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Get Around

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Here are some more pictures from my A Shift buddies, Jim, Bob and Dave at Florissant Valley Fire Protection District.  These photos show the challenges of just getting into some of our buildings.  It's a lot easier to get a good look at the working mechanisms and traits of these obstacles during daylight and in non-emergent situations.

Take time to know what is behind these doors and grates.  What are they protecting and how secure are they? Is just a matter of prying bolts out of the brick and concrete or are they really seated into the building?  Now is the time to find out.

One note, the pic with the bars is actually a smoking lounge for an adjacent bar. Access is made from inside the building but it looks like a different occupancy.  Don't wait until it's smokey and dark.

Read the doors and try to identify characteristics that can indicate foricible entry challenges.  Do the doors swing out or in? Are the hinges exposed or protected? Is the jamb protected?

These are also important for RIT operations, to read the building and soften it up for interior crews if a company has not already done so.

Stay alert and get out and look around. You'll be surprised what you'll find.

Posted by on March 7, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, mayday, rescues, RIT, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, Uncategorized, VES • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Challenges Everywhere—-But We Have to Get In to See Them

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Hey, here are some pictures sent to me by a Brother who is going out the DOING the job. The whole job.  He and his crew are getting out and checking on things.  Bob gets IT and thanks for the pics.  These are in his still area and these are buildlings that get inspected and then they go right back to doing this kind of stuff.   We have to be prepared for everything and anything.  Imagine being the RIT and forcing the back door to make access for a Mayday and dealing with the mattresses?  Look at the pictures and just imagine and discuss the challenges that you would face in those situations.  Not to mention patrons trying to evacuate a smoke filled building.

Stay sharp and get out of that chair.  This is important stuff, don't put it off.  I'm a huge proponent of training on line deployment, search, vent, and all the rest.  This is just as important.  Stay safe and keep training.

Thanks to Bob Tresch for the pics and making a difference by sharing.

Jason

 

Posted by on February 17, 2012 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, exits, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, mayday, RIT, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , , , ,

One Aspect of the 360

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I understand that all buildings, for various reasons, will not get a 360 performed on it during a fire. But, for those that we do get to job around, we need to understand what we are looking for.

I recently spoke with an acting officer and asked him what he was looking for when performing a 360. His answer was "fire."  I asked what else? The answer came, "ways in."  We need to make sure we are taking advantage of the information being made available to us while we are circling the building.

This post is going to focus on some basement indicators.  The pictures shown below are just examples of things you might see when making the round.  Keep in mind that at night you need to take a hand light.  For example, the wood behind the basement windows below may not be noticeable with shining a light in the windows on the way around.

        

We must pay attention to what we are looking for when conduction the 360. As you can see, we may be faced with some very challenging situations.  Not only do we need to be aware during the initial arrival, but the RIT will need this information as well.

As always, follow you own operational guidelines and train hard.

This and other topics will be discussed during one of my presentations at Fire Rescue International 2011.  I am presenting for the Company Officer Development track and hope to see you there.

Jason

Posted by on August 21, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, forcible entry, mayday, rescues, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Attack the Doors: Part 2

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Remember these doors……?

Well, since posting these doors and asking how to force them, I have been inundated with requests for a view from the inside.

When I took these pictures originally, we were training on the roof of a vacant Value City building and were not sure about permission to actually enter the building.

So, since then we were granted permission to make entry, using our Knox Box keys, and take a look around.  I found the interior side of these doors to be interesting.

This is the view from the interior of those doors from the original post.

Does this view change anything that you might have thought about doing in regards to forcible entry?

The drop bar is not in place and that is how we found it.  It looks pretty harmless from this side of the door.

But, we did take a look at another set of doors that you might be interested in and they might be more of a challenge.

Take a look at these…..

What is your first impression with this set of doors?

Concerns or difficulties that you can see?

These are not too disimilar form the other set of doors.

Here is what the inside looks like……

Okay, there you have it and let us know what you see and what you would do.

Are there any special considerations that you see or would like to share?

Again, post your comments and share your knowledge, we really appreciate it.

Stay safe and train hard.

Posted by on November 16, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forcible entry • Tagged: , ,

Whole New Meaning to Modular

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I recently received an email with some pictures attached to it. The pictures were taken by Victor Dane, a firefighter in St. Louis County.  He took these pictures not far from where he works and has been kind enough to share.

