Table Of Content

Fire Officer’s tactics handbook of 4th Edition john norman Disclaimer: The recommendations, advice, descriptions, and methods in this book are presented solely for educational purposes. The author and publisher assume no liability whatsoever for any loss or damage that results from the use of any of the material in this book. Use of the material in this book is solely at the risk of the user. Copyright© 2012 by PennWell Corporation 1421 South Sheridan Road Tulsa, Oklahoma 74112–6600 USA 800.752.9764 +1.918.831.9421 [email protected] www.Fire EngineeringBooks.com www.pennwellbooks.com www.pennwell.com Marketing Coordinator: Jane Green National Account Executive: Cindy J. Huse Director: Mary McGee Managing Editor: Marla Patterson Production Manager: Sheila Brock Production Editor: Tony Quinn Cover Designer: Karla Pfeifer Book Designer: Susan E. Ormston Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Norman, John, 1952- Fire officer’s handbook of tactics / John Norman. -- 4th ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-59370-279-3 1. Fire extinction. I. Title. TH9145.N59 2012 628.9’25--dc23 2012008059 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 16 15 14 13 12 Contents Foreword.................................................................xi Acknowledgments ........................................................ xv About the Author........................................................ xvii PART I GENERAL FIREFIGHTING TACTICS 1 General Principles of Firefighting............................................. 1 Sequence of Actions to Be Taken........................................... 7 2 Size-up .................................................................. 9 Life Hazard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Occupancy............................................................ 12 Time ................................................................ 14 Construction .......................................................... 19 Area and Height ....................................................... 23 Location and Extent of Fire .............................................. 25 Exposures ............................................................ 27 Apparatus and Personnel................................................. 29 Water Supply.......................................................... 29 Auxiliary Appliances.................................................... 32 Weather Conditions..................................................... 33 Street Conditions/Special Matters.......................................... 33 Hazmats.............................................................. 34 3 Engine Company Operations ............................................... 35 Fire Behavior and Methods of Attack....................................... 36 Choose the Proper Operating Mode—Offensive, Defensive, or No Attack.......... 49 When Human Life Is at Stake, an Offensive (Interior) Attack Is Mandatory ........ 50 Begin Suppression as Soon as Possible ..................................... 51 Get the First Hoseline in Operation to Cover the Worst Case before Stretching Additional Lines ...........................................51 When an Attack Is Stalled, Increase Ventilation, Water Flow, or Both; if Unsuccessful, Change Tactics ......................................... 52 When an Effective Offensive Attack Isn’t Possible or Hasn’t Succeeded within 20 Minutes, Prepare Defensive Positions ............................ 54 When Forced into a Defensive Mode, Consider the Possible Effects of Total Involvement of the Structure............................................ 55 Fire Officer’s Handbook of Tactics 4 Hoseline Selection, Stretching, and Placement ................................. 57 Factors Affecting Hoseline Choices......................................... 59 Selecting Attack Lines ................................................... 60 How Long a Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Stretching Hoselines..................................................... 66 The Placement of Hoselines............................................... 73 Nozzles and Appliances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Types of Fog Nozzles: Constant Gallonage Versus Constant Pressure .............. 82 Specialized Nozzles and Appliances ........................................ 84 High-Expansion Foam ................................................... 86 Class A and Compressed Air Foam Systems.................................. 89 Special Nozzles: Applicators, Piercing Nozzles, and Bent Tips.........................91 5 Water Supply............................................................. 95 Basic Principles of Pressure............................................... 96 Knowledge of Water Supply ............................................. 103 Terms Used in Water Supply ............................................. 103 Large-Diameter Hose................................................... 112 Applying Heavy Streams ................................................ 118 Flow Meters .......................................................... 120 6 Sprinkler Systems and Standpipe Operations ................................. 123 Operations in Sprinklered Buildings ....................................... 123 Fire Departments versus Sprinklers........................................ 124 Fire Department Operations.............................................. 125 Problems with Sprinklers................................................ 127 A Suggested Strategy................................................... 129 Types of Systems ...................................................... 130 Size-up at Sprinklered Buildings ..................................................137 Locating and Operating Controls.......................................... 141 Restoration of Protection ................................................ 143 Standpipe Systems ..................................................... 144 Classes of Systems..................................................... 149 Operations............................................................ 155 Selecting the Attack Stair................................................ 157 7 Ladder Company Operations .............................................. 165 Ladder Company Functions at Structural Fires............................... 169 Ladders 4 ............................................................ 169 Laddering ............................................................ 173 Factors Affecting Ladder Selection ........................................ 174 Proper Climbing Angle.................................................. 176 Proper Tip Placement................................................... 