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Company Drill: Standpipe Operations

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This is a great drill from a great Brother and friend, Lance Peeples of the Webster Groves Fire Department in St. Louis County.  Look for more great material from Lance in the future.

 

 

Daily Drill 1: Standpipe Operations

 

“The Daily Drill” is designed to spark discussion about operational issues in YOUR fire department.  To do this we use photographs or videos depicting fire operations in other fire departments.  We do not know the exact circumstances in which our Brothers in these fire departments are operating.  Photos or videos are not intended to embarrass our BROTHERS and SISTERS but rather are intended to provide US with learning opportunities relevant to OUR specific operational framework.  DON’TFOCUSONWHAT THEY’RE DOING…FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WOULD DO!  Stay safe!

 

Watch the video below and answer the following questions:

 

 

1.  Using the National Fire Academy Fire Flow Formula, what gpm would be required to extinguish a completely involved 500 square foot apartment fire?

How large of an undivided floor area is often found in high rise office buildings and what fire flow would be required there?

 

2.  Under previous editions of NFPA 14 what was the minimum psi required to flow 500 gpm at the most remote riser?

 

3.  What is the target gpm you are attempting to flow from your standpipe hose and nozzle combination?  What psi must be available at the standpipe operation to supply that hose and nozzle combination in order to flow your desired attack flow?

 

4.  The operation depicted showed using 4” supply line into the fire department connection.  What is the working pressure limit of LDH used in your department?  What is the elevation head pressure in a 30 story building?  Are standpipe operations usually high flow or high pressure operations?  Is using large diameter hose in FD standpipe connections a good idea?

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  What is the diameter of hose used in your standpipe pack?  Is it an automatic/constant flow fog/smooth bore tip?  What nozzle psi is required for its designed flow?

 

6.  Will rust, scale, and other debris commonly found in standpipe systems pass through an automatic fog nozzle?  Will rust, scale and other debris usually pass through an 1 1/8” smooth bore tip?

 

7.  Can fire department pumpers ALWAYS be used to increase available pressure on the fire floor?  What about damaged or missing FD connections?  Pressure reducing and restricting valves?  Missing piping or excessive head pressures?

 

8.  At the One Merdian fire in Philladelphia on February 23, 1991 what was the length, diameter, and nozzle type (including psi/flow requirements) of the standpipe kits used by the fire department?  Did this setup work?  Why or why not?

 

9.  What were the names of the Brothers that died at One Merdian that tragic day?

 

Posted by on November 29, 2012 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire sprinklers, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, high rise, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mayday, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development • Tagged: , , ,

Judge Not….

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I’ve done it and you’ve done it. It is going to happen again and it’s going to happen soon. With every line of duty death the Monday morning quarterbacks come out and tell us all what they should have or should not have done. We preach and teach to learn from these tragedies by understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident. But, what are we doing to make sure that this doesn’t happen?

Our job is dangerous. Worcester Fire Department is a highly trained department and according to some reports I have gotten, fight these types of fires every year. There are some additional factors like high winds and possibly illegal renovations that compromised the structural integrity of the building. Neither of these two factors can be anticipated or controlled. We have a job to do and when we are told that someone is in a building, we do what we can to get to them. As I write this I have not heard confirmation that there was or was not a victim found.

I have no doubt that we could dissect and scrutinize what happened and we would have done this or that differently. We will hear how simplistic it should have been and others pounding the table that we don’t enter buildings that are compromised. Guess what? As soon as that building catches fire it is compromised!

What frustrates me more is that in the fire service many are real good at solving problems after the fact and few try to identify and solve them before they are actualized. It’s not just judging the YouTube video or a line of duty death, no, it’s many things. “That guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “That guideline is outdated and inefficient.” “That small time volunteer fire department doesn’t know what they’re doing.” Of course, most of these “kitchen table experts” have no desire to be proactive or to put themselves out there to take the lead on a project to make a positive change.

