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Here are some of the things that I see from this picture and that should be discussed with your company in resoponse to the questions posed.The general condition of the outside likely is the same on the inside which could make entry and advancement of an attack difficult. With a large amount of “stuff” in a house like this, it could also hamper rescue efforts, disorient firefighters and make egress difficult. The 360 is important to look for victims at windows, the multi-level of this house can cause some confusion when on the interior and for ladder placement. The walk around can also help in locating the fire for a faster attack and more precise ventilation. The ladder placement is okay. Ladders for the roof should try not to cover an upper window so that additional ladders may be used for an egress point for interior crews. In addition, we would want ladders on the rear of the house as well and we must take care not to pull the hose around these ladders and knock them over. Smoke and fire conditions is telling us we likely have a fire that has gotten into the attic already. Smoke appears to be heaviest on the B/C side of the building but we have fire showing from the attic vent on side D. There must be the assumption that the roof is compromised depending on time elapsed. This house appears to have a living room on side A/B, likely with a kitchen on B/C and the bedrooms above the lower level garage. With this being a split level house, there could be bedrooms below the living room on the lower level as well. The stairs would likely be at the front door going up and down. These are just likely observations and each crew may have their own thoughts. Sit with your people and discuss these situations. These are great for the winter and bad weather. Hey instead of discussing politics or fishing first thing in the morning, how about one of these scenarios?
keokuk Photos By Cindy IutziIt was ten years ago today that Keokuk, Iowa lost three of it’s own in a two-family residential fire. In addition to the LODD there were also three children that perished in the fire as well. There is a great deal of information about this fire and the events that led to the LODD of three firefighters. During and after the NFPA and NIOSH reports, the Keokuk Fire Department has been extremely transparent and willing to share their story so that other fire organizations will not have to deal with such a loss. Click the two links and read the reports and share with your personnel what happen in Keokuk. We have a responsibility to take these tragic events and learn from them to ensure that an event like this doesn’t happen again. Remember the Keokuk Fire Department and all of the families affected by this fire in your prayers and thoughts during this time and stay safe out there.
I know I have just about beat this to death, but I attended two Christmas plays and a wedding in the past week and was glad to see that there were no candles in the aisles at any of them. This time of year we see an increased use in candles in places of worship and we need ensure that the attendees are safe. Just remember that these aisles are used as exit aisles. Don’t be afraid to confront this issue with some common sense. Stay safe and be careful.
This is a house that we all have in our jurisdiction somewhere. Take a look at the scene and start your size up. What hazards do we have just from looking at the propert? If the outside looks as it does, what can we suspect the inside looks like? Will this affect our efforts and/or put our people at risk? What are we looking for on the other side during our 360? Are our ladders placed correctly? What are the smoke and fire conditions telling us? Can we tell, approximately, where the bedrooms are in this home and where the living room and kitchen are by looking at the outside? What about the stairs location? Add you comments and I will post my responses later.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlkfrsFXFK8]
Here is a good video showing a ridge cut for venting a roof vertically. Don’t forget that on a real fire, you need to wear SCBA and it is still optimum to have a roof ladder to help to operate off. In addition, care must be made to ensure that the roof is stable enough to cut the ridge without total collpase of the roof.
This is typically used on steep pitched roofs that are difficult to vent off of the roof ladder. Be careful out there.
We can see that there is a working fire at this building. It is very likely a good choice to vertically ventilte this building. However, how a commanding officer could allow his people to put themselves in this situation is unacceptable.
There are at least two firefighters on this roof with smoke and fire below them and neither appears to be wearing an SCBA. This is how we get ourselves killed. As officers we have a responsibility to ensure that our people are safe and operate safe. How many times have we heard a Captain say “I’ve done my job if everyone gets home after the shift.”? Well, that is tough when you don’t make you crews wear their SCBA while venting a roof.