177 vi Contents Materials of Construction................................................ 178 Guidelines for the Safe Use of Ladders..................................... 179 Aerial Devices ........................................................ 181 Vent, Enter, Search..................................................... 184 Overhaul............................................................. 190 Salvage.............................................................. 199 Control of Utilities..................................................... 200 8 Forcible Entry........................................................... 201 Forcible-Entry Size-up.................................................. 204 Conventional Forcible Entry ............................................. 206 Through-the-Lock Forcible Entry ......................................... 211 The Mul-T-Lock Door .................................................. 226 Forcing Metal Gates and Roll-Up Doors.................................... 227 9 Ventilation ............................................................. 241 Reasons for Ventilation ................................................. 242 Types of Ventilation .................................................... 243 Negative Versus Positive Pressure......................................... 251 Advantages of Positive Pressure Ventilation ................................. 251 Disadvantages of PPV .................................................. 252 Vertical Ventilation—Taking the Lid Off.................................... 254 Venting Flat Roofs ..................................................... 256 Insulspan Panels....................................................... 266 Trench Cuts .......................................................... 267 Some Additional Considerations when Venting............................... 271 Roof-Venting Hazards .................................................. 271 10 Search and Rescue ....................................................... 277 Primary and Secondary Search ........................................... 279 Search Safety ......................................................... 279 Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs)......................................... 280 Emergency Maneuvers.................................................. 283 Gathering Information .................................................. 284 Search Techniques ..................................................... 285 Concentrate Search Efforts at Probable Locations of Victims.................... 285 The Secondary Search .................................................. 288 Guide Ropes.......................................................... 290 PART II SPECIFIC FIRE SITUATIONS 11 Firefighter Survival ...................................................... 295 The Survival Syllabus .................................................. 296 Roll Calls ............................................................ 311 vii Fire Officer’s Handbook of Tactics Mayday Protocols...................................................... 312 Rapid Intervention Teams................................................ 314 Locating Missing or Trapped Firefighters ................................... 318 Team Search.......................................................... 321 Removing Unconscious Firefighters ....................................... 328 Incident Commander’s Duties ............................................ 329 Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Down a Stairway ......................... 334 Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Up a Stairway............................ 335 Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Out a Window ........................... 336 Vertical Removal Through a Hole in a Floor or Roof.......................... 339 12 Operations in Lightweight Buildings ........................................ 345 This Ain’t Your Father’s Fire Department..................................... 346 The Trouble with Trusses................................................ 347 Types of Trusses....................................................... 350 Metal Deck Roofs...................................................... 356 The Hidden Danger: Renovated Buildings .................................. 359 Operations on Lightweight Roofs and Floors ................................ 360 13 Private Dwellings........................................................ 363 Venting Peaked Roofs .................................................. 368 Roof Design .......................................................... 369 Making the Cut........................................................ 371 14 Multiple Dwellings....................................................... 375 Roof Operations....................................................... 388 Fireproof Multiple Dwellings............................................. 392 The Severe Wind-Driven Fire ............................................ 395 Duplex, Triplex, and Sandwich Apartments.................................. 400 15 Garden Apartment and Townhouse Fires..................................... 403 The Open-Framed Stage................................................. 412 16 Store Fires—Taxpayers and Strip Malls ...................................... 415 Styles of Taxpayers..................................................... 417 General Problems with Commercial Fires ............................................420 Gaining Entry......................................................... 422 Cellar Fire Operations .................................................. 424 Masonry Floor Construction ............................................. 425 Store Fires............................................................ 428 Cockloft Fires......................................................... 430 17 High-Rise Office Buildings ................................................ 435 High-Rise Strategic Plan ................................................ 437 Types of High-Rises.................................................... 439 Ventilation at High-Rise Fires ............................................ 450 viii Contents Vertical Ventilation..................................................... 450 Horizontal Ventilation .................................................. 455 Using Elevators ....................................................... 456 Operations............................................................ 459 Control of High-Rise Operations.......................................... 466 18 Buildings under Construction, Renovation, and Demolition..................... 473 Buildings Under Construction ............................................ 474 Structural Problems of Buildings Under Construction and Renovation ............ 