Managing Major Fires

330 Pages·2001·234.142 MB·English

by  John F. Coleman

Disclaimer
The recommendations, advice, descriptions, and the 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© 2001 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
National Account Executive: Barbara McGee
Director: Mary McGee
Managing Editor: Marla Patterson
Production /Operations Manager: Traci Huntsman
Cover Designer: Joey Zielazinski
Cover Photo: Ron Jeffers
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available on Request
Coleman, John
Managing Major Fires
ISBN 0-912212-96-9
ISBN13 978-0-912212-96-8
CIP DATA if available
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
2 3 4 5 13 12 11 10 09
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the memory of my father. He retired the year I came on the
job. Although I never had the honor of fighting a fire with him, I have been told time and
time again that he was one hell of a firefighter and a good chief to work for. He was a good
father and teacher. Chester, I don't believe I've ever told you, but "you done good!"

Table 01 Contents
Foreword ........................................................................................ .ix
PART I
PREPARING FOR THE RESPONSE
Chapter 1
Review of the Incident Management System .................................... .3
Chapter 2
Sectoring Large Incidents ................................................................ 23
Chapter 3
Resource Allocation ......................................................................... 33
Chapter 4
The Rules of Engagement -
Risk Assessment in the Fire Service ................................................ .41
Chapter 5
Accountability at Major Incidents .................................................. .47
Chapter 6
Managing the Mayday .................................................................... 59
PART II
THE FIRE GROUND
Chapter 7
Fighting Fires in Older Apartment Buildings .................................. 67
Chapter 8
Fighting Fires in Garden Apartments .............................................. 87
vii
Managing Major Fires
Chapter 9
Fighting Fires in Strip Malls .......................................................... 111
Chapter 10
Fighting Fires in Vacant Commercial Occupancies ....................... 129
Chapter 11
Fighting Fires in Institutional Occupancies ................................... 151
Chapter 12
Fighting Fires in Lumberyards ....................................................... 169
Chapter 13
Fighting Fires in Enclosed Malls ................................................... 187
Chapter 14
Fighting Fires in Restaurants ......................................................... 205
Chapter 15
Fighting Fires in Churches ............................................................ 223
Chapter 16
Fighting Fires in Nursing Homes .................................................. 239
Chapter 17
Fighting Industrial Fires ................................................................ 259
Chapter 18
Fighting Fires in Hotels ................................................................. 273
Chapter 19
Fighting Fires in Professional Buildings ......................................... 291
Answers ........................................................................................ 305
Index ............................................................................................ 313
viii
Foreword
It's been four years since I last sat at a computer, writing a Foreword to my first text. Since
then, I have lost several more hairs. The ones I have managed to keep are opting for a slight
ly grayer look. Several inches have manifested around my mid-section and my siren-induced
hearing loss is getting worse and worse-but enough about me!
Since the last book, almost five hundred brothers and sisters in our profession have lost their
lives while working at what may be the most honorable profession on Earth. It's sadly ironic that
this profession we all fight so hard to grasp and maintain still takes a drastic toll on those who
love it so dearly. While I don't expect this text to diminate our high death toll, I hope it may cut
the numbers by making some of us stop and think before taking that next move.
This text centers on the fires that we all talk about by the kitchen table at the station dur
ing that golden hour after roll call, but before the housework starts. This is a text that deals
with less than 1% of our working experience. However, these fires that I will be discussing
are the reason that most of us joined this profession to begin with. This text deals with the
larger, more unusual second and third alarm or mutual aid fires that happen less and less. The
basics are discussed in this book along with some common-sense approaches to larger, non
routine fires. Most of us can put a "room-and-contents" fire in a single family dwelling out
in our sleep. We do, however, respond to fires in non-routine occupancies (other than hous
es) on occasion. Today, these fires along with the routine house fires come at an ever-decreas
ing rate. Our chances to "play" and learn at these fires are becoming less and less frequent.
The "old-timers" we used to soak up experiences from like a sponge are gone. Many of us are
now those "old-timers".
I have attempted to do several things in this text. First, I have presented several chapters
in the beginning of the book that discuss the organization and structure that should be pres
ent within any department in order to handle the bigger as well as the smaller, more mun
dane fires that we respond to. Incident Management is discussed as well as resource alloca
tion. After that, I move into more safety issues such as Accountability Systems, The Rules of
Engagement or Risk Assessment, and a chapter on Managing the Mayday. After this brief
look at IMS and better "rules of engagement", I then concentrate on fires in distinct occu
pancy types.
Sddom do we sit at the table in the station and discuss the work we had in a Class-3 con
struction-type building last week. Instead we sit and talk about the vacant warehouse fire or
the nursing home fire, etc. The last thirteen chapters deal with fighting fires in specific occu
pancy types. Construction concerns as well as strategic and tactical evolutions are discussed,
and finally there is a case study at the end of every chapter. The case study is a fictional fire
that is looked at from at least two, and often three, different views. First is the view from a
small fire department perspective; about a dozen firefighters respond on this scene. Next is
Ix
Managing Major Fires
the medium-sized department with more staffing and firepower. In many examples, I also
discuss big department operations with three engines, two trucks, and so on. I believe that
this text offers different views of the same fire and hence provides a better understanding of
the constraints faced by all three department types.
Safety, basics, and common sense are stressed throughout. There is always more than one
right way to fight a fire. If we are to reduce the loss of life to brothers and sisters in our occu
pation, I believe we must look differently at the way we fight fires. Except in extreme
instances, we must learn to fight fires on our terms and not the fire's terms. It is said that
sometimes you have to slow down to hurry up! I believe that at fires sometimes we must slow
down to all go home in one piece. This is not tantamount to cowardice. Rather it is learn
ing to place additional honor in what we die and get crippled for. Taking great risk to save
life is noble; taking the same risk for life or property already lost to fire simply is not.
x
Acknowledgements
There are many people I would like to thank for their individual efforts in helping with
this book. As usual, I will surely forget someone and to that person, I apologize and offer my
thanks, too.
First, to Theresa; thanks for giving me the time to work on this book. Thank you for
your love and support.
To my children, Betsy and Toby; thanks for keeping it down and letting me use my com
puter every once in awhile.
To Joe and Mike; thanks for still keeping me out of trouble and keeping me sane. We all
went from "A" shift to staff, but the friendship remains the same.
To Jim Murtagh, FDNY retired; thanks for letting me pick your brain and for working
on a few scenarios with me.
To Ron Jeffers; thanks for the photos. They helped round out the book.
I would like to acknowledge Digital Combustion as the computer fire simulator used in
the simulations in the text. They can be located at www.digitalcombustion.com.
Lastly, to about 500 of the men and women of the Toledo Department of Fire and Rescue
(you know who you are); thanks for continually doing your best. You look good out there,
which, in turn, makes me look good. It's an honor working with you!
..