Brennan Firepics Comments 10

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TOM BRENNAN has more than 35 years of fire service experience having responded to 33,000 fire alarms. His career spans more than 20 years with the Fire Department of New York as well as four years as chief of the Waterbury (Conn.) Fire Department. He has a bachelor of science degree, summa cum laude, John Jay College; Alumnus of the Year Award, John Jay College; chairman of the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association and a charter member of the National Fire Protection Association, Fire Service Section. He has delivered courses and seminars throughout the United States and has instructed at the National Fire Academy. He was the editor of Fire Engineering Magazine for eight years, is currently a technical editor, and his column “Random Thoughts,” is a regular monthly feature. He is co-editor of The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Fifth Edition. He is the recipient of the 1998 Fire Engineering Lifetime Achievement Award.

ROOF FIRE IN BALLOON DWELLING

Here we are looking at a two-story, frame home. For as much as we can see here at our arrival it appears that the fire has gotten into the walls from the first floor and is extending vertically inside within the walls and outside. While we don’t have many indicators to go on, we should assume by the “look” of the building that it may be a renovated and remodeled, balloon-constructed, occupied dwelling.

The inside firefight has probably knocked down the first-floor fire of origin, and the firefighters are working their way up the interior stairs. See the darkened, fire-scarred door of probable entry in the lower left side of the photo.

Platform construction (newer than balloon) does not need roof cutting immediately! Firefighters can make better use of those ladders to ascend to the second floor for interior search from alternate entry points.

In balloon construction, opening the roof as soon as possible is vital for the firefight, orderly search and removal operations, and to stop the surprise spread of fire anywhere in the building that causes so much of our firefighter entrapment in structures of this construction.

The tactic to support an offensive interior attack here is to be able to cut a hole near the ridgepole at the highest peak in the building. That is where the heat sink is and that is the area that downward pressure and heat will begin.

Now with that in mind and the cut as our goal, let’s look at the ladders in this photo.

The aerial is the way to go here! You should be able to reduce the risk factor to the vent team operating on such a severe pitch and flimsy construction by cutting from the aerial as a support. (Aerial platform is better.) With that in mind, the aerial position (truck is good) should extend a few feet over the ridgepole and down toward the center of the roof nearer the exposed fire condition. With the ladder in the place seen in the photo, the roof cutting firefighters are forced to leave the aerial and walk on the flimsy construction and gain other support mechanisms.

Cut this one from the aerial once it is properly placed.

Next, let us look at the portable ladder at the roofline for a few points about portable ladders. If the ladder is to be used for roof access, it should be considerably higher and at less of an angle with the ground (pull the butt further out). We don’t want a climbing firefighter to overcome the ladder pressure on the roof with his weight in the opposite direction.

What about the use of this ladder in this picture? If the aerial is the choice for roof ventilation, then the portable ladder is a waste of work effort — or is it?

The horizontal ventilation effort from outside is needed to support the rapid movement of the handline inside and the search effort on the second floor. The firefighter in the picture has a useless tool. Sure, it will break the windows but what will he do next? Plus he is working under the glass he is going to break and just make small holes at best.

What is better? Sure use the portable ladder.

Raise the fly to the top one-third of the window frame and, butting the vertical ladder, push/throw the ladder against the window glass. The glass and most of the interior materials should drop harmlessly inside the window.

Then reposition the ladder to the sill or below it, and ascend for outside entry for search support.

Simple huh?

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