Title: Henderson Fire Department Basement Fires A high risk, low frequency fire
1Henderson Fire DepartmentBasement FiresA high
risk, low frequency fire
2REFERENCES
- Vincent Dunn, Deputy Chief, FDNY (Retired)
Article - Ron Moeder, Assistant Chief, Denver Fire
Department Interview - Jerry Michals, Firefighter, Denver Fire
Department (Retired) Interview - Tom Glivar, Captain, Denver Fire Department
Interview - Jay Acebo, Battalion Chief Training Division,
LVFR Interview - Kevin Fedrizzi, Captain, Henderson Fire
Department Interview - IFSTA Essentials 4th ed. Basement fires, pgs.
352, 361-362 - EPA The Condensed Chemical Dictionary 9th ed.
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, pgs. 26,
54, 150-151 - FETN CD 038-0040, 1, 2, 3 Building Construction
I, II, III, IV - Henderson Fire Department, ODS workbook,
Residential Fires - James Rose, Firefighter, District of Columbia
Fire Department Article - Smoke Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition -
pgs. 9-12 Article - Numerous NIOSH Reports from 2001 to 2007 with
firefighter fatalities involving basement fires - Websites withthecommand.com, firefightingnews.co
m, bcftoa.com, firefighterclosecalls.com,
firetactics.com, fire2000.com, sipbuilthomes.com - HFD SOPs EM-02, 04, 05, 08, 10, 17, 18, 31, 38,
39, 41, 43
3Objective
- The firefighter will be able to demonstrate how
to conduct a coordinated fire attack on a
basement fire while recognizing the potential
hazards involved.
4Overview
- Building construction as it pertains to basements
- Products of combustion
- Recognition of smoke characteristics
- Utilizing a coordinated fire attack while
recognizing possible hazards - Sets Reps
5Motivation
- City of Henderson currently has 715 homes with a
basement - Do you know how many are in your District???
- Do you know how many are in your neighboring
Districts?
6Number of basements in each District
- District 1 - 242
- District 2 - 2
- District 3 - 137
- District 4 - 11
- District 5 - 79
- District 6 - 66
- District 7 - 45
- District 8 - 12
- District 9 - 121
7NIOSH REPORTS
8NIOSH Breakdown
- Between Feb. 2001 and Jan. 2007
- 11 Firefighters died in 9 separate incidents
involving basement fires. - Of those, 6 incidents with 7 firefighter deaths
were related to falling through the floor above
the fire. - 2 incidents and 3 deaths were due to sudden
changes in fire conditions. - 1 incident occurred when a firefighter became
separated from his crew on the lower part of a
stairwell.
9NIOSH Breakdown (cont.)
- Things worth noting
- 01-26-07 Floor had OSB wooden I-beams
- 06-15-06 Firefighter was attacking the fire
from above - 01-09-04 Firefighter partially fell through on
third time exiting the structure - 11-29-03 Fire was reported to be knocked down
when PPV was initiated (basement windows were
vented). Conditions rapidly changed from light
smoke to thick, heavy black smoke
10NIOSH Recommendations
- Ensure FFs are trained to recognize the dangers
of operating above a fire - Ensure IC does a complete size-up
- Use a TIC during initial size-up
- Ensure risk vs. gain is evaluated during size-up
and continually reevaluated - Ensure FFs operating under or above trusses are
evacuated as soon as it is determined that
trusses are exposed to fire
11NIOSH Recommendations (cont.)
- Ensure that team continuity and accountability is
maintained - Use PPV properly
- Ensure ventilation is closely coordinated with
fire attack - Ensure FFs check each others PPE
- Develop SOP addressing basement operations
12Class Activity
- Basement fire scenario
- A fire at a home at 2 am, with cars in the
driveway and unknown location of the occupants. - Make 1st Alarm assignments
13360 View
14What is a basement?
- A basement is a full story below grade, which has
one-half its height or less above grade level
15Other Below Grade Terms
- Crawl Space
- Cellar
- Sub-Cellar
- Firefighter Friendly Cellar (Basement)
16Building Construction
17Sub-floor Construction
- Light-Weight Truss
- OSB Wooden I-Beam
- 2x12 Beam
18A truss is a truss is a truss
19Common floor joists OSB Wooden I-Beam
20Unfinished Basement
21Common Exterior Wall Construction
- Masonry
- Composites
- Composite Truss
- Structural Insulated Panels (SIP)
- Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
22Common Exterior Wall Construction
- Masonry
- Composites
- FiRP Products
23Composite Truss
24Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) for basements
25 Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF)
26Fire Codes2000 IBC - Section 1009
- Basements shall have at least one exterior
emergency escape and rescue opening - Must have exterior stairwell or
- If window is 44 or more below grade
- Must have fixed ladder or steps in window well
- Window must be minimum of 9 sq. ft.