As for the firefighters, they should know better. We are taught early on in our training that you wear ALL of your PPE. This is one of many reasons why Firefighters are their Own Worst Enemy. Stay tuned for more and send your pictures or videos for similar events. For those on the East Coast, stay safe in the winter wonderland coming your way. As alway, be aware of you situation and stay safe.
This is a good working fire and I can see mutliple hose lines going into the structure. It is unfortunate that it is a fire that is ruining someone’s Christmas. With that being said, it is good to see some ladders on this structure since it appears there are crews upstairs.
To the left of the picture I can see a ladder on the porch and another one on the “D” side next to the third story window. Now, there are a couple things that I would like to point out. First, as a first arriving company officer, you have to take a walk around this building. Look for building characteristics, fire and smoke conditions and the possibility of victims hanging out rear windows on upper floors.
Second, look at the ladder on side “D”, could we have placed it in a better location? Not being there, I don’t know what there plans were, but the ladder may be better served for crews inside by being placed just below the sill of the top floor window. This would better allow crews to exit safely and quickly onto the ladder if conditions change and it will assist in the lowering of a victim if one is found.
Remember, if the ladder tip is too far into the window space, it takes up room that could be used by a firefighter to exit. Keep that tip below the sill giving all of the window space to the crews inside. Stay safe and train hard.
On this day, December 18, 1998, 3 FDNY Firefighters were killed in the Line of Duty at a high rise fire. Lt. Joseph Cavalieri, FF Chris Bopp and FF Jimmy Bohan died on the 10th floor of a labeled ”fireproof” multiple dwelling whose sprinklers had been shut off.
The three firefighters from L170 arrived and had the assignment of searching the fire floor and ascended 10 flights of stairs to rescue the resident in apartment 10-D, who was reported trapped. She escaped previously, but that was not known at the time. When the occupant left she left the apartment door open allowing air to feed the fire. Although the building and hallways were equipped with sprinklers, they were functional and the fire spread rapidly. It is believed that a change in wind direction created a wind of approximately 29MPH into the fire apartment and blew a superheated fireball into the hallway, taking the lives of the three FDNY firefighters.
For those of you that have not seen the NIST video on wind driven fires, take some time to watch it. Here is a link to find out more information on the tests done with Chicago FD and FDNY on wind driven fires.
This is a repair shop that is not sprinklered, it was built prior to the code, and that also does fabricating. They have added on without permits for several years and now is a dangerous place to be. They have taken some measures to meet the inspection requirements, but, as you can see, there are still a number of hazards present.
These drums contain parts cleaners, oil and automotive fluids. It is required to meet code requirements for quantities of flammable and combustible liquids and how they are stored. In addition, with the fabricating they use welders that can obviously cause an ignition of vapors. Ensure that “hot” operations are an appropriate distance from the storage and use of flammable and combustible liquids. Stay safe and be careful.
On this day in 1964, a nursing in Fountaintown, Indiana caught fire around 3:00AM. A nurse reportedly saw the fire in the kitchen and hall way and started screaming for everyone to get out.
The first state troopers on the scene stated that the fire moved very fast throughout the first floor and that although there were 10 people upstairs that were ambulatory, they never had a chance to get out. The fire chief at the time stated that the facility had been carefully inspected, but it is uncertain from media exactly what codes were established for the inspections. At least 20 people died and others were transported for burns.
Nursing facilities and assisted living facilities have great potential for loss of life from fire for the simple fact that the residents, atlhough maybe mobile, they are slow to react and cannot move with speed. Under stressful situations they also get easily flustered and confused. Make sure you inspect these facilities and make sure safety violations are corrected.
On this day in 1961, not that long ago, a circus tent caught fire in Niterói, Brazil. The fire killed 323 people including many children. It is suspected that a disgruntled worker set the fire, but that has been disputed by some. It is another example why we have codes and permits for these special events.We all like the circus and many do charity events that help the community, but we have to make sure our citizens are protected while at these events. Ask for information on the material used for the tent to see if it is fire retardent. Identify that there are enough exits, exit lights and emergency lighting and make sure the occupant load is complied with. Don’t look at these membrane structures as a passing through event that doesn’t need inspected. Be aware and diligent. Keep your community safe and keep yourself safe, inspect these places.
