Brennan Firepics Comments 12

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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.

A ROOF LOAD

Hey another photo to critique at the ole company drill!

This one is a shot of roof operations at a 2½-story private type dwelling (I hope that it is not 3½ stories). It appears to be balloon construction (or not — but for our purposes we will declare that it is balloon construction to set up priorities).

So to practice descriptions....

“Fire in a 2½-story balloon-constructed (Victorian or Queen Anne will do) private dwelling. Fire located in lower floor rear (see smoke concentration?). Exposures are as follows: A is a street, B is similar in use and construction, C is a rear yard, and D is unknown at this time.”

Let’s talk about what could be possibly good in this photo. The “tactical trick” — the Strategic Factor — for balloon-construction, peak-roof buildings in which there is a fire is to get a large ventilation hole into the attic space at the ridge pole of the highest gable! Without that we will have chaos inside at a decent-size fire in short order.

The danger of balloon construction is in the wide-open vertical bays that extend from base or cellar wall to the underside of the roof rafters. A fire anywhere in the structure that enters these spaces burns undisturbed and rapidly ignites the attic area and mushrooms down to cause explosive venting anywhere it wants to throughout the structure.

The roof vent is vital to relieve the building heat sink and to keep the fire moving vertically up and out of the structure and reduce the mushrooming to nil.

Ok!

So what else is in this photo for your company to discuss?

There are at least seven or eight firefighters not doing their job here — and certainly one in a white hat. If the chief in the photo is not loudly ordering most of this force off the roof, there is no leadership at this operation and certainly no knowledge of firefighting tactics and safety.

Anyone who wants to make a case against NFPA 1710 and the manning it demands could make an exhibit of this photograph.

Two firefighters and a stable platform and one saw and some proper prying and pushing tools are all that is required.

Here we have at least four saws present: three chain saws and one circular saw that are seen in the picture. I hope that they are all not running!

In reality these brothers are standing on the flimsiest construction in America — the roof sheathing of a peak-roof private dwelling. If the fire gets into the construct below their feet, there are not enough exit routes for all to get off before collapse and entrapment.

We all learned a major lesson at the fire in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn’s Walbaum Supermarket Fire.

During the operations before the collapse of the rain roof into the inferno that was the truss loft that burned six firefighters to death, there were more than 20 firefighters on the roof area. The majority that fell through the burning trusses survived!

What will happen here if this roof fails?

There are many other tactics that are also vital at fires like this that these “angels in the air” will be more useful at.

1. Alternate entry for search of all rooms from the outside.

2. Horizontal ventilation to assist the interior operation.

3. Portable ladder placement for alternate exits for interior searching firefighters. (Where are they? The RIT teams should be watching for breaking glass!)

4. Additional search teams and members to find hidden fire during the extinguishment process not to mention the overhaul function.

5. Add to the RIT team concept instead of waiting to be the “drill.”

6. Relieve other teams.

7. Stretch and standby with charged lines.

8. Perform salvage.

9. Procure additional lighting.

10. ANYTHING other than being part of this many firefighters on a peak roof that has a fire under it!

I usually say that there is no need for a company officer to be on the roof of a building on fire to supervise vertical ventilation. What is in this chief’s mind do you think?

If you were a company officer or a chief (forbid), what orders would you give here? List them on the blackboard.

The company officer is the last bit of order that will prevent firefighters under his or her observation, supervision, and control from being injured or worse.

Nuff said about this — you guys talk it up more.

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