HIGH RISE OPERATIONS

College of Lake County

Fire Science TechnologyFire Science Technology

FST 117

COMPLACENCY KILLS!

DO IT LIKE IT’S THE REAL THING THING

EVERY TIME.

BE PREPARED.

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

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’+

HIGH RISE OPSCASE 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

HIGH RISE OPSCASE 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

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

High Rise Ops

• Building Construction Features– Elevators– Installed fire systems

• suppression

• detection

– HVAC• Smoke control

• fire dampers

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

High Rise Ops

• Gaining Access into Building– Normal access– Forcible entry– Set backs– Landscaping– Parking areas - garages and street– Service areas– Limited access

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

High Rise Ops

• Smoke Spread– Vertical

• Pipe chases

• Poke throughs

• Voids behind exterior skin

• Elevator shafts

• HVAC– Typically smoke on 3 floors

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

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

High Rise Ops

• Heat Effects on High Rises– Backdraft– Heat Transfer

• hallways• voids• lapping• exposures

– Set off detectors and sprinklers in remote areas

High Rise Ops

• Heat Effects on High Rises• Structural Collapse

– steel failure– pre-stressed concrete

• Concrete spalling• Glass

– checks and cracks at 1000-1200oF

• Electrical problems

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

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.

Stack EffectReverse Stack Effect

WIND?

Neutral Plane

CORE

High Rise Ops

• Water Supply– volume available– installed systems

• sprinklers

• standpipes

• pumps

• zoned

High Rise Ops

• Time Factors– for response of massive resources– to ascend to fire area– to locate fire– to bring up support equipment

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

High Rise Ops

• Equipment Requirements– air bottles– forcible entry tools– lighting – communications– hose lines

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

High Rise Ops

• Establish Command– Sector Officer to fire floor– Establish Lobby Sector – Forward & Outside command

High Rise Ops

• Initial Attack– 2 engines, 1 truck, Chief– Use stairs or elevator

• control elevator

• stop 2 floors below fire floor

– Report conditions

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

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

High Rise Ops

• Major Elements– Fire Floor Sector– Lobby Control– Floor above– Forward command– Resource sector– Floor below / salvage– Level II staging

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

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

High Rise Ops

• Resource Sector– Located in easily accessible area

• 2 floor below fire

– Provides fresh personnel and equipment to operations

High Rise Ops

• Company Assignments– Fire Floor

• search, rescue, attack

– Floor Above• search, rescue, extension

– Floor Below• extension, salvage

High Rise Ops

• Company Assignments– Upper floors

• search, extension

– Staged in Resource Sector• ready companies, rehab

– Stairways• evacuation, supply movement

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

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

High Rise Ops

• Occupant Evacuation– Fire area– Complete evacuation not possible– Panic everywhere in the building– Don’t block stairways needed by FD

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

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

High Rise Ops

• Beware of open shafts

• Use service elevators– serve all floors– manually operated– heavier loads

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.

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.

High Rise Hints

• Consider carrying a compass.

• Radios may not work well, remember office telephones.

• Pre-Plan

• Pre-Plan

• Pre-Plan