nozzle.
What must be considered when dealing with brick veneer?
This single layer of brick may easily collapse under fire and master stream conditions
Why are tower ladders generally preferred over deck guns and straight ladders?
They have greater scrub area and rapid mobility
Winds as low as what can cause wind driven fires?
10-20 MPH
What are the five conditions that must exist for wind driven fires to occur?
- Fire in the structure
- Failed or open window to the outside in the fire area
- Presence of wind on the exterior of the structure
- Failed or open living area
- An unobstructed path to an outlet for the fire to vent
When personnel cannot make entry, NIST recommend what alternatives?
- Using elevated master streams through fire room window
- Via portable ladders
- Large caliber streams and wind at the back of the crew
For large volume fires, first engine may have to what?
Perform a holding action or quick knockdown on the townhouse of origin using a master stream device or 2 1/2 inch hoseline
Where should the second line be stretched in large volume fires?
The most severely threatened exposure, most likely downwind.
What is paramount in the quick control of a large volume fire and must be a priority of arriving engine companies?
Water supply
When determining placement of a truck company on a contents fire with aggressive interior attack, where should the turntable be placed?
In front of the involved unit
If the fire is in an attic, where should the turntable of the truck be placed?
In front of the upwind exposure
For Heavy involved fire that require the use of master streams, where should the first and second truck companies position?
The first should position with the turntable in front of the most threatened exposure.
The second should position with the turntable in front of the next most threatened exposure
If possible, both turntables should be able to rotate back to the original fire occupancy to assist with completion of extinguishment
Before venting a fire, what must be in place and ready?
The initial handline
Where are the two most dangerous areas of a fire?
The area closest to the fire on the fire floor and the area above the fire
Where are the most critical areas to search?
Means of egress and sleeping areas
Support for the primary search should include what?
Ladders to the upper story windows and hoseline engaged on the fire
What are the two reasons ventilation is preformed?
To support a search or support fire attack
Where should laddering take place?
All available sides of all floors above ground level with attention given to bedroom windows. This can generally be accomplished with ladders less than 35 feet.
Crews assigned to perform rooftop ventilation on lightweight construction must…
Be independently supported by the use of an aerial device or a roof ladder
What does defending the firewall mean?
Applying heavy caliber streams to the fire side of the firewall to prevent horizontal spread of fire to the attached exposure.
