Vacants FFP Flashcards
At vacant building fires, it is often possible to conduct an interior attack for the expeditious extinguishment of the fire and the release of units, but the obligation for this method of attack is not mandatory as it is in an occupied building. Prior to implementing interior operations, the Incident Commander (IC) must perform a risk assessment keeping in mind that the life hazard and safety of the members involved in the operation is of paramount concern.
-The IC may implement an interior attack after a risk assessment has been performed based on the following factors?
1.1.3 ⢠Current structural stability of the building. ⢠Any known life hazard. ⢠Size and location of the fire. ⢠Verification of safe access to fire area. ALL SS A- Access L- Life Known L- Location Fire
S- Size
S- Structural stability
-If interior operations are implemented, the operating force and interior operational time shall be kept to a minimum with the maximum amount of supervision.
-
True/False?
At large and/or advanced fires, exterior operations should be the primary tactical consideration. The IC may vary from this should life hazard or extreme exposure protection issues be critical.
True
1.1.3
DECISION AS TO METHOD OF ATTACK
Determination of method of attack, exterior or interior, may have to be made by the first arriving officer. As in any fire situation, a size-up must be made.
1.4.1 General considerations:?
1.4
A. Any known or indicated presence of life in the building.
B. Location and extent of the fire.
C. Exposure problems.
D. Number of units responding to initial alarm.
NELLE
N- Number units E- Exposures L- Life KNown or indicated presence L- Location Fire E- Extent fire
Proper size-up is most important for the officer in command. In execution of the fire attack plan, the same order of priorities apply as in fire fighting in occupied buildings. They are?
2.2
L- Life
E- Exposures
C- Confinement
E- Extingusihment
P before E
Specific considerations pertaining to the building.
A. Construction, size, and shape of the building.
B. Previous occupancy.
C. Length of time building has been vacant.
D. Access to the building or certain portions of the building from other streets, rear and court yards, fire escapes, adjoining buildings, and exterior stairs.
E. Location problems: street access and width, parked car problems, water supply, location of hydrants, local topography
F. Number of, location of, and severity of previous fires. Structural damage and openings in floors, walls, and roof.
G. Structural stability of the building:
1. Sections of floors, roofs, partitions, and interior walls and stairs burned away or missing.
2. Cracked or out of line exterior walls, indicated by bowing or bulging of the wall, out of line window frames, cracked lintels, missing or loose bricks.
3. Sagging floors evidenced by out of line door or window frames, diagonal cracks in plaster walls, cracks between wall and ceiling plaster, evidence of beams pulling away from bearing walls, a bow in the ceiling
H. Abandoned materials or accumulated rubbish in building. Special attention must be given to any porous materials that may have absorbed large amounts of water from previous fires and/or exposure to the weather.
CLAPHANDS
The STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF the vacant building or parts of the building will be the most important aspect determining the initial attack strategy i.e., interior or exterior. Since vacant buildings possess inherent features conducive to rapid fire spread, both vertically and horizontally, possible collapse, and extension to exposures, the quick application of water is necessary for timely control and extinguishment. The rapid spread of an uncontrolled fire from a room, to the apartment, to an entire building is very evident in vacant building fires.
-Protection of life is the most important consideration in size-up. This means placing the first stream between the fire and persons endangered.
A. When a vacant building is heavily involved on arrival, place hose streams between the involved building and the most severe LIFE EXPOSURE. Assume an unoccupied factory severely exposed by a fully involved vacant building, and the same fire communicating to an occupied dwelling. The first stream would be placed in position to protect the people in the multiple dwelling, even though the factory is the most severely exposed of the two. The factory is the Most Severely Exposed Building, but, because of life hazard, the multiple dwelling is the Most Severe Life Exposure and the exposure which must be protected first.
B. When no life is endangered in the exposures, position the first stream to protect the greatest amount of property. Assume a fire exposing a stack of waste lumber, and communicating at the same time but not quite as severely to an oil storage yard. In this case, the stream should protect the oil storage yard. Even though it is not the most severely exposed to fire, it is the Exposure to be Given Greatest Consideration.
C. When possible, take a position which not only protects the exposure, but also enables the stream to be used on the main body of fire. In cases where it is impossible to so confine the fire, alternate the stream from fire to exposure. This procedure controls the effects and reduces the cause of spread of fire.
A fire may involve two or more floors in a certain portion of a building, such as the rear or a wing of an “H” “U” or “E” type building.
- An interior attack may be feasible (within safety limitations) to extinguish or hold the fire in that area while exterior streams are set up. Hose lines can be stretched via fire escapes, portable ladders, through adjoining buildings, tower ladder bucket, etc. Positions above a fire that have not been controlled are very hazardous, particularly in vacant building fires where the spread of fire can be unusually rapid.
- Units operating above any fire must be continuously aware of conditions below them. Units on floors below must inform those working above of any developing conditions that will affect their positions.
In large area vacant buildings, e.g., New Law Tenements, there are occasions where it might be preferable (within limitations of safety) to send in two interior lines for prompt extinguishment. This procedure will limit extension, minimize damage to occupied exposures, and increase the availability of units. The alternative is stretching lines up fire escapes and into exposures to operate across courts and shafts. This might require a second alarm assignment. The primary guide should be to expose as few members as possible, using as few lines as possible within the fire building
Advantages of In-Line Pumping
1. Fast water on the fire.
2. Pumper in position for exterior stream operation.
3. Equipment on a pumper closer to the fire.
4. Shorter and faster hand line stretches.
5. Lower engine pressures required.
6. Engine company chauffeur (ECC) in better position to observe operations and assist if necessary.
C. Disadvantages of In-Line Pumping
1. Water supply limited to supply line layout and hydrant supply potential.
2. It may not be possible to attain full pumper capacity
3. Possibility of pumper blocking out aerial and tower ladder apparatus.
4. If hydrant selected is OOS the pumper may not be able to proceed to next available hydrant, having been blocked out by later arriving apparatus
5. Possible damage to apparatus by falling debris.
When stretching hand lines into exposures for operations into the fire building, 2 1/2” lines with solid stream nozzles should be considered. The additional gpm and available reach of the larger line may prove to be a considerable overall advantage.
The main objective in the placement of exterior streams is to obtain the greatest coverage, while bearing in mind the safety of members involved. Tower Ladders should be positioned to cover two sides of a building.
Since vacant buildings have low victim potential, they should be searched within the limits of safety after building conditions have been evaluated and the fire has been largely extinguished.
The IC shall determine if sufficient resources are present to deal with conditions and if needed, transmit the necessary alarms or special call additional units. If the incident commander can not get a clear situation report from units on the scene, the IC may have to change tactics to a defensive or exterior operation until a proper size-up can be made. It is imperative battalion firefighters stay with their assigned chief during the incident in the event a command channel is activated.
bc at vacants:
-Assume command of the operation and:
A. Continue your size-up and determine from the units:
-Existing conditions and actions taken.
-Units present and where they are operating.
A-actions taken
U-units
C-conditions
-If not already available, ascertain the following: The location and extent of the fire.
If there is a life hazard, squatters.
The exposure problems: are they immediate or potential. The accessibility from the rear.
C. Determine if sufficient units are present to deal with conditions. If not, transmit the necessary alarms. If conditions warrant, special call a tower ladder if not already assigned.
D. Implement your strategy and inform your units.
The floor below the fire is not a safe area in a weakened structure during a TL operation. All members should be outside the building.
-The Primary Emphasis in Vacant Building Operations is that of EXTERIOR ATTACK.