As you can see, these are shipping/storage containers that are being stacked and pushed together to create a building.  Here is what Victor says about the containers and what they are being used for:

There was a Night Club called City Slickers.  It burned down and the owner wanted a building that would be fire proof and bullet proof.  These are whole cargo shipping containers.  There will be some rooms in these containers I was told. The builder told me building with these containers is very common in the South.  I need to get updated photos now.  The building now has siding all over it.  You can not tell it is a metal building.  I hope the local FD remembers this if it burns again.  The walls will be very difficult to breech.


As soon as I get updated photos I will pass them along.  We need to remember that with the economy and other factors, contractors and builders will cut corners however necessary to save a buck.  We need to also remember why it is so important to get out and know our area.

I post the importance of this frequently, but I just don’t think you can emphasize it enough.  You must know what is going on in your jurisdiction.

Make it interesting and stop at a building and put up your ladder just for practice. Sit and consider the obstacles or water supply issues with a certain area or complex.  Just get out and do it.

In addition to the fact that these may be being built with no code enforcement, what other tactical issues can you identify with this situation?

What will happen to the heat in this make shift building?

How will ventilation happen with the over roof?

There are a number of issues that must be identified and put into tactical considerations.  List your concerns and tactics for this building.

Posted by on September 14, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire codes, fire sprinklers, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, situational awareness • Tagged: , , , , , ,

A Simple Move

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Exterior of door

Forcible entry is an ongoing skill that must be practiced. A huge part of that is knowing your doors and construction of entry ways.

On a recent inspection we started discussing getting into these locked doors that are pass-coded for the resident’s protection.

As you can see, this is an outward swinging door that should be reasonable easy to force with the right tools and skill.  Of course, in my experiences people aren’t spending as much time as they should practicing forcible entry techniques.

Interior of door

As a crew we started discussing how we would gain entry. One method is very simple and can be done with one tool.

Bust out the window, this one has no wire mesh, and drop the tool down to engage the panic bar.

I know this is very simple, but it can be effective if you only have one tool. You also have to have a good idea about the interior workings of the door.  Showing again the importance of getting familiar with your buildings.

Stay safe and use your time out and about wisely.

Posted by on August 11, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, forcible entry, inspections, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , ,

Changes in Building Features

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Changes in building features.

These pictures show how buildings are altered over the years and with change of ownership and/or occupancy type.

You can see that what used to be windows are now bricked in.

This is very common on older buildings that had numerous windows and in some cases they are not very efficient.  Owners will frame or brick them in just to eliminate the problem all together.

The problem is we don’t know what the inside sill and frame-out of the inside of the window is like.

This is important to note when your doing your 360 or pre-planning.

When firefighters become lost or disoriented we are taught to find a window or door on an outside wall.  The inside of this building may feel like windows to the gloved hand, but in reality it has been blocked up.

A firefighter may spend a great deal of time and energy trying to get out the “window” and not move on to an actual egress point.

Keep these things in mind and get to know your area. We probably all have these buildings with these feature changes in our area and we have an obligation to point these out to our newer firefighters.  Stay prudent and be involved in your jurisdiction’s building construction and occupancy types.

Stay safe and keep cool.

Posted by on July 24, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, exits, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, mayday, RIT, search, situational awareness, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, vacant building fires • Tagged: , , , , , ,

The 360: Basement Bulk Heads

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Look for secondary means of egress for basements too.

Look for secondary means of egress for basements too.

We have all heard  and been taught to do a 360 of the structure during a working fire.

There is some debate, but this is becoming common practice and there are several things to look for.

The picture is a bulk head for a basement.  We have always been taught and trained to look for and create a secondary means of egress for upper floors.  Well, it’s no different for basements.

When you make entry, especially if the fire has not been isolated, make sure that either you open it during the 360 if it’s not locked or that the information is relayed to the next in crew to cut the lock.

Cut the locks to ensure crews can exit if needed.

Cut the locks to ensure crews can exit if needed.

It may be as simple as cutting a padlock or as difficult as forcing a door or security bars.

It is important to create this exit to safety for the crews operating inside.  It might just be what saves their lives.