Sometimes, and I’m not saying this is the case yet, things are not preventable. Sometimes we are going to lose. We hope not, but we are running into burning, compromised buildings to save lives and property. When someone comes to us and is telling us someone is in the building, if we can make a push, we will and we should. This is what we do and why we are here. There is no time to run down a check list to determine if a certain profile is met. We don’t have time to switch our size up decision making. We have to consider the situation presented to us at the time and use our training and experience to do our best to attempt a rescue.

But, if we do want to be Monday morning quarterbacks I suggest a different approach. Take your expertise and knowledge to some less fortunate departments in regards to resources for training and teach. Share your experience and knowledge with these departments and individuals to keep bad decisions being made on the fire ground. I believe that this is the best way to honor those who have sacrificed their lives for others. Whether there were mistakes or not, we can help to prevent those who don’t have resources to perform appropriately on the fire ground.

We recently did a class in a remote part of our state and had two firefighters arrive with some hand-me down gear and SCBA. Neither had worn the gear before and neither had ever had on an SCBA. They stated they had been fighting fire with self purchased boots, gloves and helmets. That’s it. Nothing more. This is still happening. We had to pull these two firefighters aside and walk them through some basics about gear and SCBA operations. We took extra time with them just to teach them basic firefighter skills. They were more than willing to learn and were eager.

The point is this: let’s put our efforts into training and teaching firefighters to operate safely instead of beating up departments, officers and firefighters after the fact. Can we learn from these tragic events? Absolutely! We should learn lessons in a constructive manner from not just tragic events, but from every call we run. There is always something to learn whether things went well or not so well.

Train, be tolerant and make a difference in a positive way. Stay safe and thanks for reading.
Jason

Posted by on December 11, 2011 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents, mayday, news, rescues, RIT, scba, search, self rescue, situational awareness, size up, Training, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, vacant building fires, ventilation, VES • Tagged: , , , ,

Help Build a Monument

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For those of you who remember my posts about FDIC 2010, I met some really great people of the Brownsburgh Fire Department. Not only did I get to meet these fine people, but they generously invited us to a dinner that was awesome, just because they believe in and exude what Brotherhood is.

Now they need out help. They are working hard at getting a very fitting tribute to the 343 who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

If you could find time while your surfing the web to get to the “Build a Monument” site for Pepsi, our Brothers and Sisters in Brownsburgh would really appreciate it.

Below is a short video rendition of what the memorial will look like. Please take the time vote everyday. Hey, pass this on to your family and friends and other bloggers. Let’s help Brownsburgh FD help us to never forget.

Posted by on August 2, 2010 • Filed under: 911 coin, charity, Foundations, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents • Tagged: , , , , ,

Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire Remembered

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The Beverly Hills Supper Club was remodeled and upgraded and opened in 1971.  It had previously gone through many changes and the original building had burned in the late 1930′s.

It had changed hands, sat vacant and been an off and on hot spot for several years until it was the primary club for top notch entertainment and high class amenities.

On May 28th, 1977, the place was packed with visitors that were expecting a night of glamor and star entertainer John Davidson.  It is uncertain exactly how many patrons were in attendance that evening, but estimations put the number at approximately 3,000 at the entire facility with 1300 in the Cabaret Room.  There were multiple events taking place in multiple rooms which were all filled to or over capacity, according to reports.

In the Cabaret Room alone, people were squeezed in and sat in aisles and ramps that would be exit pathways.  Some of these ramps led to the stage and people were placed there in order to get as many people into the room as possible.

Smoke was first noticed in the Zebra Room by two waitresses sometime around 2100 hours.  They  noticed a dense smoke in the room and they notified management.  The fire department was called within a few minutes and extinguishers were used on the fire with no effectiveness.  Within 10 minutes, the fire had spread to the Cabaret Room and things would turn tragic very fast.

