Posts Categorized: Inspections
Legacy Building Considerations: Old School Buildings
Check out our new blog format, let us know what you think.
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Chicago FD Fires 4, Suspends 43 from Prevention Bureau
Follow-up To Controversial Audit by City Inspector General
CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT COMMISSIONER Robert Hoff announced Thursday that four firefighters will be dismissed and placed on the city’s do-not-hire list for padding their mileage reports.&…
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Firefighters Become Fleafighters
Preplanning Venture Upgrades to Rolling Haz-Mat Incident
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Storage in the Stairs
We know the importance of inspections and identifying hazards in the buildings that we serve and respond to. This is just a simple reminder of one hazard that depending on it's location in the building, can be missed.
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Standpipe Crowding
The picture shown is a stand pipe in a hotel. I went to ice in the hotel I was staying in and this was right next to the ice machine. I didn't measure it, but this standpipe would be very difficult to connect to. Additionally, if we did get connected with hose only, there would certainly be a kink at the coupling, further reducing our pressure.
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The Door to Nowhere
We have all been taught to control the door. I have watched countless firefighters try to kick in doors, bulldoze their way through them along with every other tactic that does not include a set of irons. Here is one reason why control in forcing d…
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Kitchen Suppression Dump Test and Suggestion
When these systems are designed they are equipment specific. Meaning that the flow points are determined by the type of cooking appliance and its location under the hood and suppression system. Moving or replacing any appliance requires reevaluation of the system and could mean an alteration to keep the system adequate.
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Legacy Pump Operator Training
I came across these videos and found them to be very interesting. In some cases, not much has changed for us today. Of course, in other aspects things have changed. I love the old trucks and the narration. Oh, also watch how they deal with the car in front of the hydrant.
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Type III Construction
During a fire the interior structural components are attacked and failure of these components can cause an exterior wall to fail at the same time. The joists, for example, will rest in the masonry or brick wall and may be used to support the exterior walls. When these joists fail or burn out, they can compromise the support of the exterior wall it is connected to.
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Inspections and Prevention
“Inspections and Prevention: The First Steps to Situational Awareness” this class takes us through the steps of inspections at the company level and associates the hazards into how they will affect our firefighting operations.
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St. Louis County Special Programs
“Inspections and Prevention: The First Steps to Situational Awareness” this class takes us through the steps of inspections at the company level and associates the hazards into how they will affect our firefighting operations. We will look at adapting to and changing tactics to overcome fire code issues during an incident. This class is approved for up to 6 CEU’s from the State of Missouri for Inspector re-certification. 4-6 hours.
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A Winter Consideration
Knowing where the fire department connections and hydrants are located prior to them getting covered or blocked by snow is helpful in locating them, but it still doesn't help in gaining access if they are blocked by tons of snow.
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Chicago: Anatomy of a Building and its Collapse-PDF Download
Chicago: Anatomy of a Building and its Collapse PDF Training AidThe recent post titled: Chicago: Anatomy of a Building and its Collapse has been receiving a considerable amount of attention as the post makes its way throughout the fire service eMedia sit…
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Type I Construction
We hear it all of the time in the fire service and many of us agree; we don't spend enough time training and learning building construction and fire behavior. So, in the spirit of practicing what I preach, here is a short lesson on Type I construction, or otherwise referred to Fire Resistive construction.
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Get the Whole Picture
As I walked out the back of the building this is what I saw. Unremarkable, really. However, to the right is the drive that leads from the front of the building.
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What Hydrant?
Do any of you have a policy on cleaning up around hidden hydrants? Who paints them and what color scheme do you use? Are they identified by size or gallons per minute? Do you share that information with your mutual aid companies
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Whole New Meaning to Modular
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.
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A Simple Move
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.
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Standpipe or Not?
Not all of the stairwells have standpipes in them. Most were typical connections with a valve and 2 1/2 inch connection. As you can see in this picture, this one was not a typical seen in a stairwell.
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Repair Bay Hazards
There are also floor level and pit hazards that need to be identified and planned for. These should be identified during inspections and pre-planning surveys.
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Apply the Lessons Learned
Above all, don't let the lives lost at any LODD be lives lost in vain. Learn from their mistakes, but don't be critical, we have all screwed up and been lucky enough to get away with it. Be constructive and train on the recommendations so that you don't repeat history.
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Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire Remembered
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.
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Cleveland School Fire of 1923
That night 77 people lost their lives at a school event that should have ended with celebration and refreshments. Instead the community was tasked with finding the bodies of those who did not make it out.
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Addresses on Inspections
Then I look at my list and see the same numerics on another inspection form with a different business name. This is what I find.....
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