LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
World Trade Center special issue
Congratulations on the excellent December 1993 issue on the World Trade Center bombing. The different perspectives presented made for extremely interesting reading regarding this most unfortunate event. A super job!
Harvey Eckart
Berwick, Pennsylvania
I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Fire Engineering’s special report on the World Trade Center bombing. I believe the articles in this issue provide the most comprehensive and useful coverage of the incident published so far and. when taken together, constitute one of the best accounts ever published on a major fire/rescue incident.
It appears inevitable that the fire service will continue to be called upon to respond to civil disturbances and terrorist incidents. Your review of the World TradeCenter incident should serve as a useful tool for the fire service as we lt-arn to successfully manage these kinds of incidents.
Garre L. Briese, CAE
Executive Director
International Association of
Fire Chiefs
I appreciated Glenn Corbett’s comments in “The TC and National Codes” in the December 1993 issue of Fire Engineering. Corbett correctly indicated that the model building codes and the NFPA Life Safety Code allow for the discharge of 50 percent of exit stairwells into a fully sprinkler-protected office building lobby. How -ever, it might not be apparent to some of your readers that all of the exit stairways (lot) percent) in both Towers 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center discharged into lobby areas. Stairways A and C both discharged into the mezzanine at the plaza level, and stairway li discharged into the lobby at the concourse level.
None of the model building codes or the Life Safety Code would have permitted more than one stairway ( 33 percent) of the three to discharge through a lobbyarea.
1 agree with the general premise of the article —that all of the code development committees will be studying the World Trade Center incident in the formulation of future editions of their documents. Fire Engineering is to be congratulated on the very informative and comprehensive report and analysis of this incident.
John L. Bryan
Fire Protection and Life Safety
Consultant
Frederick, Maryland
Tips for pump operators
I just finished reading Doug Leihbacher’s article “A Troubleshooting Guide for Bump Operators: What to Do if You HaveTrouble Supplying Water” in the January issue. 1 would like to add two important helpful hints that the author may have overlooked.
In many newer apparatus, the road-topump switch inside the cab is electricallycontrolled and can fail. After going through the steps of placing the apparatus into pump for the second time without success, you still can manually place the apparatus into pump, using two levers usually located on the driver’s side of the apparatus, to the right of the pump intake at the running-board level.
Second, I think it is important to open the hydrant before hking the supplyline into it. This will tell you that the hy drant is working and also will flush out any debris put down the barrel.
Patrick M. Johnson Firefighter
City of Huron (OH) Fire Department
Recruit training
I would like to address John Pangborn’s articles “Recruit Training Logistics” parts 1 and 2 (Training Notebook) in the October and November 1993 issues of Fire Engineering. The articles give excellent insight into establishing a training program or modifying an existing program.
The system Pangborn superbly lays out allows the flexibility of adapting a program to any size group of recruits. Planning seems to be the key to Pangborn’s approach. By knowing your budget limitation beforehand, you will be in a better position to establish your priorities with training, scheduling adjunct instructors,and logistics considerations along with the safety concerns of your recruits.
The articles finished off nicely by describing the recruits’ visit to the firehouse at the end of their training cycle. This added touch will make the newrecruits’ first day go a little easier in an extremely stressful occupation.
Frank Montagne
Captain
North Bergen (NJ) Fire Department
Brown nomination
Bill Manning’s Editor’s Opinion “The USFA Sweepstakes” in the February issue was right on! His perspective is one that makes Fire Engineering number one in my mind. There’s no doubt about your priority, and it is the quest for the holy grail of excellence for the fire and rescue service.
I subscribed because of Manning’s fearless support of staffing, and 1 will continue due to editorials like his on the Clinton nomination of Carrye Brown for USFA administrator. I’m a good member of our local and a member of several other organizations, but that surely doesn’t mean I agree 100 percent with each position they take.
If you have an apparatus maintenance question or problem that has not been resolved, we’d like to hear about it. Forward to
Fire Engineering “The Shops”
Park 80 West, Plaza Two, 7th Floor Saddle Brook. NJ 07662
Selected submissions will be published in Apparatus: The Shops. We also would like to share with our readers unique apparatus problems and the solutions you have found. All submissions should include as much information as possible about the apparatus and the problem and daytime and evening telephone numbers at which you can be reached.
I learned that you must be a part of the system to change it. That includes the International Association of Fire Fighters, International Society of Fire Service Instructors, and others. As a medically retired captain with 22 years on the job, I truly believe our number one firefighter ought to have been a firefighter. Surely we can find one among the many of us who meets the standards for this position. Toward that 1 have handwritten letters to both of my U.S. senators about my angst on this issue. I encourage others to do so as well.