- Horizontal width of a minimum of 36
- Basements with a ceiling height of less than 80
inches shall not be required to have emergency
and rescue windows
27Fire Codes2006 IBC - B Section 1026
- Where basements contain one or more sleeping
rooms, emergency egress and rescue openings shall
be required in each sleeping room, but shall not
be required in adjoining areas of the basement - Basements without habitable spaces and having no
more than 200 square feet in floor area shall not
be required to have emergency escape windows
28Recognizing a Basement
29 Fixed Ladder with Safety Gate
30Skylights Grates
31 Exterior Stairwell
32Recognizing a Basement
33 Interior Stairwell
34 Interior Stairwell
- May not have a door to basement stairwell
35Interior Stairwell
- May have a door leading to basement stairwell
36Products of Combustion
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)
- Sulfur
- Benzene
- Water Vapor
- Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
37Carbon Monoxide results from incomplete combustion
38 CO vs. Gasoline
- Flammable Liquid
- Carcinogenic
- UEL 7.6 in air
- LEL 1.4 in air
- Flash Point -45 F
- Flammable Gas
- Asphyxiant
- UEL 74 in air
- LEL 12.5 in air
- Auto Ignition Temp. 1118 F
39Sulfur Benzene
- Is bound with Carbon molecules
- Separates at 1000 F
- Can see yellow smoke if fire is above 1000 F
40Benzene is an asphyxiant that is heavier than air
41Water Vapor
- Results of incomplete combustion
- Can see on windows, mirrors, shower doors, etc.
42CO2 is a by-product of complete combustion
43DONT TEMPT FLASHOVERS
44NEVER
45EVER
46EVER!!!
47Recognition of Smoke Conditions
48Black Fire
49Black / Grey Smoke
50Brown Smoke
51Pyrolosis
52Yellow Smoke
53Scrubbed Smoke
54Ask Yourself?
- What color is the smoke?
- Is it pressurized or passive smoke?
55Potential Difficulties
56 Look for Hidden Interior Stairwells
- Access can appear to be just a closet door
57A Winding Stairwell
58 Interior Elevator
59Worst Case Scenario
60 Skylight Covers Bars
61 Look for Hidden Exterior Stairwells
62 Landscape and Clutter
63 Walkout Basement with Difficult Access
64 Below Grade Garage
65Utilizing a Coordinated Fire Attack
66Ventilation with Fire Attack
- Ventilation is key
- Must coordinate with fire attack
- PPV at entry point and top of stairwell if needed
- Locate exhaust port for smoke
- i.e. window
- Be aware of smoke conditions and potential hazards
67Fire Attack with Ventilation
- Speed is key - Fast, yet SAFE
- Must coordinate with ventilation
- Sound as you go
- Backup hose line to top of stairs and entry point
- Use proper hose stream
- Shut off utilities
68Fire Attack
- RULE OF THUMB
- If you CAN see the bottom of the stairsPROCEED
- If you CANNOT see the bottom of the stairsWAIT
for ventilation and backup hose line
69Fire Attack
- EXCEPTION
- A KNOWN life safety situation
- Descend stairs rapidly
- Keep atmosphere cooled
- Be very aware of surrounding conditions
70Floor Stair Report
- CAAN Report should include a Floor Stair Report
- To include
- 1) Type of floor (tile, wood, carpet)
- 2) Any unusually concentrated loads located on
first floor (piano, safe, etc.) - 3) Condition of floor stairs (stable, unstable,
extremely hot) - 4) Is it a straight or winding stairwell
- 5) Is basement finished, unfinished, or unknown
- 6) Is basement open or compartmentalized
- 7) Describe smoke conditions (level, color,
pressurized or not)
71Dangers with Fighting a Basement Fire
- Weakened sub-floor due to heat and flame
- Must pass through super-heated smoke to gain
access to fire floor - Decreased ingress and egress
- Numerous Potential Hazards
72Potential Hazards
- Gas leaks
- Explosions
- Fire concealment
- Content collapse
- Entanglement danger
- Water accumulation
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Asphyxiation
- Floor collapse
73SOPs to Review
- EM-02 Incident Command Procedures
- EM-04 Abandon Building
- EM-05 Civilian Search
- EM-08 Thermal Imaging Cameras (TIC)
- EM-10 Fire Stream Management (ICS)
- EM-17 Rapid Intervention Teams
- EM-18 Mayday Procedures
- EM-31 Interior Structural Firefighting
- EM-38 Communications
- EM-39 In Transit, On-Deck, Recycle
- EM-41 Risk Management
- EM-43 Air Management
74SOP Highlights
- EM-10 Fire Stream Management (ICS)
- Exception Fire streams into smoke
- EM-31 Interior Structural Firefighting
- Have a two engine RIT Team
- EM-38 Communications
- Floor Stair Report
75Class Discussion
- Basement fire scenario
- A fire at a home at 2 am, with cars in the
driveway and unknown location of the occupants. - Make 1st Alarm assignments
76 Do a Complete 360
77First Alarm Assignments
- E1 - Fire Attack
- E2 - Division 1
- E3 - RIT
- E4 - On Deck
- E5 - Back Up
- T1 - Roof Division / Vent Group / 2nd RIT
- R1 - IRIT / Utilities
- R2 - Medical
- BC - Incident Command
- BC - Deputy IC
78Summary
- Building construction in relation to basement
fires - Products of combustion
- Recognition of smoke characteristics
- Utilizing a coordinated fire attack
- Recognizing potential hazards
79Remember
80after the fire
81dont let this be you!
82Questions?
83Sets Reps
84Scenario 1Alpha-Side
85Scenario 1Bravo-Side
86Scenario 1Delta-Side
87Scenario 1Delta-Side
88Scenario 2Alpha-Side
89Scenario 2View from inside the front door
90Scenario 2Interior Stairwell - Option 1
91Scenario 2Interior Stairwell - Option 2
92Scenario 3Alpha-Side
93Scenario 3Delta-Side
94Scenario 3Alpha/Bravo Corner
95Scenario 3Bravo-Side
96Scenario 3Bravo-Side
97Thank you for your time