Here is quote from one of the first arriving firefighters about what he saw, “When I got to the inside doors, which is about 30 feet inside the building, I saw these big double doors, and people were stacked like cordwood. There were clear up to the top. They just kept diving out on each other trying to get out. I looked back over the pile of – it wasn’t dead people, there were dead and alive in that pile – and I went in and I just started to grab them two at a time and pull them off the stack, and drag them out…” , Bruce Rath, a Fort Thomas firefighter.

The results of this night were that 165 people lost their lives that night.  The reports were not much different from the Cocoanut Grove fire some 30 years prior.

-Overcrowding of the facility, namely the Cabaret Room.  The room had a listed occupancy load of 615 -756 people.  That night, it was estimated that nearly 1300 people were in the room, almost double the allowed load.

-For the size of the facility Kentucky law required that there should have been at least 27.5 exits for the occupant load, there were only 16.5.

-The wiring was considered inadequate and it was stated that it would have never passed inspection by an electrician who inspected the electrical work.

-There were no fire walls to prohibit the spread of fire from one area to another.

-No sprinkler system and no audible fire alarm system.

-The local volunteer fire department acknowledged that there were issues, but had not ordered any of them to be corrected.  (I was unable to find out if the department had fire or building codes ordinances at the time of the fire.)

-There were reports of locked doors.

These factors are all too familiar.  We see the same failures in these large loss of life fires in assembly occupancies.  We sometimes take our inspections and prevention activities lightly because it is not “fun” or interesting to some.  Remember these fires and the lives that have been lost because of poor prevention measures and a lack of life safety measures in these buildings.

Below are some links where you can get more information and much of the sources for this post were from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Until next time, stay safe, do your inspections with conviction and stay low.

http://www.enquirer.com/beverlyhills/lives.html

http://migration.kentucky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/CBCD1D5A-F7F3-4341-BF52-733BFDD35AD8/0/20090313BevHillsSummary.pdf

http://www.enquirer.com/beverlyhills/only.html

http://www.metropolitan.edu/disastercentral/index.php/emergency-management-planning/the-beverly-hills-supper-club-fire-another-look.php

Posted by on May 28, 2010 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire codes, fire sprinklers, fire-prevention-education, fires, historic fires, inspections, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Upcoming Presentation by Bobby Halton

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Sullivan Fire Protection District
Presents
Chief Bobby Halton, (ret.)
Editor of Fire Engineering Magazine
“Fireground Mental Agility”
March 5, 2010
0800-1500
At
Sullivan Fire Protection District
House 5
Chief Halton will discuss:
The Status of America’s Fire Service Chief Halton will review our current status; the theory of Drift in to Failure will be reviewed as well common Perceptions and Realities surrounding the common elements in firefighter fatalities.
Fire dynamics for the Fireground: Chief Halton will discuss the latest research in fire dynamics and how to apply the science to your structure fire tactics.
Learning from the Experiences of Others: This section reviews several case studies and Chief Halton will explain why it seems we continue to repeat the same errors. A New View of Human Error will be presented to improve our ability to learn from others events.
Naturalistic decision making, situation awareness and expertise: Chief Halton will present the latest research in the field of naturalistic decision making and what it mean in terms of developing fireground expertise in company officers and incident commanders.
$50 per person limited to the first 100 registered.
Lunch provided
Posted by on January 10, 2010 • Filed under: administration-leadership, command-leadership, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, funding-staffing, major-incidents, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , ,

Tragedy 85 Years Ago

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On this day in 1924, children and their parents were gathered in the Babbs Switch School for a visit from Santa Clause. It would end up being a tragic Christmas story and a reason for inspections and codes.  The school had been recently painted with terpintine used for paint thinner.  After windstorms had damaged the building, it was restored and repaired and metal mesh was placed over the windows to protect them.

The program and gathering took place in a small building of approximately 1200 square feet and people were standing against the walls and in the aisles.  Santa started to hand out presents from under the tree which had lit candles on it for decoration.  Santa’s suit had cotton trim on it and was lit after bumping into the tree and lit candles.

