All Entries in the "Anatomy of Buildings" Category
Fire Dynamics Simulation of 2011 Baltimore County LODD- 30 Dowling Circle
The Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department published the Line of Duty Death Investgation Report of the 30 Dowling Circle Fire recently. The report was written by a Line of Duty Death Investigation Team comprised of departmental members, including representatives of the local firefighters’ union and the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association. An overview and [...]
Parapet Walls – Firefighter Killers
Parapet Walls – Firefighter Killers Jason Poremba Firefighterspot.com Firefighters are faced with many dangers when on the job. If we study past fatal firefighter incidents, history will tell us parapet walls are proven killers during fireground operations. A few basic concepts can protect firefighters from future parapet-related fatalities. Most importantly, fire departments should establish and [...]
Structural Collapse Insights and Aides from NIST
In case you missed these are or are first to see these now, informative information on Structural Collapse previously issued by NIST. This supplements the continuing research and effort by UL, NIST and numerous other academic and research institutions. From Fire.gov. http://www.nist.gov/fire/collapse.cfm Structural Collapse Fire Tests: Single Story, Wood Frame Structures A series [...]
Smoke Management in High-Rise Structures
Smoke Management in High-Rise Structures BY JOSEPH CHACON AND STEVE KERBER Excerpt from Fire Engineering.com Most modern building codes define a high-rise structure as a building greater than 75 feet in height from the lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the highest occupiable floor. When fires occur in high-rise structures, the responding firefighters [...]
Computer-Based Fire Fighter Training Project
Computer-Based Fire Fighter Training Project Through this project, the Fire Research Division at NIST is developing a computer based fire fighting training tool to improve training opportunities while lowering the cost and risk of death and injury. Two methods are being used to create a training tool. The first and simpler method is to use FDS and Smokeview to create animations of fire scenarios. [...]
Wind Driven Fires
Wind Driven Fires Wind blowing into the broken window of a room on fire can turn a “routine room and contents fire” into a floor-to-ceiling firestorm. Historically, this has led to a significant number of firefighter fatalities and injuries, particularly in high-rise buildings where the fire must be fought from the interior of the structure. [...]
Remembering Brackenridge 1991 Floor Collapse and LODD
Remembering Brackenridge, Pennsylvania December 20, 1991: Four Firefighters Killed, Trapped by Floor Collapse Four volunteer firefighters died when they were trapped by a partial floor collapse during a structure fire in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania, on the morning of December 20, 1991. All four were members of a mutual aid truck company that had responded to the [...]
Buffalo Box 191 North Division & Grosvenor Streets; December 27, 1983
Buffalo Box 191 North Division & Grosvenor Streets; December 27, 1983 Buffalo Box 191 As Buffalo (NY) firefighters arrived at the scene of a reported propane leak in a three-story radiator warehouse (Type III Ordinary and Type IV Heavy Timber construction), a massive explosion occurred, killing five firefighters instantly and injuring nine others, three of [...]
FDNY Brooklyn Box 4080: 17 Vandalia Avenue 12.18.1998
FDNY Brooklyn Box 4080: 17 Vandalia Avenue 12.18.1998 Take a moment to look back at an incident: On December 18, 1998, Three FDNY Firefighters died in-the line of duty while conducting suppression and rescue operations at fire on the tenth floor of 10-story high-rise apartment building for the elderly. At 0454 hours Brooklyn transmitted box 4080 [...]
The Same Mistakes: Newspaper Reports Common Issues Affecting Fire Operations
Four years after nine firefighters died battling Sofa Super Store fire, a report details an eerily similar set of breakdowns in a March blaze. Firefighters rush into a burning commercial building with too-small hoses and insufficient water. The commander can’t reach them because the captain forgot his radio. Backup crews aren’t sure where to go [...]
Great Buildings Listings and Links
More than 1000 great buildings from around the world and across history are listed below and illustrated on this web site and the Great Buildings Collection on CD-ROM, with photographic images, architectural drawings, discussion, bibliography, architect info, and live 3D walkthrough computer models.H O M E — B U I L D I [...]
Great Buildings Collection Link
Great Buildings Collection Link Welcome to GreatBuildings, presenting 1000 classics of world architecture, and hundreds of their great designers, in the leading general architecture reference site online. Direct Link: http://www.greatbuildings.com/ T H E A R C H I [...]
High-rise fires cause quarter billion dollars of property damage a year
High Rise Fire Operations High-rise fires cause quarter billion dollars of property damage a year The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is reporting that in 2005-2009, there were an average of 15,700 reported structure fires in high-rise buildings per year with an associated $235 million in direct property damage. The report, “High-Rise Building Fires,” (PDF, 499 KB) cites [...]
New Sensor System Tracks Firefighters Where GPS Fails
New Sensor System Tracks Firefighters Where GPS Fails Portable device locates missing firefighters–saves time and maybe lives Firefighter Ray Hodgson hits the talk button on his walkie-talkie: “I have fire showing, possibility of a rescue on the third floor. Engine 35, initiate a rescue group. Also back him up with a hose line.” A fire [...]
USFA Releases 2010 Fire Estimate Summary Series
U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) issued the 2010 Fire Estimate Summary Series which presents basic information on the size and status of the fire problem in the United States as depicted through data collected in USFA’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The data summary series was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is [...]
