2. HIGH RISE OPERATIONS College of Lake County Fire Science Technology FST 117

3. COMPLACENCY KILLS! DO IT LIKE IT’S THE REAL THING THING EVERY TIME. BE PREPARED.

4. High Rise Ops Definitions –High Rise: any building which requires other than ground based firefighting. –NFPA: high enough that ops can’t be ground based tall enough so that significant stack effect is created high enough that total occupant evac is not practical

5. High Rise Ops Definitions –BOCA: Buildings with occupied floors located more than 75’ above the lowest level of FD vehicle access. Occupied Floor Level 75’+

6. HIGH RISE OPS CASE STUDIES MGM GRAND –Las Vegas –Several Deaths Smoke ^ 5 floors (15-20 floors above fire) –Smoke traveled up shafts and mushroomed One Meridian Plaza –Philadelphia –3 FF.'s Lost & Died –Lost & disoriented –Inadequate water/PSI –5” Hose laid up stairs 22nd floor –Fire jumped floors until reached floor with sprinklers

7. HIGH RISE OPS CASE STUDIES One Illinois Center –Chicago –Worker alone in office –Dispatch confused –Key info not relayed from Alarm to IC –Compass directions were confused –Victim unfamiliar with emergency plan / exits Memphis Apartment –Dispatched to AFA –Many prior false alarms –Ff.'s complacent –SCBA not in use –PASS not on –FF’s to elevator to fire floor 9th Flr. Doors open-heavy smoke elevator returns to lobby FF’s disoriented in extreme heat and smoke –2 FF’s died

8. High Rise Ops Building Construction Features –Fire Resistive Construction –Multi-Storied –Exterior Skin aluminum and glass curtain walls –Concrete Floors –Voids in walls –Chases plumbing, electrical, communications

9. High Rise Ops Building Construction Features –Elevators –Installed fire systems suppression detection –HVAC Smoke control fire dampers

10. High Rise Ops Unique Fire Problems –Locating the fire Human error –inaccurate info Mechanical error –detectors activated at distant locations Physical evidence –visible smoke and fire does not mean you found the seat of the fire »extension to other floors / compartments

11. High Rise Ops Gaining Access into Building –Normal access –Forcible entry –Set backs –Landscaping –Parking areas - garages and street –Service areas –Limited access

12. High Rise Ops Getting onto the fire floor –Locked doors one way doors –Elevators Fireman's Service which floors served blank shafts –don’t service every floor –Sealed or No windows

13. High Rise Ops Smoke Spread –Vertical Pipe chases Poke throughs Voids behind exterior skin Elevator shafts HVAC –Typically smoke on 3 floors

14. High Rise Ops Smoke Spread –Horizontal Hallways HVAC Common ceiling space –plenums Horizontal exits –fire/smoke separations –Little or no natural venting –May cause panic even remote from fire area

15. High Rise Ops Heat Effects on High Rises –Older Vs. newer buildings –Confines heat & smoke –Flashover wall coverings ceiling spaces cubicles contents –High BTU’s

16. High Rise Ops Heat Effects on High Rises –Backdraft –Heat Transfer hallways voids lapping exposures –Set off detectors and sprinklers in remote areas

17. High Rise Ops Heat Effects on High Rises Structural Collapse –steel failure –pre-stressed concrete Concrete spalling Glass –checks and cracks at 1000-1200 o F Electrical problems

18. High Rise Ops Effects of Heat on Operation –Fatigue –NO FOG steam burns poor visibility delays access spreads fire –Prevents Access too hot –Convection to upper floors –Stratification

19. High Rise Ops Stack Effect –Temp. outside lower than than temp. inside. Natural air flow is upward through buildings core. Neutral Plane –Level in bldg. where pressure in core is equal to that on floors; no air flow in either direction. Air flow below plane > core Air flow above plane < core Reverse Stack Effect –Occurs on hot days.