More candles, look at the draped chairs right next to the candles. Again, right in the aisle that will serve as an egress aisle in the event of an emergency.I don’t see sprinklers on the ceiling, although they could be there, but someone could be badly burned before a spinkler head would activate. Just check these things out and follow your local codes. Education is the best tool in combating this issue. Stay safe and be diligent.
Okay, does this cause panic in anybody else? What I see here is some very bad decision making. Most codes would not allow this.
First, the hanging streamers I’m sure are not class A finishes. Second, the candles are all in the aisles which are part of the means of egress.
You have to really watch this in churches and places that have weddings and similar events. This time of year candles are ablaze for Christmas and other holidays and they are very often placed in the aisles and corridors. We met with the local churches and have disallowed this practice for many years now.
Each jurisdiction can make their own decision, but putting open flames in places of assembly and in the exit acces aisles is pushing your luck and typically against the fire code. A practice that we started some years back was performing our fire inspection for churches in December to try and eliminate these situations.
In addition, many of these occupancies will have holiday events that bring an abnormally high occupant load. We have witnessed folding chairs placed in aisles, completely blocking some egress aisles altogether along with over crowding. If this is the case, suggest multiple shows or events, which is what one church has done. This time of year can be tricky and dangerous. Stay diligent and keep your people safe.
On this day in 1835, a great fire swept through New York destroying over 500 buildings and claiming the lives of two people. The fire reportedly did what would be hundreds of millions of dollars of damage.
The fire started on Merchant street and spread quickly through the lower Manhatten area. Firefighters battled below freezing temperatures that froze hose lines and hand pumps. Exposure buildings were eventually blown up using gunpowder to stop the spread of the fire.
For some ideas for Christmas, I know it’s getting late for gift buying, but check out Fireman’s Chore jackets. They are made for firemen, by firemen. They can customize your jacket and there a few different styles to choose from. With winter in full swing and all of us working in frigid temperatures, look into one of these jackets. In addition to keeping you warm, they will make you look ‘bad ass’, just like Bobby, as you can see in the picture. Click here for the link to take a look at what they offer. http://www.firemanschore.com/job_jacket.htmlStay warm and safe.
Check out the website and get you, your friends and fellow firefighters one of these coins and help a great foundation. Never forget these people or their families and what they have endured. See the website, it says it all.
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Some of you may have seen this video, but is worth looking at again and showing it to your firefighters, officers and building officials. Take time to look at your subdivisions and know the dangers. Stay safe.
This picture was labeled as “safety-fire-training”, no kidding. This appears to be some sort of flammable liquids fire training by the looks of the props and their technique.As we can see, they are wearing standard jeans and long sleeve t-shirt for personal protection along with adjustible sports hat for head protection. It is difficult to tell, but there might be leather boots for foot protection.
I’m not exactly sure what they were thinking or let this happen, but it looks like some folks just begging for trip to the burn unit. Please, if you see someone doing this, stop them and explain what they are doing and the risks with how they are training.
This is where those who have the knowledge and expertise need to get out and help these places to TRAIN RIGHT, not just train. Stay safe and make a difference.
Okay, its not really a thread, but it may as well be. These truss systems are popular for overhangs and porches on commercial and residential buildings. Typically, the top end will sit on a nailed 2×4 or rest on the top of the wall and toenailed into the joist for I-joist.
These are very danagerous and will fail easily under fire conditions. Always take a look above you before you enter the building of any type.
On another note about these overhangs, canopies and porches; when using search lines, make sure you tie off outside the building which inlcudes these overhangs, canopies and porches. Get outside of these areas and into an open area free from any building components. As always, stay safe and be careful.