A panic started and the tree was knocked over, which was a real tree, and the fire grew quickly.  As people attempted to exit, many were not able to escape because the door opened to the inside instead of out.  This allowed only one side of the building to easisly exit, trapping those on the other side of the room.   A total of 36 people died from the fire and many others injured from burns.

This is another reminder of where fire and building codes have come and that we must monitor and inspect these occupancies to ensure that all safety requirements are met.  Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on December 24, 2009 • Filed under: fire-prevention-education, firefighting-operations, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , ,

India School Fire in 1995 Killed Over 500

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On this day in 1995, over 500 people were killed during a school ceremony in Dabwali, Haryana India. There were entire families and mostly children that were killed that day.

The school had set up a large tent/membrane structure for a special event for the school.  It is believe that a short circuit in some wiring could have started the fire.

The large loss of life was primarily due to the stampede created from the panic from the rapidly spreading fire. It was reported that there were over 1200 people in the tent at the time of the fire.  This could happen here to any jurisdiction. Inspections need to be done on these events and temporary structures to ensure proper wiring and adequate exits.  Stay safe and diligent.

Posted by on December 23, 2009 • Filed under: command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

1964 Indiana Nursing Home Fire

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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.

Posted by on December 18, 2009 • Filed under: fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighting-operations, fires, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, rescues • Tagged: , , , ,

Special Events, Watch for Them

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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.
Posted by on December 17, 2009 • Filed under: fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, fires, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , ,

The Great New York Fire of 1835

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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.

Posted by on December 16, 2009 • Filed under: fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , ,

Kerns Hotel Fire 1934

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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.

Posted by on December 11, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, historic fires, major-incidents, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Atlanta Winecoff Hotel Fire Remembered

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/2073140320/
http://www.winecoff.org/hotel/

On this day in 1946, 119 people died in the deadliest hotel fire in American history.  The 15 story hotel was built in 1913 and was touted to be “fire proof” and was therefor built with no fire protection systems.

There were no fire escapes, no spinklers, no fire alarms and all of the interior finishings were highly combustible and in some instances flammable.  Since the building was built of brick on the exterior, under certain insurance provisions, the building could be classified as “fire proof” which was certainly misleading at best.
This fire was another example of the need for legitamized codes and regulations on buidlings.  Fire safety became more of an issue and ordinances became more than just a local political decision.  In addition, building design was scrutinized and blamed for the rapid spread of fire and smoke to upper floors.

The 194 rooms were wrapped around a central staircase that wound its way from the bottom to the top along with the elevator shafts. This created a “perfect” chimney and the the fire and smoke moved with great speed.  To increase the travel of smoke and fire into corridors and rooms, many wooden doors and transoms were left open and made fire and smoke travel widespread.
The fire was first noticed at around 3:00AM by an elevator attendant on the fifth floor, but by then the fire had already engulfed the third and fourth floors.  Many on the upper floors were trapped and/or driven further up from the rapidly progressing fire conditions.
This is another reminder for those government bodies that want to reduce fire and building safety codes in the name of progress and reducing costs for developers and builders.  I have personally heard discussions by local politicians discuss eliminating building departments or portions of because they just don’t see the benefit.  They claim to be understanding that we need fire safety, but they believe, in their infinite wisdom, that it is stunting growth and pushing away builders.  At what price?
We have to provide the right education and information to these “leaders” so that they understand why we have these codes.  It is to never allow another Winecoff, or another Our Lady of the Angels, or another Beverly Hills Supper Club, or Station Night Club, the list can go on.  These are horrific events that many forget or don’t even know about.  They happened and could have been prevented.
As firefighters we must take the lead in ensuring that these types of events are not allowed to happen.  I hear fellow firefighters complain and moan and groan about doing inspections.  It is not that glamorous of a task, but the implications of not doing them are terrible.  We have to instill in our people the importance of protecting our families, friends and citizens from potential disasters.  That is part of our job.
Take time to research and read about these historic fires and learn why we do what we do.  The next time you don’t want to go out and do inspections, think about the Winecoff, the Station, and all of the others that resulted in tragic fire losses. What if the Winecoff had fire protection systems?  What if the pyrotechnics weren’t used and the interior finish was appropriate at the Station?  What if???
Stay diligent and remember the mission:  To Serve and Protect.  All of the time..
Check out the video below;
http://www.winecoffhotelfire.com/

Posted by on December 7, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Rember Pearl Harbor

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On this day in 1941, the United States was attacked by Japanese bombers.  The attack left our country stunned and was the event that officially brought America into World War II.

