Title: Enclosed Structure Dangers A New Approach for Firefighter Life Safety
1Enclosed Structure Dangers A New
Approach for Firefighter Life Safety
- By
- Chief Gary Bowker
- Kansas EGH Advocate
- Information presented in this program was largely
obtained from research conducted by Fire Captain
William R. Mora (Ret) - San Antonio Fire Department
2Background
- Fire Marshal with the City of Arkansas City
- Retired Fire Marshal for City of Winfield
- Retired Fire Chief with U.S. Air Force (McConnell
AFB) - Past Fire Chief for Sumner County Dist. 10
- Lead Kansas Advocate for Everyone Goes Home
Program - Associate Instructor with KU Fire Rescue
Training Institute - Certified as Fire Officer II, Inspector II,
Instructor II, and Certified Fire Explosion
Investigator
3Course Overview
- The Firefighter LODD problem
- Lessons learned about Enclosed Structures
- The Firefighter Disorientation Sequence
- Proposed Risk Management Solutions
4This class meets 7 of the 16 Firefighter Life
Safety Initiatives1,2,3,4,8,9, 11
5The Problem
- US Firefighter LODDs continue to increase
despite national efforts starting in 2004 with
the introduction of the 16 Firefighter Life
Safety Initiatives developed at the Firefighter
Life Safety Summit .
6LODDs To Date_____
7US LODDs Past Decade
8Why???
9Top 3 Killers of Firefighters
- 1 Cardiac/Stress/Over-exertion (Approx 48)
- 2 Traffic AccidentsResponding to and returning
from alarmsexcessive speed, lack of seatbelt
use, failure to stop at controlled intersections.
(Approx 31) - 3 Failure to know or react to hostile fire
events .i.e., Approaching flashover or backdraft
conditions, Collapse, Failure to understand
changing fire conditionssmoke resulting in
Firefighter Disorientation. (Approx 21)
10Top 3 Firefighter Killers
21
48
31
11Again.Why?
12A culture change is needed
- Complacency
- Competency
- Cockiness
13Things will not get better until there is a
culture change
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17Terminology
- Open vs. Enclosed Structure An enclosed
structure is a structure where there is an
absence of useable doors and windows of
sufficient size and number to provide prompt
ventilation and emergency evacuationThis include
s basements. - Enclosed structures are highly prone to produce
life threatening hazards are directly linked to
LODDs - These structures exist in tremendous numbers, in
every community, and can be of any size, type,
age, and occupancy. They can be occupied,
unoccupied or vacant.
18What type of structure do we fight most of our
fires in?
19Open Residential Structures
20Enclosed Structures can be any size, any age, or
any occupancy and theyre found in all
communities
21The Enclosed Structure is a specific and
extremely dangerous type of structure and is
killing firefighters at a disproportionate rate
in multiple ways
- Floor/Roof Collapse
- Falls through fire-weakened floors
- Disorientation
- Depletion of Air Supply
- Flashover
- Backdraft
2212/99 Worcester, MA 6 Firefighters Killed
23Charleston 6/18/079 Firefighters Killed
24Why is this continuing to happen?
25The problem
- One common problem cited in firefighter fatality
investigations is - Failure to Follow or Adopt Standard Operating
Procedures/Guidelines -
26The Problem
- The US Firefighter Disorientation Study
published in 2003 (Mora) found that many of the
SOPs in use at the time of the LODD were
actually ineffective, unsafe, or needed
operational revision.
27Terminology
- Prolonged Zero Visibility Heavy smoke conditions
lasting longer than 15 minutes. - Why 15 Minutes?
- Do you know your air consumption rate?
28Lessons Learned
- Moras 2003 US Firefighter Disorientation Study
spanned 22 years of LODD data from 1979-2001
included 17 case studies. - The study found
- Enclosed Structures are directly linked to
Firefighter Disorientation - In 100 of the cases studied when a fast,
aggressive interior attack was used at enclosed
structures, firefighter disorientation occurred
100 of the time in which a LODD or serious F/F
injuries were involved.
29Lessons Learned
- Moras 2nd Study-The Analysis of Structural
Firefighter Fatality Database 2007 (1990-2006)
found - 444 LODD occurred 176 were structure fires
- 77 occurred in Enclosed Structures where a fast
aggressive interior attack was utilized
30The Disorientation Sequence
31Why is this being repeated?
32A few of the lesson learned from Charleston
- Culture Change needed
- Competency, complacency
- Risk Assessment
- Construction type dangers
- Enclosed structure dangers
- Code Enforcement
- Preplanning
- Utilize latest technology
33Lessons Learned
- The fire services lack of knowledge about the
extreme dangers posed by the enclosed structure
and the disorientation sequence. - Add to this the failure to recognize or react to
the dangers of lightweight construction,
pre-flashover backdraft warning
signsMisinterpreting size-up - Failure to Manage the Risk
34Lessons Learned
- When the downed Firefighter is not quickly
located serious injury or death results. - RIC on scene ready?
- Minimum of 90 seconds before RIC can enter
- Trapped firefighter usually not found until 3rd
or 4th attempt. - Do you have adequate staffing on-scene?
- Do you know your Air Consumption Rate?
35Proposed Risk Management Solutions
- Firefighters must be warned about the extreme
dangers enclosed structures present and that an
aggressive interior attack immediately upon
arrival may be ineffective and unsafe in many
cases. - SOP/SOGs must be re-written adopting new tactics
and strategies for enclosed structures,
lightweight construction, basement fires, etc.
