THE FLOOR ABOVE, PART 5
BY TOM BRENNAN
We want to speak about high-rise structures now–high rise meaning more than so many feet, more than 100 feet in some codes and 75 feet in others. Basically, high-rise to us firefighters is a tall structure in which anything we access must be from the inside.
For our purposes, there are two distinct types of high-rise operations for the floor-above-the-fire assignment. One is the residence type, apartment or hotel, and the floor-above position is relatively easy and usually not consumed with rescue and reconnaissance of extension of fire other than in the apartment of fire origin. The other is the office building with its tremendous life load above the fire. The floors above the fire in an office building are tenable for a short period of time and then can become a nightmare. The initial floor-above team must be at least two firefighters and must be beefed up to five or six firefighters. They must be given a short-term goal–usually gaining access and ensuring evacuation and accountability for life on the two floors directly over the fire floor–that may be expanded when necessary, and when personnel are available, to five floors over the fire. Search teams must be equipped to conduct team searches, guided by leader and rope. Air must be available and monitored. One of the big (and sometimes fatal) mistakes here is that firefighters may not have enough air. Experience has shown that a firefighter needs one minute of air for each floor ascent. That means you cannot assign a firefighter to ascend 20 floors with one regular tank of air. How about the operation time and the return (retreat) time?
Another problem is how to get there from the staging floor. If only two staircases are in the structure, it is difficult. It may be impossible to use the stairs designated for firefighting because you may have 2,000 to 40,000 square feet of fire venting only through the stair access doorway firefighters are trying to use on the fire floor. And the other stairway, the designated evacuation stairway, will have hoards of civilians streaming down. A dilemma! Try to find a clear and remote stairway. Get a copy of the floor plans for the floors on which you will be operating (they change, and stair shafts become fewer on upper floors). Communication is the key to firefighter safety for floor-above operations in office buildings.
The high-rise residence building. This is the easy one. Let`s talk about the objectives of the member(s) assigned to the floor above in these structures and how they change here in comparison with the objectives of all other occupancies. The primary goal for member(s) on the floor-above-the-fire occupancy here is to provide horizontal ventilation to the fire apartment. Assignment to almost all other types of construction and occupancy is concerned with life on that floor and all others above it. All others are dangerous operations–not so here.
These high-rise residence buildings (see Fire Focus, April 1996) do have nasty fires. But, the floor above stays relatively tenable. The fire problem is handled by one handline once the line is able to enter the apartment on fire! That handline`s success almost always depends on horizontal, not vertical, ventilation. The life hazard is handled in most cases by putting the fire out! So, why the article? Because the position of the floor above in these occupancies is crucial and the key to all success at fires in these buildings.
High-rise residence fires usually have one of two problems–the door of the apartment on fire is closed and locked or the door is opened and the fire has to be fought from the standpipe connection. There usually are a few burn injuries during that operation. The point here is that we are dealing with a kiln (hot oven). If the door is shut, we are able to stretch to the fire door, and the heat begins for us after forcible entry. If the door is open, we need relief for the engine just to get the line down the hall and may even need a second line to “wash them down the hall” by knocking down the positive heat balance.
How is this accomplished? ONLY through prompt and proper horizontal ventilation. This is the main responsibility of the member(s) assigned to the floor above the fire. It is the only tactic that will enable firefighters to work within an untenable apartment or an impossible hallway. Firefighter(s) must enter the apartment over the fire (roof, if the fire apartment is one or two floors below the roof) and ventilate the fire apartment windows from above. This is accomplished easily with a rope tied to a halligan–measure down to the fire floor window and hold the measure. Toss the tool out as straight as possible and let it swing down and into the window below. Now, do that for every window in the apartment you are in, hoping it is the same layout as the one on the floor below! Or, you may be from the old school (or not able to be flexible in tool carries) and have a hook to accomplish this mission–DAH!
This position is extremely vital at fires in these buildings; the success of the operation, reduced firefighter injuries, and the civilian life hazard and its removal depend solely on it. These firefighters must be prepared to force entry on that floor. A lock-pulling device along with a good set of forcible entry irons are musts. This is no place for a six-foot hook!
So, which door do you force? Very rarely will you have an apartment number in your alarm assignment information, or only a select few may know it. You will start your ascent from at least two (or more) floors below the fire floor. You must notice the type of staircase–does it return by half stair to the same location of every floor OR does it “scissor” with the other stair shaft and return to the same location on every other floor? Next, look on the fire floor and get a sense of direction of the fire–left or right. If the floor is tenable, go to the fire door and count the door openings back to the stairs. If the stairway is scissor-type, go to the floor below and change staircases. That is the only way you will be sure to come out on the public hall above the fire, where you were on the fire floor. Now, get down the hall to the correct doorway. Don`t forget to bang on the door first–someone may let you in. There are many secondary objectives, but they are for a later article. n
TOM BRENNAN has more than 33 years of fire service experience. His career spans more than 20 years with the City of New York (NY) Fire Department as well as four years as chief of the Waterbury (CT) Fire Department. He was editor of Fire Engineering for eight years and currently is a technical editor. He is co-editor of The Fire Chief`s Handbook, Fifth Edition (Fire Engineering Books, 1995).
