Posts Tagged: Inspections
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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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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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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Building Inspections
Building Inspections. Ever done them?
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What’s Behind the Rack?
Accessing this stand pipe is almost impossible and these systems aren't always that reliable and shouldn't be your sole suppression plan.
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FDNY Deutsche Bank Building LODD Fire Report issued by NIOSH
The NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program has released the investigation report of the line of duty deaths of two career FDNY firefighters during a 2007 seven-alarm high-rise fire in the former Deutsche Bank building under…
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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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Elevator Operations
This is a good video on operating a typical elevator. I understand that there are many different types of elevators and different operating methods, but most are very similar to this. You can have different types of keys but the systems should be pretty standard.
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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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Painted Sprinkler Heads
Doing a thorough inspection on remodels could prevent something like this. This is a safety issue for both the occupants and firefighters.
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Around the Fire Web
Some weekend gems waiting to be discovered.
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Identifying RTU’s From the Interior
Take care to look above you and identify RTU from the interior.
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What’s Above You?
What is lurking on the roof? It could come crashing down on you.
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2×4′s for Locks
Great use of a 2x4!
Someone thought its was a good idea to put a 2x4 in the door to keep it locked.
But, it will also do a good job of keeping people in during a fire.
If it is dark and people are panicked, that board could cause some big prob…
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Who Wired This?
Check small closets and hidden areas for situations like this. You never know what you'll find.
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Trip to the Hardware Store
This exit door is not only blocked and not accessible, it is also padlocked so that it cannot be opened.
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Roosevelt Hotel Fire 1963
[caption id="attachment_203" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Roosevelt Hotel"][/caption]
The ballroom held many events and this night hosted a paThe fire started in the ballroom and was said to have started from a discarded cigarrette but it …
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More PIV’s
These PIVs are on the same property. There is only one system in the building but there are two PIVS and two hydrants.
The owner cannot tell us if the building had different systems. My suspicion is that one building is older, which we know,…
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Fire Discussion 3
Okay, here is your kitchen table Company Discussion for the day. Let’s take a look at what we have going on here. The two pictures say a great deal about this fire.
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Remember the PIV?
Remember when doing inspections to check out the fire department connection. We all do that pretty well for the most part, making sure that nothing is blocking it and noting where it is for tactical reasons. However, I have seen crews miss checking t…
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Company Training Discussion 2: Residential Fire with Exposure
This is the response from the posting from the other day. Our fried Fred commented with the following details:
Assuming wood frame construction of main structure. Challenges: fire already past egress point at patio doors of main structure. Exposure …
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Woe the Shopping Carts
With the holidays over, so to speak, the big sales days are upon us now. You might want to check on your big stores to make sure things are in order.
As we can see here, the shopping carts have taken precedent over the people inside for access to th…
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Inspections
As you can see, this is a huge obstacle for those wanting to get out of that door. I have had companies do inspections and when I asked about the exterior, especially the rear of the building, I would get blank stares.
It is important to check out t…
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