Stay safe, be smart and train hard.

Posted by on May 4, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, rescues, RIT, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

False Exterior Walls

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Do you see anything different here?

Do you see anything different here?

I  was out of town most of this past week for class and noticed this building on the first morning I drove in.

The first morning they had only installed the wall to the “r” in Performing.  The second day I realized that I needed to snap a picture of this to share.

This false wall is about four stories tall and covers the entire length of the building.

What challenges do you see?

What challenges do you see?

As you can see, this wall definately would challenge any rescue efforts were there victims in the windows.

Not only will it hamper rescue efforts, performing ventilation or suppression from this side of the building would be challenging at best.

The frame of the false wall is set off of the building wall at a distance of approximately two feet.  That is just a guess, but operating ground ladders here is almost impossible.

Interior crews would need to know that this side is limited access and egress because of the wall.   It will certainly challenge our strategies and tactics should an incident happen here.

This is one good example of why you need to get out and see your area.  Know what’s going on and get involved.  As a crew you can preplan this building by just parking out front, take a picture or two and go back and have a discussion about how you would operate at this building.

Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on April 3, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, exits, fire codes, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, forceable entry, high rise, situational awareness, ventilation • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who Needs Accessible Exits?

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Do the exit doors really need to be able to open?

Do the exit doors really need to be able to open?

This is an example of something that happens frequently.  Store owners or building owners want to protect there merchandise and prohibit unwanted foot traffic in and out of unsupervised areas.

There is almost no way a person scared and almost blind from smoke would be able to exit from this door.

This also makes entry into this door difficult for firefighters. That top slat would be difficult to get to.

A lost firefighter could find the door locked and even remove the lower slat, but the top one may keep him from escaping.

Keep a good look out for these and explain the other options out there that are safer, like panic hardware.

Stay safe and do your inspections.

Posted by on January 25, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-prevention-education, firefighter-safety-health, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

Know Your Buildings

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Where is your means of egress?
Where is your means of egress?

 

This picture is something that needs to be noticed when you are pre-planning or doing inspections.

This is an old commercial building with a large basement.  The sprinkler system is down here and there is a huge fire load.

What you are looking at in this picture are the windows boarded up in the basement. These windows exit directly to the outside and the bottom sill is even with the ground outside.

We are taught that when we get disoriented, to get to an outside wall and feel for doors and windows for escape.  We might not recognize this as a way out with the plywood over the windows. 

Additionally, this is a good example of why you should always have a tool with you when you make the interior.  If you did recognize this for what it is, you could breach it and get out.

Remember, we need to train and plan for the unexpected and use sound, basic skills to keep us out of trouble.  If we do these  things, that is the best way to stay safe and still do our job effectively and as expected by the public.

Stay safe and be careful out there.

Posted by on January 21, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, inspections, search, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

2×4′s for Locks

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Great use of a 2x4!
Great use of a 2×4!

Someone thought its was a good idea to put a 2×4 in the door to keep it locked.

But, it will also do a good job of keeping people in during a fire.

If it is dark and people are panicked, that board could cause some big problems.

The board very easily could prohibit people from getting out in an emergency.  If you see this, look for other types of locks on this door too.  If they are willing to put a board in there, they have also tried other methods of locking people in.

Remove the board and explain why it is dangerous.  Be aware of these types of issues on inspection. It could make a huge difference.

Stay safe and take care.

Posted by on January 14, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, exits, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, inspections, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Long Way Down

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That's a long way down.

That's a long way down.

These rear exits are a good ways off of the ground.  People trying to make an attempt to exit through these rear exits will find themselves making a huge leap.

This is an issue that should have been addressed during the plan review stage and emphasizes why doing plan reviews are so important.

I would venture to guess that the original plans called for stairs and they just never got put in.

This creates a dangerous situation for those that might have to evacuate this building to the rear. Not only is it a long way down, jumping may cause a person to lose his/her balance and roll right into that water.

If you do plan reviews, make sure you inspect all the way through the project. Don’t let contractors get by with promising to put something like these stairs in before they officially open.  Make sure all safety components are installed and in service prior to issuing an occupancy permit.

Stay safe and do those inspections.

Posted by on January 13, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, exits, fire codes, fire-prevention-education, inspections • Tagged: , , , , , ,