479 Danger of Partially Occupied Structures .................................... 483 Buildings Undergoing Renovation and Demolition............................. 484 19 Fire-Related Emergencies: Incinerators, Oil Burners, and Gas Leaks .............. 487 Natural Gas........................................................... 487 Common Natural Gas Emergencies........................................ 488 Unusual Problems Involving Natural Gas ................................... 499 Liquefied Petroleum Gas ................................................ 500 Oil Burners: Their Operation and Hazards .................................. 504 Determining the Origin of Odors or Smoke.................................. 510 Responding to Carbon Monoxide Alarms .................................... 514 Wood-Burning Stoves .................................................. 516 20 Electrical Fires and Emergencies............................................ 517 Electrical Terminology.................................................. 518 The Power Distribution System........................................... 519 Electrical Hazards...................................................... 521 Electric Arcs.......................................................... 522 Voltage Gradient....................................................... 524 Elements of the System That Affect Firefighters.............................. 524 Operational Procedures and Strategies...................................... 525 Open Ground in Structures............................................... 530 Exposed Wires at the Base of Lampposts ................................... 531 Downed Power Lines................................................... 532 Overheated Ballasts .................................................... 536 Conclusion ........................................................... 536 21 Structural Collapse....................................................... 539 Types of Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543 Causes of Collapse..................................................... 544 Collapse Indicators..................................................... 549 Establishing Collapse Zones ............................................. 551 Types of Collapses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 556 Collapse Rescue Operations.............................................. 559 Collapse Rescue Plan................................................... 561 ix Fire Offi cer’s Handbook of Tactics Street Management at Collapses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 566 Safety Precautions During Collapse Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569 Structural Collapse Rescue Plan Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571 Collapse Survivor Interview Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 573 22 Fire Department Roles in Terrorism and Homeland Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575 Potential Indicators of Ongoing Terrorist Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576 A Historical Perspective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577 Types of Terrorist WMD Agents and CBRNE Weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580 Fire Department Response to Bombings and Explosions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583 Preparations for Handling a Bombing Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584 Facts Related to Recent Bombing Campaigns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 584 Response Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 586 Command Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589 Company Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 591 Blast Damage, Size-up, and Expected Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592 Evidence Preservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594 Dirty Bombs and Radiological Dispersal Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594 Operations at Suspected Radiological Incidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 596 Chemical Agent Incidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 597 Operational Procedures and Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 599 Command Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 600 IC Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601 First-Alarm Tactical Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602 Defensive Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607 Defensive Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 608 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 611 x FOREWORD T his edition is written in the post-9/11 era of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), a department that for nearly 150 years as a career organization has prided itself on being an aggressive interior fi refi ghting organization. The loss of 343 members of the department in the murderous attacks in 2001 on the World Trade Center has not changed that. What has changed is the recognition that this nation’s fi refi ghters are an integral part of our homeland security efforts, and the reality that training on a variety of new facets of our job is essential. Thus, I have added a chapter called “Fire Department Roles in Terrorism and Homeland Security,” gleaned from the many lessons we have learned over many years, as well as refl ecting new threats and techniques. At the same time, though, we must not lose sight of the fact that an average of 100 fi refi ghters die each and every year in the United States from the same causes that have been killing fi refi ghters for far more than 150 years. Modern fi refi ghting is a continually evolving science. New technologies are constantly being applied to the fi re service, both from within and without. Some, like new chemical compounds or locking devices, can increase our operating problems. Others, such as laptop computers and hydraulic forcible-entry tools, can help us keep pace with these changes. The strategies of modern fi refi ghting, however, have not changed. The basics—protect life, confi ne the fi re, and extin- guish—are constants. What have changed are the tactics. Strategy differs from tactics. Tactics are the actual hands-on operations that must be performed in the right time and place. Take, for example, one part of the overall strategy— protecting life. This can take several forms, from physically carrying a victim to safety, to placing a hoseline between the victim and the fi re, to venting to draw fi re away from the victim. It can be as simple as using a public address system to calm panicky occupants. All of these measures have been used to save lives. The challenge for the fi re forces is to recognize the appropriate means to properly and expeditiously employ them. xi