Posts Tagged: Buildings
San Francisco FD Berkeley Way Double LODD Report Issued: Routine Fire….
This incident appeared from the onset to be a routine “room and contents” fire that the SFFD encounters on a regular basis. As the Companies were performing standard fireground operations, the incident rapidly deteriorated due to a hostile fire event. The failure of a window in the fire room allowed fresh oxygen to enter the room, providing a fire that was deprived of one of the key elements of combustion to rapidly intensify.
Read More »
Building-Occupancy Relationships and Firefighting
Knowledge and proficiencies related to building construction are formulative to all strategic, tactical and task level assignments.
Without understanding the building-occupancy relationships and integrating; construction, the compartment, occupancy ris…
Read More »
Another Multiple Alarm Fire in Camden, NJ
[caption id="attachment_1691" align="aligncenter" width="303" caption="An Eight Alarm Fire Hit Camden on Saturday morning"][/caption]
A huge fire early this morning has engulfed a three-story warehouse in downtown Camden, two days after another massiv…
Read More »
Situational Awareness: Wall Collapse Near Miss
UK Firefighter Narrowly Escapes Wall Collapse
Collapse captured on dash cam shows Greater Manchester (UK) Fire and Rescue Service close call
This was recently posted on Firefighternation.com and depicts a a video clip that captures a dramatic n…
Read More »
Prevention of Disproportionate Structural Collapse
Many U.S. buildings are vulnerable to extreme loads that may cause partial or total collapse. Modern structures have a limited reserve capacity to accommodate abnormal loads. There is no accepted science-base or design practice to maintain overall st…
Read More »
Situational Awarness on Taking it to the Streets; Did you Listen in?
Taking it to the Streets hosted by Christopher NaumLast month on Firefighter NetCast.com ,Taking it to the Streets presented an exceptional show related to the emerging issues affecting fire ground operations and the emerging and prevailing issues rela…
Read More »
Thursday 9pm ET: “We Have a Situation; Are You Aware?”
This month Christopher Naum and Battalion Chief Matt Tobia discuss the emerging and prevailing issues related to situational awareness.
Read More »
The New Rules of Engagement for Structural Firefighting
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is committed to reducing firefighter fatalities and injuries. As part of that effort, the IAFC Safety, Health and Survival (SHS) Section has developed DRAFT “Rules of Engagement for Structural Firefig…
Read More »
Executing Effective Tactical Plans
When we look at various buildings and occupancies, past operational experiences; those that were successful, and those that were not, give us experiences that define and determine how we access, react and expect similar structures and occupancies to perf…
Read More »
Reloaded
"It’s no longer just brute force and sheer physical determination that define structural fire suppression operations. Aggressive firefighting must be redefined and aligned to the built environment and associated with goal oriented tactical operations t…
Read More »
Urban Search and Rescue Insights
Insights into the make-up and operational deployment of the FEMA National Urban Search and Rescue System (USAR) with information on the UFDA and USAID organization and strategic US&R considerations.
Read More »
It’s more than just Size-Up; Situational Awareness and Dynamic Risk Assessment
Dynamic Risk Assessment is commonly used to describe a process of risk assessment being carried out in a changing or evolving environment, where what is being assessed is developing as the process itself is being undertaken.
This is further problematica…
Read More »
Fire in the United States Report 2003 to 2007
Fire in the United States
Fire in the United States covers the 5-year period from 2003 to 2007
The report focuses on the national fire problem and provides an overview of fires and losses in buildings, vehicles and other mobile properties, and other pr…
Read More »
Engineered Structural Systems- Hazards
CNN recently presented an informative piece on the continuing trends in the design and use of engineered structural systems (ESS) . CNN correspondant Gerri Willis provides an informative and insightful look at something the fire service knows all too w…
Read More »
Buffalo Box 191 North Division & Grosvenor Streets; December 27, 1983
[caption id="attachment_507" align="alignleft" width="219" caption="Buffalo Box 191"][/caption]
December 27, 1983 Buffalo, New York Five Firefighter Line-of-Duty Deaths
As Buffalo (NY) firefighters arrived at the scene of a reported propane leak in…
Read More »
Predicated Building Performance
When we look at various buildings and occupancies, past operational experiences; those that were successful, and those that were not, give us experiences that define and determine how we access, react and expect similar structures and occupancies to perf…
Read More »
The Job: Doing the Right Thing, At the Right Time, for the Right Reasons
On Monday August 24th, two Buffalo (NY) Firefighters sustained injuries and died in the line-of-duty (LODD) during the conduct of operations at a two-story Type III (brick and joist) commercial occupancy in Buffalo, New York. The 911 call reported someon…
Read More »
Predictability
THE MODERN ENVIRONMENTThe built-environments that form and shape our response districts and communities pose unique challenges to the day-to-day responses of fire departments and their subsequent operations during combat structural fire engagement. With …
Read More »
Remembrance: Deutsche Bank Fire FDNY LODD- August 18, 2007
Remembrance: Deutsche Bank Fire and Double FDNY LODD in lower Manhattan, NYC- August 18, 2007 Structural Anatomy; Operational Safety at Deconstruction & Demolition Sites Fire operations for structures undergoing construction, alterations, deconstruction…
Read More »
Structural Stability of Engineered Systems: What do you really know?
I recently posed some questions related to Engineered Structural Assemblies & Systems (ESS) and asked if you knew what they represent and how these components, assemblies and systems may affect or influence incident operations. In addition, I asked you t…
Read More »
The Consciences Observer or Activist
The Consciences Observer or Activist. So… the operative question today is this: What did you do on your last alarm response related to operational safety and enhanced situational awareness? Do you: participate in, contribute, join in, share, lead, pro…
Read More »
Fourteen Minutes to Mayday
Fourteen Minutes to MaydayOn April 04, 2008, a 37-year-old female career captain and a 29-year-old male part-time fire fighter were fatally injured when a section of floor collapsed and trapped them in the basement during a fire at a residential structur…
Read More »
History Repeating Events: Waldbaum’s Fire FDNY August 2, 1978- SIX LODD
31th Anniversary of the Waldbaum’s FireThe Waldbaum’s fire, Brooklyn, New York occurred on August 2, 1978. Six firefighters died when the roof of a burning Brooklyn supermarket collapsed, plunging 12 firefighters into the flames. The fire began in a …
Read More »
Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) Tactics
Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) TacticsImproving firefighter safety is an ongoing effort for the fire service. A series of fire experiments were conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Building and Fire Research La…
Read More »
The NEW Lexicon and Challenges
Engineered Structural Assemblies & Systems (ESS)· THE Predominate Fire Service Challenge....The NEW Lexicon to add to your operational safety vocabulary and incident action plans...· Do you know what they represent and how these components, assemblies …
Read More »
