Author Archive for Christopher J. Naum, SFPE
Four Story Apartment Building, Five Alarm Fire Philadelphia
A fire at a four-story apartment complex in Philadelphia (PA) on Monday January 10th, 2010 spewed thick black smoke that could be seen for miles and sent flames shooting from the rooftop, endangering other buildings and forcing at least one nearby school to send children home early. Video: Massive Fire Guts Apartment House: MyFoxPHILLY.com Images, courtesy of […]
Structural Collapse Type III Vacant
Something exploded in this vacant building as firefighters battled a fire Monday night in Cairo, Illinois. A photographer for television station KFVS was rolling when the blast occurred and also caught the collapse a short time later.. The local fire chief says the fire started when four men were inside the building, looking for things to steal. […]
Five Alarm School Fire, Philadelphia
A fast-moving fire at a Philadelphia (PA) elementary school, which challenged PFD firefighters early this morning, has finally been placed under control. Crews responded out to the 5100 block of Warren Street in the city’s Parkside section just before 6:00 a.m. after a passing police officer noticed flames coming from the Global Leadership Academy Charter […]
Underwriters Laboratories Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber in Fire Conditions CBT
Structural stability of engineered lumber in fire conditions This online firefighter training course is the result of a research partnership among UL, the Chicago Fire Department, IAFC, and Michigan State University, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This self-guided course, which focuses on the structural stability of engineered lumber under fire […]
Underwriters Laboratories Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber in Fire Conditions
Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber in Fire Conditions Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber in Fire Conditions Under a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistance to Firefighter Grant, Underwriters Laboratories in collaboration with the Chicago Fire Department, Michigan State University, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs completed a fire research study to enhance […]
It’s not Lightweight Construction
It’s not lightweight construction NFPA Journal, Jul/Aug 2009 by Earls, Alan R It’s what happens when lightweight construction meets fire. Two recent studies detail the relationship between fire and engineered wood construction assemblies-notably, that they burn quicker and fail faster than their dimensional lumber counterparts. What do the findings mean for the fire service, builders, […]
USFA Releases Provisional 2010 Firefighter Fatality Statistics
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today there were 85 onduty firefighter fatalities in the United States as a result of incidents that occurred in 2010, a 6 percent decrease from the 90 fatalities reported for 2009. The 85 fatalities were spread across 31 states. Illinois experienced the highest number of fatalities (9). In […]
USFA/NFA Training Course Student Manuals
Here are some direct links to USFA/NFA Training Course Student manuals from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center web site http://www.gpstc.org/divisions/gfa/studentmanuals/index.html Download the programs and take advantage of the reference materials and information to support your training and operationsl needs. Principles of Building Construction Combustible Principles of Building Construction Non-Combustible Incident Command System for Structural […]
Principles of Building Construction: Combustible Student Manual
Principles of Building Construction; Combustible PBC:C-Student Manual Second Edition, April 2000 USFA-United States Fire Administration Principles of Building Construction: Non-Combustible: Principles of Building Construction Combustible
Principles of Building Construction: Non-Combustible Student Manual
Principles of Building Construction: Non-Combustible PBC:NC-Student Manual Second Edition, April 2000 USFA-United States Fire Administration Principles of Building Construction: Non-Combustible: BC Non Complete Student Manual
General Truss Construction Links
General Truss Construction Links NAHB Research Foundation Inc The essential point is that it would be un reasonable to design in the superior structural integrity of truss – framed construction only to degrade it by weakening the studs http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1982/ander82a.pdf Download SAINT LUCIE COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT Where the owner of the structure and the authority […]
Innovative Construction Products and Techniques-UK
Innovative Construction Products and Techniques Published 7 January 2008 Type(s) Research and statistics, Reports and summaries Site Planning, building and the environment Product code 07BD04986 UK International Summary This is the final report due for the project, Innovative Construction Products and Techniques (ICPT). This project was commissioned under the Communities and Local Government Fire Safety Framework Agreement […]
General Building Construction Links
General Building Construction Links and Downloads BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 340 CHAPTER 13 STREET STORY A firefighters worst fear is being trapped in a collapsing building and burning to death Real-life encounters become implanted in our memory http://cmapspublic2.ihmc.us/rid%3D1148947649616_185333784_3503/Building%20Construction%20-%20Fire.pdf Download BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION The majority of fire responded to by fire departments occur in some type of a […]
The Mega Cities and Seven Billion Inhabitants
National Geographic Magazine is running a special series on population. By the end of this year there will be 7 billion inhabitants. Sometime in late 2011, according to the UN Population Division, there will be seven billion of us. And the explosion, though it is slowing, is far from over. Not only are people living […]
The New Lexicon and Challenges
Of the many issues affecting the Fire Service, the prevailing challenge that has a pronounced impact on operational safety is the assimilation of engineered structural systems (ESS) into mainstream building design and construction. The presence of engineered structural systems (ESS) are no longer considered to be an innocuous feature in a given building or occupancy; […]