Many brave men and women died and were injured that day along with many civilians.  Today, our service men and women fight and sacrafice to protect our freedom and way of life.  Please remember and pray for all our service men and women, both past and present.

Posted by on December 7, 2009 • Filed under: command-leadership, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, news • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

101 Reported Dead in Russian Nightclub Fire

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Early Saturday in Russia, a nightclub fire reportedly claimed the lives of 101 people.  The fire is believed to have been started by “cold” fireworks, that are typically fountain type displays and burn at lower temperatures compared to typical fireworks.  With recent terrorist events, it was first feared to have been another bomb or terrorist act, but, according to authorities they believe it is not a terrorist act.
Russian news agencies showed charred and burned bodies in the street just outside of the nightclub and reports are that most of the casualties are from burns and smoke inhalation.  It is also being reported that majority of victims are young adults who frequent the nightclub.
Russia is known to be lax in their fire codes and enforcement of protective measures.  This fire brings back memories of a fire in Rhode Island in 2003, The Station nightclub fire where 100 people perished from a fire started from pyrotechnics on the stage of a performance by Great White.  That fire and the deaths were contributed to variance of fire codes and the operators and bands use of pyrotechnics without a permit.
Again, there are reasons for the fire protection measures in place in the form of codes and ordinances. We jsut never know when it could be our jurisdiction having to deal with something like this.

Posted by on December 4, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, news • Tagged: , , , , , ,

Remembering Worcester 6: Dec. 3, 1999

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Never forget the Worcester 6 who lost their lives on Dec. 3, 1999.  Here is an article that covers the incident very well; much better than I could do.  Also, check out the tribute video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k8o11jUZF0]

You can buy Worcester 6 decals and stickers here:  http://www.powercallsirens.com/w6.aspx

Never forget our fallen Brohters and Sisters everywhere. Stay safe.

Posted by on December 3, 2009 • Filed under: firefighter-safety-health, fires, historic fires, in-the-line-of-duty, line-of-duty, major-incidents • Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Our Lady of Angels Fire Anniversary

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On this date in 1958, Our Lady of the Angels School started like any other day. Kids got up and got their school uniforms on and made their way to classes, just like every day.  This day would end tragically and would be one of the main reasons for our modern day fire codes.

Before the day was ended, 92 students and 3 nuns would be dead and a city would be stunned by the events at the school.  Parents and a city sent their children to school believing they were safe only to have children who perished or were serverly injured.  This fire could have been avoided with more stringent fire and building codes even though it was in compliance with current codes.

The fire, which the cause has  never been officially determined, is beleived to have been started in the area of the basement near the foot of the stairwell.  It is believed that it started in a cardboard trash barrel.  Smoke, heat and flames quickly spread up the unprotected stairwell and began to fill the corridors.  Everything in the path of the fire was combustible and was growing at a rapid rate.  The first floor door was closed and held back a good deal of the heat and smoke, but the second floor was soon consumed with fire and smoke.

The fire raced into the second floor cockloft and heat and smoke began to enter the classrooms and the main means of egress, the hallway, was impassable.  The only way out was to jump, which some students were too short to get over the sill and were trapped inside.  Others were told to sit in their desks and pray.
This school fire should never be forgotten and it is a reminder why we need to be diligent when doing inspections and enforcing the codes, especially in plan reviews. Schools house our most valuable and loved miracles; our children and we owe it to them to make sure these buildings are as safe as possible.

