RSSAll Entries in the "Predictive Occupancy Performance" Category

Buildings on Fire Risk Assessment Matrix

Buildings on Fire Risk Assessment Matrix

Buildings on Fire Risk Assessment Matrix    Building Occupancy Risk Profiling Reading the Building The importance of understanding a building’s anatomy, its occupancy risk and compartment profile are integral to efficient and effective firefighting operations within buildings on fire and are essential for all phases of fire suppression and operational engagements. Fundamental to these operations is […]

Predictability and Performance Of Buildings and Today's Fireground

Predictability and Performance Of Buildings and Today’s Fireground

  When we look at various buildings and occupancies, past operations (good and bad) give us experience that defines and determines how we assess, react and expect similar structures and occupancies to perform at a given alarm. The “art and science of firefighting” is predicated on a fundamental understanding of how fire affects a building […]

Fire Dynamics Simulation of 2011 Baltimore County LODD- 30 Dowling Circle

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 […]

The Same Mistakes: Newspaper Reports Common Issues Affecting Fire Operations

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 […]

Residential Pre-Arrival: What are your Considerations?

Residential Pre-Arrival: What are your Considerations?

  A video clip of a structure fire occurring in a single family residential occupancy shows, in the first few frames a back draft occurring per-arrival of fire services. It’s apparent there is a developing and progressing fire in the Charlie division which may have originated in the, or vicinity of the detached garage (B-C) […]

Reported Structure Fire with Trapped Occupants: Are YOU Combat Ready?

Reported Structure Fire with Trapped Occupants: Are YOU Combat Ready?

Just another day… On any given day, at any given time in the streets, buildings and occupancies that comprise the fabric of our communities and ultimately our response district and first-due areas; the citizens we protect go about their daily lives and activities as we go about ours. On any given day, at any given […]

Commericals- Got Fire; Anticipate Collapse

Commericals- Got Fire; Anticipate Collapse

Got Fire?……Anticipate Collapse.. A recent video clip making its way around the cyber fireground clearly depicted a very close-call and resulting near miss event to four firefighters at a four alarm fire involving a commercial building that housed an established insulation manufacturer and installation contractor. The video shows within a very compressed time frame, the […]

Wind Driven Mansion Fire

Wind Driven Mansion Fire

A million dollar Baltimore County, Maryland  home was destroyed Sunday December 13, 2009  by a fire that tore through the 4,700-square-foot structure with such intensity that firefighters were forced to battle the flames from the exterior. Shortly after 21:00 hours, Baltimore County Fire Dispatch alerted crews for Fire Box 50-2 at 12607 Nancy Lee Court in […]

F2010-38 NIOSH LODD REPORT: Two career fire fighters die and 19 injured in roof collapse during rubbish fire at an abandoned commercial structure - Illinois

F2010-38 NIOSH LODD REPORT: Two career fire fighters die and 19 injured in roof collapse during rubbish fire at an abandoned commercial structure – Illinois

FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports Through the Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program, NIOSH conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. The program does not seek to determine fault or place blame on fire departments or individual fire […]

Near-Miss Report of the Week

Near-Miss Report of the Week

As an officer, you need to stay abreast of operational issues and situations in order to be knowledgeable and conversant with the variables that may affect company deployments and subsequent operations. The National Fire Fighter Near Miss Reporting System (FFNMRS) has a vast collection of resources that are a few keystrokes and links away. One […]

Remembering Hackensack and Gloucester

Remembering Hackensack and Gloucester

As we approach the July 4th holiday period, two significant LODD incidents previously occurred during this time frame that hold a number of lessons learned related to command management, operations, building construction principles and building performance, fire behavior and the ever present dangers of the job. Take the opportunity to learn more about these events, […]

Survivability Profiling: Taking it to the Streets

Survivability Profiling: Taking it to the Streets

Live and Online Taking it to the Streets with your host Christopher Naum will present another timely and insightful look at an emerging element of today’s evolving fire ground.     Join in on Wednesday April 20th at 9pm ET for a very special and exciting program discussing the concepts and theory of Survivability Profiling. […]

Prince William County (VA) Fire Rescue Kyle Wilson LODD 2007; Is This on Your Radar Screen?

Prince William County (VA) Fire Rescue Kyle Wilson LODD 2007; Is This on Your Radar Screen?

  Prince William County (VA) Fire Rescue Kyle Wilson LODD Report-Remembrance and Learnings The Prince William County (VA) Department of Fire and Rescue published a comprehensive line of duty death report for Technician I Kyle R. Wilson on Saturday, January 26, 2008. Have your read it? Technician I Wilson was the first line of duty […]

Shoddy Construction in a Modular Home?

Shoddy Construction in a Modular Home?

Shoddy construction in a modular home? Fewer inspections for modular homes questioned Mike Beaudet(FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) Ron Chasse’s modular home in West Boylston looks great from the outside, but Chasse says he was shocked to find out what lay hidden inside the walls. “I’ve seen storage sheds that are built better than this. Honestly,” […]

Modular Home Construction to Change

Modular Home Construction to Change

Modular Home Construction to Change BOSTON (FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) Updated: Saturday, 22 May 2010, 5:05 PM EDT Published : Tuesday, 13 Apr 2010, 10:56 PM EDT Acting weeks after a FOX Undercover investigation raising questions about fire safety and modular homes, the board that sets the Massachusetts building code voted today to change the way […]