Remember the good old days when your commerical buildings were block and mortar or steel buildings with large dimensional lumber? Those days are long gone and it has made our job that much more dangerous.
When this building is completed, it will likely have a facade giving it the look of a brick, block or non-combustible building, but obviously, it is completely wood frame. If you don’t get involved with new construction and pay attention, you could miss what is happening here. Your companies could pull up on a commercial fire and be under the wrong impression about the makeup of this building and make a tragic mistake.
These buildings fail faster and are more and more common. Stop and look at what is being built and how it is being built, it just may save your life.
Now I don’t know exactlly what is going on here, but just from the photo I would guess that they are pushing the limits of this porch. It appears that the building is of an advanced age the possibility of some rotten members are good.Since there are firefighters on this roof and the brick is black, I am guessing that the building had a fire in it. Some have tanks on, som don’t, but it looks like the major body of fire is knocked down. Back to the porch, does anyone else have an issue with this? I wasn’t there, but we need to consider these things. You can see another firefighter on ground, below the porch and what might be a police officer actually under the porch canopy. We have had porches collapse at fires and seriosly injure firefighters and we have had overhangs kill our people.
Do we need all of those people on that porch, and if we do, we should probably not have anyone under it. Just be aware of your surroundings. We all have a role in scene safety and should be empowered to point these issues out to keep everyone safe. Stay safe and train hard.
There is alot of this kind of construction in Western Europe, but it is becoming popular in parts of the U.S. as well. There obvious concerns for firefighters here. The load itself, having dirt and grass on the roof system, add water, snow or ice and it is increased even more. Accessing and staying on a roof like this can be difficult.
We know how slick a dew covered roof can be with asphalt shingles, now put that moisture on grass and it will be tough to get a good footing. Maybe we can start wearing golf spikes on these types of calls? What if we had to vent this roof? Can we do it and how? What kinds of systems are below this kind or roof? These are all things to think about.
I will pass on more in coming days and talk about “green” tactics to address these problems. Until then, take the time to learn about these buildings and how they will affect you in the future.
On this day in 1942, 100 people lost their lives at the Knights of Columbus Hostel in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The building was mostly wood construction and had had most of the windows boarded up and barred to meet black-out regulations during the war.
At the time of the fire there were approximately 500 occupants in the building. Many of these occupants and some of the dead were service men and women of World War II. It is believed that the fire was sabotage by German Nazis who were suspected of other fires in St. Johns during this same time period.
With wood construction and combustable interior finishes and deocrations, the fire traveled fast and furious throughout the building. With windows and doors locked, barred and boarded over, escape was difficult at best and in some cases, attempts were futile. In addition to the 100 that perished, over 100 more were inujured, many badly burned. Here is a good link for an article as told by a survivor. http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=88617≻=85
As always, remember the past so that we don’t repeat it. Train hard and stay safe.
The Hotel Kerns was built in 1919 and was a brick building that boasted 162 rooms and was a favorite hot spot noted for its bar and cafeteria.
On Dec. 11, 1934 it would turn tragic when the night janitor for and adjacent business noticed flames on the 2nd floor at around 5 AM. He immediately reported the fire and stated that when he initially discovered the fire the flames were just licking the windows, but that by the time he called it in the flames had grown rapidly to become a full sheet of fire. He could here screams of those trapped and being burned. Some occupants were rescued by nets and by firefighters on ladders. Others were not so lucky. It is believed that a carelessly discarded cigarette caused the fire and the lives of 34 individuals, five of whom have not been identified.
The fact that the companies for that area were only a block away proves just how fast that fire moved and how long it went unnoticed. Smoke detectors, duct dampers, fire doors and other fire protection systems are used to keep these types of fires from happening again. When inspecting, don’t take it lightly, make sure these systems are functional and properly installed and tested. As always, stay safe and be careful.
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