36Solutions
- The SOP/SOG must call for the utilization of a
Cautious Interior Assessment (CIA) instead of the
traditional quick hit. - Quick Access Pre-Fire Plans must be developed for
high-risk structures - Officers must routinely integrate risk management
into operations -
37Officers must Integrate Risk Management by
- Using sound officer judgment at every structure
fire to include - Conduct Risk vs. Benefit Analysis
- SOG/SOPs must include a Defensive Fire Attack
policy on structures that are fully involved, or
where there is nothing left to save. Similarly, a
primary search is not initiated. - This policy must include abandoned, vacant, or
dilapidated structures that are either partially
or well involved.
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39Risk Management Techniques
- Routinely assign Incident Scene Safety Officer at
all enclosed structures - Determine if basement is involved
- Utilize Thermal Imager
- Cut inspection holes in floor if needed
- Communicate information to crews
- Attack fire from safe positions
- Conduct Cautious Interior Assessment (CIA) at
enclosed structures
40Cautious Interior Assessment
- The CIA is a process whereby
- First arriving engine company enters the
structure with - a. Thermal Imager
- b. Charged handline (w/ an established
water supply) - c. Backup crew
- To look into the structure and locate the
seat of the fire.
41Cautious Interior Assessment
- 2. After the seat of the fire is located the
officer makes the decision to - a. Make an aggressive interior attack and
call for additional resources, or - b. Make a Short Interior Attack (SIA) or
- c. Go Defensive
42Short Interior Attack
- An SIA involves advancing handlines to the seat
of the fire via the shortest distance possible by
using existing windows, doors, or by breaching
techniques. -
43Benefits of the SIA
- Increases Firefighter Safety by minimizing the
distance between the outside and the seat of the
fire. - It maximizes Firefighters Air Supply
- Prevents handline separation disorientation
- Helps avoid exposure to flashover/backdraft and
collapse conditions.
44More Solutions.
- A Disorientation course must be provided to all
firefighters - Officers must be able to quickly identify an
enclosed structure upon arrival and implement an
Enclosed Structure SOP
45More Solutions
- Fire Departments must be advised that live fire
training in acquired structures that are enclosed
must be avoided. - FD Inspections must insure the operational status
of sprinkler and other suppression and detection
systems in enclosed buildings.
46More Solutions
- Fire Departments should develop a list of
Enclosed Structures in their communities with the
addresses - This information should then be provided to the
dispatch center for immediate dissemination in
the event of an alarm that address via CAD to
Mobile Data Terminals in responding fire
apparatus or via radio traffic.
47Not for a piece of property
- Firefighters traditionally serve our
communities exceedingly well and save lives and
structures that can be saved. However,
firefighters can no longer needlessly place their
lives in extreme danger for a piece of property.
48Closing Thoughts
- The firefighters who have died in enclosed
structures over the past decades did precisely
what they were trained, ordered, and expected to
dothey implemented widely accepted tactics and
strategies that have worked for them throughout
their careers - However, as long as we continue to fight
fires in enclosed structures the traditional way,
with complete confidence, by the book, from the
unburned side, using a fast and aggressive
interior attackwe will continue to die.
49The Times They are a Changin
- If your department routinely implements a fast
aggressive interior attack without following a
risk management statement and is not aware of the
dangers associated with enclosed, abandoned,
vacant, or dilapidated structures or maintained
structures that cannot be saved, your
firefighters run a high risk of serious injury or
fatality. - In the future, the high percentage of firefighter
LODDs will only be reduced if local, progressive
leadership institutes tactical changes more
appropriate to managing todays risk.
50It takes a Tactical Cultural Change to Prevent
LODDs
- What were trying to do is change the culture of
the fire service. Its no longer acceptable to
put your life on the line for a piece of
property. Yes, were going to save lives and
were going to put our lives on the line to save
someone else. But stop and think what your doing
before you go into a burning building - David Paulison, Former USFA
Administrator - To prevent the tragic loss of firefighters the
safety culture must change. In this effort,
Firefighters must understand that they are not
required to sacrifice their lives to save any
structure, regardless the type of occupancy
encountered including residences, churches,
restaurants, and even high rise buildings. - Captain
William Mora (Ret) - San
Antonio Fire Department
51Firefighters
- Stay together
- Avoid complacency
- Be a Leader
- Educate yourself and continue to do so
- If you see a problem take action to fix it
- Take ownership of this culture and change it
- Have the courage to be safe
- Stay Fit
- Drive Safe
- Tactics-Tactics-Tactics
- Make everyday a training day
- Your 1 PriorityGo home at the end of the day
52Fire Officers
- Your 1 Job is to insure Everyone Goes Home
- You must be an effective competent leader
- You must be prepared accountable
- You must be a good decision maker
- You must be an enforcer of policies and
procedures - You must be a good role model
- Nothing less than your crews life depends on
it...
53Let me challenge you with this final thought..
- Firefighters-What are you doing both personally
and professionally to avoid becoming a LODD
statistic? - Fire Officers-What is your department doing to
avoid experiencing a LODD?
54For More Information
- Everyonegoeshome.com
- Firefighterclosecalls.com
- Firerescue1.com
55Thank You and Stay Safe