Schuller

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS RE-VISITED

This past month our department responded to a fire in a gas station, which also provides routine vehicle maintenance services such as oil changes, brake service and the like. The building is a Type II, Non-combustible (UBC), 50' x 35' with two panelized roll-up doors, a side-access door and an attached office with a separate entrance. The fire occurred at approximately 1300 hours, and the establishment was open for business, with repairs being made to two vehicles elevated on hydraulic floor hoists. There was an attached occupancy with cinderblock construction on the "D" side. This building is in my first-due response area; however, I was off-duty and missed the fire.

Upon returning from days off, the firefighters were discussing the incident and how well the operation seemed to go. As their story continued, I could not help but ask a few questions like "Which line did you pull"? "From which entrance did you make your initial attack"? "What was the condition of the doors"? As they were providing a blow-by-blow account, it was evident several safety issues had not been considered. Since these safety concerns have previously been addressed in Fire Nuggets Magazine and other magazines as well, I thought it appropriate to re-visit some of these issues and apply the experienced-based information to another actual fire in an effort to reinforce some important principles.

On Arrival:

Heavy fire conditions were observed from the two opened roll-up doors, with possible extension into the office space. The 200-foot, 1¾-inch line with a 7/8-inch smooth-bore nozzle, flowing 150gpm (@ 45 psi NP). was stretched through the left bay door, (see photo #1). The main body of fire was coming from the two vehicles on the racks. The two firefighters, one very experienced, the other with less time, advanced the hose line inside between the hydraulic hoists and to the rear of the building. As they were making their advance, they heard a noise and looked back to find the roll-up door slowly coming down. The door stopped within a few inches of the hose line. The fire went out, nobody was injured, chapter closed.

Photo #1: " The roll-up door to the left is where the initial attack was made"

Line Selection:

Some departments have a standing policy regarding line selection and the type of occupancy involved. For commercial occupancies, some organizations require that a 2½-inch handline be deployed at all times. Our department provides officers flexibility when selecting the size of the initial line.

The Almighty What If's:

What could have happened if the door cut off their water supply, or if the interior conditions deteriorated to the point of zero visibility? The firefighters would have followed their hoseline to where they met a closed door. The ingredients for disaster were present.
What could have happened as the firefighters advanced their hoseline in between the two vehicles up on the hydraulic hoists (see photo #2)? The gasoline tanks of both vehicles were directly exposed to fire. The hoists were hydraulic with an electric switch to control movement. Failure of the hoists was a possibility.
Was there an alternate choice for the initial line placement?

Photo #2: "The firefighters advanced the handline in between these two vehicles on hoists"

Safety Considerations:

No matter what the building, control the doors. We have read many stories, some tragic, about the need for propping doors. Firefighter Andrew Fredricks, FDNY, author of numerous articles for Fire Engineering and Fire Nuggets talks routinely about this. Consider securing the door in the up position with a ladder or pike pole. Captain Alan Anderson, San Jose Fire Department, submitted a one-liner a few months back. His suggestion was to use a pair of vice grips on the track of roll-up doors to prevent accidental closure.

Initial line placement has also been addressed in many articles. Once again, Firefighter Fredrick's articles for Fire Engineering and recently for Fire Nuggets considered various options for initial attack. In this fire, was it necessary for the firefighters to enter this garage area? With a smooth-bore nozzle, there was plenty of reach and penetration for attack from the front, as the depth of the garage area was only 35 feet. Also, consider checking all sides prior to committing the initial line, there may be a more advantageous location from which to attack. For this fire, consider placing the initial line through the office door at far left (see photo #3). This would be a safe place from which to attack and limit extension. As I have written before, ("Garage Fires," Fire Nuggets, April Issue), there are times when taking the fire head-on is a good option, however, not always the best choice.

The hydraulic hoists could have failed and crushed the attack crew. Electric power cords were burned through and could have fused, activating the motors, or the hydraulic lines could have simply burst.

Photo #3: " The door at far left leads into office with an additional interior door accessing repair garage from office area"

All of us can tire of Monday-morning quarterbacks, and I am no different. However, this critique is right on target for the mission of Fire Nuggets, sharing experienced-based information in an effort to improve operations and save lives. Nothing went terribly wrong this day; yet the potential for disaster was present. No matter where you work, department large or small, active or not, we all respond to fires at some point. We must continue to remind ourselves there is no routine fire, and complacency can surface in all of us. Don't let your guard down! After all, what more important objective can there be than to make sure each and every one of us returns home at the end of each shift?

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