Keep up the good work, and know that the many of us who were not polled in the political backroom deals absolutely appreciate your advocacy for our cause.
Bruce Roemmelt
Captain (retired)
Prince William County (VA) Fire
and Rescue
Tips for shipboard firefighting
I found Bill Gustin’s article “Direct Attacki on Cabin Fires in Small Commercial Ves-sels, Part 1” (November 1993) excellent but would like to add a comment that might assist those called on to fight these difficult fires.
Most vessels, large and small, tie up using some type of manila, hemp, or synthetic rope. Should the fire impinge on the bollards or fairleads, the lines securing the ship could burn or melt through. It would, therefore, be wise to keep a charged line in the area.
Robert J. Arnold
Lieutenant (retired)
Verdun (Ontario) Fire Rescue
Rescue innovations needed
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) needs information from rescuers on needs and ideas for innovative technical rescue tools, equipment, and systems for its report on the state of rescue technology. “Technical rescue” includes urban search and rescue/structural collapse rescue, confined-space rescue, trench rescue, rope and high-angle rescue, water rescue, industrial/agricultural rescue, and other special rescue situations. Vehicle rescue is not included.
The report will identify areas where current technology does not meet the needs of users and identify technologies that are available or could be adapted to meet rescuers’ needs. Please send any ideas, information, or suggestions to USFA Technical Rescue Project; 1500 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1200; Arlington, VA 22209. If you have any questions, please contact the USFA contractor representatives Reade Bush and Gordon Routley at (703) 3518300.
William Troup
Office of Fire Technical Programs Federal Emergency Management Agency United States Fire Administration
Interior vs. exterior fire towers
My good friend and mentor, retired FDNY Deputy Chief Elmer “Bud” Chapman, former commander of midtown Manhattan and a student and experienced commander of high-rise firefighting, has sent me the following comments relative to page 459 of the third edition of Building Constmction for tfje Fire Sendee. published by the NFPA. in which I commented rather negatively on interior fire towers. Bud writes:
“In many ways interior fire towers are superior to exterior fire towers on the periphery of the building for the following reasons: Periphery fire towers on the windward side of a fire building do not always provide a smoke-free escape route for the building’s occupants, since the smoke is held against the building by the wind.
“Interior fire towers provide a smokefree escape route for building occupants no matter which direction the wind is from. The stack effect has a greater effect on interior fire towers and will therefore provide a greater means of maintaining the stairway free of smoke for the evacuation of the building occupants. The wind effect across the top of the fire tower shaft will create a venturi effect and increase the efficiency of the fire tower vent shaft in keeping the stairway free of smoke for the building occupants.
“The problem in the case of the Empire State Building fire was the use of the fire tower as an attack stairs. The fire tower should not be used as an attack stairs because of the high negative pressure at the fire tower, which will pull the fire to the stairway with great force. When a line is stretched via a fire tower, both doors are blocked open, contaminating the stairway.”
Francis L. Brannigan
Author
Building Construction for the Fire Service
Withdraw in good order
I would like to respond to the letter by Francis L. Brannigan in the January issue (“Balancing the attack”). The author states that the term “withdraw in good order” is not appropriate in fire operations. This is a false and dangerous statement.
Whenever firefighters are ordered to stop their aggressive interior attack and abandon the building, their withdrawal must be “in good order” to ensure their own safety. I don’t mean that hoselines and other equipment cannot be left behind. since they are of relatively small value and are easily replaced. However, everyone cannot just shut down their lines and run for the door, or they will put themselves and others at even greater risk.
Engine company members using their line both to protect a search and attack the fire cannot shut down and bolt until the search crews are safely behind them. Engines on the second floor cannot panic and leave before companies operating on the third floor are safely past them. They may retreat toward the stairs and prepare to leave, but they cannot leave, or the firefighters working above them will be in big trouble. Chiefs should be prepared to abandon burning buildings once the search is complete and when there is a significant threat to the firefighters inside.
When an evacuation order is given, it should be obeyed promptly by all responsible officers, but it must be conducted in good order. Otherwise, instead of removing firefighters from the possible risk of injury due to building collapse, we will almost guarantee the injury of firefighters trapped by the fire. Instead of withdrawalin good order, we will be performing rescue operations for firefighters trapped in a building already prone to collapse.
Brannigan has done us all a service by pointing out the hazards posed by building construction; but when it comes down to the wire, w’e have to kx>k out for each other. When the chief orders you out of a building, withdraw in good order!
Richard Sterne Lieutenant
District of Columbia Fire Department
