All Entries Tagged With: "occupancy risk"
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 […]
Leading Causes of Residential Fire Fatalities: Unintentional/Careless Actions, Smoking
USFA Releases Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010) Report “Other unintentionally set, careless” actions and “smoking” are the leading causes The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) issued a special report today examining the characteristics of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings. The report, Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings […]
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) […]
Remembrance: FDNY and Buffalo(NY) Double LODD from Floor Collapse
Take the time to revisit two Firefighter LODD incidents that both occurred in the month of August in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Excerpts from the NIOSH Reports have been included that are part of the NIOSH FIRE FIGHTER FATALITY INVESTIGATION AND PREVENTION PROGRAM (HERE). Both of these incidents involved a double firefighter line-of-duty death (LODD) […]
Deployment Decisions: Defining Operations on the First-Due
First-due company operations are influenced by a number of parameters and factors; some deliberate and dictated, others prescribed and prearranged and yet others subjective, biased, predisposed or at times accidental, casual and emotional. For many of you riding the seat or arriving assuming command; you understand the connotations and implications I’m making here. Here’s an […]
New York City to Crack Down on Illegally Divided Apartments
Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Quinn unveil reforms to overhaul illegal apartment ‘firetraps’ BY Greg B. Smith DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Form June 7, 2011, http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/06/07/2011-06-07_mayor_bloomberg_council_speaker_quinn_unveil_reforms_to_overhaul_illegal_apartme.html Marc Hermann for News City officials were out in force to discuss an overhaul in how the city combats “firetrap” apartments. Less than six weeks after five people died in […]
USFA Releases Restaurant Building Fires Report
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) United States Fire Administration (USFA) has issued a special report examining the characteristics of restaurant building fires. The report, Restaurant Building Fires, was developed by USFA’s National Fire Data Center and is based on 2007 to 2009 data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Restaurant Building Fires […]
Roof and Ceiling Collapses
There have been two fire ground collapse events this week; the first in Gary Indiana on April 5th, the other in Washington DC on April 8th that resulted in a total of eight firefighters being injured. The collapse conditions presented themselves during the course of operations in which suppression or search and rescue operations were […]
16,000 Square Foot Residential Fire
A couple of video clips of a 16,000 square foot Residential House Fire in Heath, Texas, which is an eastern suburb of Dallas, May 6, 2010 that resulted in a $6 million dollar loss. May 20, 2010 Heath house fire causes $6 million in damages, injuries to three firefighters By JIM HARDIN Herald-Banner The Zope […]
FDNY Eight Alarm Fire in Queens Commercial Building with Collapse
Four firefighters were injured Monday night when the ceiling of a burning Queens metal factory collapsed on them, officials said. The one story commerical building 60′ x 100′ with exposures was Queens Box 2211. The powerful blaze broke out about 6 p.m. at J&S Ornamental Ironworks on 95-20 150th St. near 97th Ave. in Jamaica, Queens (NYC) escalated […]
Modular Construction and Operational Impacts
Modular homes are built using an engineered approach to produce buildings in a more efficient and cost effect method that can deliver lower home prices per square foot. Instead of the traditional stick-built, on-site construction methods, most of the work is pre-fabricated at an off-site climate controlled factory. As each sub-section is finished it […]
Fire Department Officers Liable in Double Firefighter LODD
Lawsuit revived against fire departments in firefighter’s death in 2002 house fire A New York State appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against the Manlius (NY) and Pompey Hill (NY) fire departments in the death of a volunteer firefighter battling a Pompey house fire in 2002. The state Supreme Court Appellate Division in Rochester – […]
Victim Survivability Profiling and Getting the Job Done
Seattle Ladder 8 Capt. Dana Caldart, Firefighter Josh Materi and others recount rescue of seven from roof of a well-involved dwelling. Victim Survivability Profiling Takes A Hit originally posted by Bill Carey January 6, 2011 on Backstepfirefighter.com Several Seattle firefighters returned to the scene of an earlier house fire with multiple rescues. In an informal critique, if you […]
Occupancy Risk versus Occupancy Type
Today’s incident demands on the fireground are unlike those of the recent past, requiring incident commanders and commanding officers to have increased technical knowledge of building construction with a heightened sensitivity to fire behavior, a focus on operational structural stability and considerations related to occupancy risk versus the occupancy type. There is an immediate need […]
First-Due Arriving Companies; Are You Prepared?
As the First-Due Fire Company; Officer and crew, Are you prepared to address the fireground variables and occupancy risks upon your arrival and during the initial stages of your deployment and operations? Are you combat ready or passively engaged? It seems we’ve struck some interests over past week since we first discussed the First-Due Fire […]