Schools are required to have certain fire protection systems in place and to be built to certain standards based on fires like this.  It is imperative that we implement and enforce codes to save lives.  Inspections must be methodical and meaningful.  It is important, it is not just walking through and looking at exit lights and fire extinguishers.  Know what your looking for and write it down. Just think of all the firefighters that tried, but could not reach the victims and had to pull out the dead bodies of 92 children instead.  We don’t want to be those firefighters.

As always, stay safe and be diligent with code enforcement and inspections.

Below is a moving video tribute to the students and staff of the Our Lady of Angels fire, Chicago, IL 1958.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyslGbvSdxE]

Posted by on December 1, 2009 • Filed under: administration-leadership, buildling construction, command-leadership, firefighting-operations, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident, training-fire-rescue-topics • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Cocoanut Grove Anniversary

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On Novemeber 28, 1942, the Cocoanut Grove nightclub was full of friends and family celebrating the holiday season and a college football upset.  That night would prove to be one of the worst public assembly tragedies that America has ever seen.

The fire killed 492 people and injured hundreds more.  The fire was believed to have started in the lower level of the club and spread quickly because of the flammable finishes on the wall and ceiling.  The fire spread so fast, burned so hot that many never made it out of the stairwell.

In addition, insepections were not routine here and exits were blocked and inadequate for the over crowded nightclub.  This fire is another example of how a disaster helped to develop the codes we have today.  We have a responsibiliy to ensure that we enforce our codes to eliminate the chances of this happening again.  We owe to those who died and the firefighters who worked this job.

On side note, a great book about the Cocoanut Grove fire and the Boston Fire Dept called “Rescue Men” by Charles Kenny is a really good read and provides some really good insight on the fire and the people it affected.  As always, stay safe.

Posted by on November 28, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, fires, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , , , , , , ,

A Year Ago Today

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It was a year ago today that terrorists started fires in the Mumbai Taj Mahal Palace and Tower in Mumbai, India.  It was obiously during a holiday and many tourists were visiting the luxury complex.  Other facilities were targeted and when the ordeal was finally over, at least 167 people were killed between the locations and at least 400 were injured.

The hotel was heavily damaged by fire because responders could not make entry due to terrorists still being in the building holding hostages and firing their weapons.

Posted by on November 26, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , ,

MGM Grand Fire

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We are just a few days past the anniversary of the MGM Grand Hotel fire that claimed the lives of 85 people and injuring 14 firefighters.

The facility was allowed to open without fire protection systems and the fire that started on the lower levels and the heaviest fire was on the second floor, smoke, heat and combustion products were spread throughout the ventilation systems.  Most of the 85 dead died of smoke inhalation along with the other 650 who were treated.

This fire is a perfect example of why we need codes and how the lack of codes and inspections can make our jobs as firefighters that much for difficult and dangerous.  This fire happen in 1980 and although most occupancies of this type are required to be sprinklered, depending on the local jurisdiction, it could happen again.

Fire sprinklers and other fire/smoke protection systems save lives and we must push to ensure codes and are followed and adhered to.  Stay safe and be careful.

Posted by on November 25, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , , , ,

Historic Fires

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This fire took place in Nov. 23, 1963, the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The fire claimed the lives of 63 of the 84 patients in the facility.

The fire started at approx. 4:45AM from what is believed to have been overloaded electrical wiring. After the fire recommendations made for all nursing homes included sprinkler systems, automatic fire detection alarms, electrical code compliance and other code enforcement measures.

We have made improvements, but we still lack in some of these areas, depending on the location and local jurisdictions.
Posted by on November 24, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, firefighter-safety-health, historic fires, major-incidents, mass-casualty-incident • Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome

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Here we are, our first blog. We will post training and commentary on fire related topics. Submit your ideas and training method to increase safety for all firefighters. Thanks for visiting.

Posted by on November 21, 2009 • Filed under: buildling construction, command-leadership, fire-prevention-education, fire-rescue-topics, firefighter-safety-health, firefighting-operations, fires, major-incidents, training-development, training-fire-rescue-topics, Uncategorized • Tagged: , , , ,