Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., MIFireE Municipal Fire Protection Consultant Training Sessions Using Acquired Structures Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., MIFireE Municipal Fire Protection Consultant ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Seminar Objectives Personnel qualifications for instructors and personnel being taught Criteria governing buildings which are not part of an established fire service training facility Preparing buildings for non-fire and live-fire evolutions ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Instructor Qualifications State of New Jersey Instructor II for Instructor-in-Charge State of New Jersey Level I for non-live fire drill evolutions Live-fire certification S.C.B.A certification ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Personnel Qualifications Safety Fire Behavior Portable Fire Extinguishers Personal Protective Equipment ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Personnel Qualifications Ladders Fire Hose, Appliances, and Fire Streams Overhaul Water Supply ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Steps in Preparing an Acquired Structure Confirm property ownership, see proof of clear title Secure all necessary environmental permits Secure the necessary live-fire permits from state and local authorities ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Steps in Preparing an Acquired Structure Have the owner of the property provide a certificate of insurance Conduct a complete inspection of the property Remove all hazardous materials from the property ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Inspect the Following: Correct Defects as Needed Make floors, railings, and stairs safe Make special note of chimney collapse potential Patch all walls and ceilings Remove debris and any weight which might be weighing down the floor or roof above the exercise area ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Inspect the Following: Correct Defects as Needed Remove all unconventional wall coverings which might accelerate fire burn Remove low-density fiberboard wall coverings Pre-vent roof to insure that there is no building of smoke and heat Allow no one on floors above exercise area ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Inspect the Following: Correct Defects as Needed All utilities are to be disconnected Always consider the potential for vermin and toxic chemicals in the materials of the building from extermination efforts All forms of asbestos shall be removed by a qualified removal contractor ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Random Thoughts On Training in Acquired Structures If you cannot make it safe, do no use it If there is a building next to your building, make plans to protect it If the building next door cannot be protected, see if it can be razed While the building which was donated to you came cheaply, burning the neighbor can be expensive ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Random Thoughts On Training in Acquired Structures Trees and brush which can spread the fire should be cut back or removed See the utilities to the surrounding property are cut off Be sure to let the people in the neighborhood know about your plans ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Water Supply Considerations You will need water for attacking the fire, backup lines and safety lines Use more than one source for your water supply Use separate mains if possible Each hose line must supply a minimum of 95 gallons-per-minute Consult NFPA 1231 ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Space Considerations Sufficient space for operating, parking, and staging Separate parking for non-drill vehicles Areas for press and police Ambulance parking and staging Set up routes for entry and exit from area ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Pre-Evolution Briefing All facts of evolution will be discussed Assignments for crew made Discuss potential for simulated victims NO HUMAN VICTIMS if exercise is Live Fire ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Pre-Burn Plan If the exercise is live fire, you must develop a plan as to how the operation will occur All feature of structure and operation will be listed on the plan Area for spectators will be designated All participants will be briefed on the operational plan ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Pre-Operational Visit Participants will visit the facility Features of construction will be shown Access and egress will be shown Area for spectators will be shown Ropes and signs will show area for spectators ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Fuel Considerations Must have known burn characteristics No flammable liquids No plastics or pressure-treated woods No high flammability paneling Use straw or hay which has not been treated with pesticides ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Fuel Considerations Instructor-in-Charge will document fuel loading Do not overload area with fuel, as this can lead to a backdraft or rollover Exercise will be terminated if problems develop with fuel loading ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Instructors Sufficient to provide a ratio of one instructor per every five students Must possess appropriate state certification Do not conduct exercise if there are not enough instructors One instructor must be designated the Instructor-in-Charge ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Considerations A safety officer is to be appointed for all exercises This officer will have authority, regardless of rank, to halt unsafe operations This officer will prevent unsafe acts This officer will eliminate unsafe acts as detected ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Considerations This officer will have no other assignments This officer will insure that sufficient backup hose lines exist to support the operation All hose lines shall be capable of supplying 95 gallons-per-minute (GPM) One instructor per hose line ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Considerations One instructor per five students Sufficient people to staff and move backup hose lines One instructor per functional area Assign extra safety people as conditions demand ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Considerations Establish a system of drill ground communications and explain it to the troops Develop a building evacuation plan and drill people in its use Establish an evacuation signal and drill people in its use EMS units in place and available ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Considerations Thorough search of structure prior to drill No human victims in live fire exercise Only one fire at a time Cancel session if weather conditions begin to deteriorate ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Personal Protective Equipment Full set of gear required, as issued by FD Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) All PPE to be checked for compliance with standards Use station wear if provided. Check compliance Personal alarm safety devices (PASS) ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Personal Protective Equipment All personnel will wear gear while operating in structure SCBA air for all hazardous environments Oxygen deficient Contaminated Below grade with potential for oxygen deficiency or contamination ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Safety Inspection All personnel will be receive a safety briefing prior to drill All personnel will have their PPE instead by the safety officer Briefing will discuss operations, evacuation plan, evacuation signal and general safety issues ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Ignition Officer One instructor will be designated as the Ignition Officer Operates under Instructor-in-Charge Will use full PPE and SCBA while working Will use only materials with known burn characteristics ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Ignition Officer Will load fuel in such a manner that it will not be subject to backdraft or flashover Will conduct the Instructor-in-Charge on a tour of structure prior to ignition Will only ignite on orders of Instructor-in-Charge No debris is to be used ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Instructor-in-Charge Serious responsibility Must insecure that all precautions are taken Document all fuel loading and structural conditions Monitors all briefings Calls for operations to commence when all aspects are ready ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.

Conclusion Training in acquired structures can be very valuable Training in such places can be dangerous You need to control as many of the uncontrolled variables as possible Safety is your primary guiding light If it doesn’t seem right, STOP!! ©2002 Harry R. Carter, Ph.D., L.L.C.