1. Structure Fire Ventilation
Making firefighting easier.

2. Safety
Weather and traffic control

3. Ventilation is a part of structural firefighting tactics, and involves the expulsion of heat and smoke from a fire building, permitting the firefighters to more easily and safely find trapped individuals and attack the fire.

4. Ventilation Basics Why should you ventilate?
When should you ventilate?
How should you ventilate?
Skills basics

5. Why should you ventilate
There are only three reasons to ventilate.
Increase survivability of occupants until rescue can be made
Keep the fire from moving
Ease heat and smoke pressure on the fire attack team (increase tenability).

6. When should you ventilate?
To keep the fire in check, ventilate as soon as you can. Keep in mind that this will increase fire intensity and should not happen too soon before attack.
For rescue, ventilate the room of origin as soon as practical with the same cautions as above.
For fire attack, ventilate just prior to the attack line entering the building.

7. Increased Intensity

8. How to ventilate
Ventilation can be accomplished vertically or horizontally.
Vertical ventilation is going to the roof and cutting a hole.
Horizontal ventilation has 3 different ways to be done
Natural
Positive Pressure
Negative Pressure

9. Close Call
Ladder Truck

10. Skills Basics – Vertical Ventilation
Have two means of egress
Sound the roof (hit it hard!!)
Soft
Spongy
Avoid powerlines
Hole needs to be near or above fire
Limit time on the roof

11. Skills Basics - Vertical Ventilation
Ensure hole is not between you and an egress
MUST cut a whole hole (4’ x 4’) – avoid structural members
NEVER NEVER NEVER direct water into a ventilation hole…. This pushes fire on the attack team!!

12. Skills Basics – Hole Cutting
Inspection cut – why?
Make furthest cut first
Good technique
Steep Pitch

13. Skills Basics – Hole Cutting
Flat Roof Issues
Loading
Construction
Locating fire
Trench Cut
Strictly defensive
Made after vertical ventilation

14. Skills Basics – Positive Pressure
After selecting where you are placing fan break windows in the fire room or near the fire room BEFORE YOU START THE FAN
Once the windows are broken start the fan and make sure that you have a good seal.
Only use PPV when attack teams are already ready to go

15. This is how to get a good seal

17. PPV

18. Natural and Negative Must have wind on your side Not as stable
Not as fast

19. Skills Basics – Breaking Glass
NO!!!
Smacking it is not how you do it, although it may seem that way.
Use a tool not your hand or center punch.
Keep the tool at an angle with your hands above the head of the tool so glass won’t slide down to your hands.
YES!!!

20. Hydraulic Ventilation

21. Review Safety Why? MUST be coordinated attack On and Off the roof
Good reminder – its never over