20. Stack Effect Reverse Stack Effect WIND? Neutral Plane CORE

21. High Rise Ops Water Supply –volume available –installed systems sprinklers standpipes pumps zoned

22. High Rise Ops Time Factors –for response of massive resources –to ascend to fire area –to locate fire –to bring up support equipment

23. High Rise Ops Fire Suppression –Personnel requirements add personnel for all aspects of ops 60-90 FF’s Mutual aid / extra alarms –automatic or quickly after arrival

24. High Rise Ops Equipment Requirements –air bottles –forcible entry tools –lighting –communications –hose lines

25. High Rise Ops Initial Arriving Units –Interrogate Fire Alarm System security –Verify pump running –ID fire floor –Size-up > fire floor and floor above –Rescue & evacuation –Establish water supply –Fire attack

26. High Rise Ops Establish Command –Sector Officer to fire floor –Establish Lobby Sector –Forward & Outside command

27. High Rise Ops Initial Attack –2 engines, 1 truck, Chief –Use stairs or elevator control elevator stop 2 floors below fire floor –Report conditions

28. High Rise Ops Initial Attack –Equipment SCBA and extra bottles 2 1/2” & 1 3/4” solid bore nozzles forcible entry radios handlights search rope

29. High Rise Ops Command Priorities –Call for help Working Fire - 2nd alarm –Establish sectors –Assure water supply for attack –Search and rescue –Fire floor- floor above- floor below –Accountability

30. High Rise Ops Major Elements –Fire Floor Sector –Lobby Control –Floor above –Forward command –Resource sector –Floor below / salvage –Level II staging

31. High Rise Ops Staging –Level II staging after initial response stage on non-fire side & away from building apparatus is taxi cab –Level I staging in building with equipment several floors below fire

32. High Rise Ops Lobby Sector –Control of elevator and stairs »Fireman’s Service –Operation of alarm systems –Communications systems –Building systems building engineer –Send equipment to resource sector –Maintain a log of everyone in and out

33. High Rise Ops Resource Sector –Located in easily accessible area 2 floor below fire –Provides fresh personnel and equipment to operations

34. High Rise Ops Company Assignments –Fire Floor search, rescue, attack –Floor Above search, rescue, extension –Floor Below extension, salvage

35. High Rise Ops Company Assignments –Upper floors search, extension –Staged in Resource Sector ready companies, rehab –Stairways evacuation, supply movement

36. High Rise Ops Additional Considerations –Ventilation very necessary, difficult Strong winds pressurize building mechanical vent systems –pressurized stairwells –exhaust systems windows –look out below –heavy glass, hard to break –will cut hose and hurt

37. High Rise Ops HVAC –Pre-plan, multiple systems –use system to limit spread –prevent system from spreading fire may need to shut down exhaust, don’t circulate

38. High Rise Ops Occupant Evacuation –Fire area –Complete evacuation not possible –Panic everywhere in the building –Don’t block stairways needed by FD

39. High Rise Ops Breach walls from adjoining space to access fire area –solid streams Control Doors Surface cooling-exterior –12-13 floors max reach of elevated streams lapping

40. High Rise Ops Elevators –Pre-plan –Sensors can take car to fire floor and hold open doors –Fireman’s service periodically stop car, check conditions get off 2-3 floors below fire –Don’t overload car forcible exit tools room to work in car

41. High Rise Ops Beware of open shafts Use service elevators –serve all floors –manually operated –heavier loads

42. High Rise Ops Rapid Intervention Teams –Sole purpose is to intervene when FF’s are in trouble. –Report to IC –No other duties –Proper gear, tools and equipment for search and rescue.

43. High Rise Hints When going up to the fire, check a floor below for the layout. If unsure of wind effects take out a window below fire floor. Lead out extra hose up the stairway behind you. Through the wall may be quicker than through the door.

44. High Rise Hints Consider carrying a compass. Radios may not work well, remember office telephones. Pre-Plan