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⅜ all the reasons we discussed a few years ago in this column.
So now for outside from above. Where would that happen? As a roof team from a flat roof location. Once the vertical ventilation is accomplished, you are in a great position to rapidly relieve the conditions ‘ on the fire floor. If the fire is on the top floor, it is mandatory that you begin horizontal ventilation immediately after opening the roof, most times before you begin to cut the roof (top-floor fire, remember).
⅜ At top-floor fires, go to where you think the fire is located. Remember sectioning the roof at least into quadrants by size-up (Random Thoughts from months ago)? Break out the most severely exposed window. Then continue in one direction until the windows no longer give off heavy smoke or fire conditions. Then return to the original position and commence to ventilate the windows in the other direction. A great team will expect and depend on its truck roof team to provide this service.
This operation used to be accomplished by the roof person lying on the roof and reaching over with a six-foot pike pole and swinging it out and back against the glass target. However, if the area needs venting, what you open will blast you in the face and any part of the body you have hanging over the edge of the roof. The pike pole also did not have the power to get “all the glass.” For double-hung storm windows, it may take three to six tries. With doubleand triple-pane monsters, it will take forever. The answer is the 25-foot piece of rope we discussed last month.
Tie the adz end of a hailigan tool to the rope and measure the distance to the middle of the window line. Stand on the rope and toss the tool. Generally, one toss—and in some cases, two tosses— provides some nifty venting. All you need to do now is to hold the rope location and replace it at the roof for all the windows you wish to vent at this top-floor fire.
The added benefit of the rope and hailigan method is that it can be used at lower-floor fires from the roof or other areas above. This one needs some communication from inside, however. This method is extremely effective for areas the outside team cannot get to, such as the hack of a fire building, the center of attached row houses, or windows inaccessible from the street located inside light and air shafts in the older tenement and apartment house areas
VENTING
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Don’t go.
“Aw, not again.”
Again.
Ventilation of a structure on fire and occupied by civilians or, in the least, by firefighters still is one of those things you can never talk about enough. It is probably the second most important thing we can do on the fireground to prevent the loss of life and costly injuries to those within the structure.
What’s the first thing, you ask? Why, putting the fire out, of course. But then again, without the ventilation to assist the interior movement of the handlines and the “stuff” they’re pushing ahead of them, we wouldn’t be able to put the fire out in a timely fashion—time to make a difference, that is.
Let’s begin where others do not—horizontal ventilation. Everyone wants to talk vertical first; but that’s too easy, and you didn’t buy this magazine for routine stuff. How many of you will debate the difference between venting horizontally from below the fire, from above the fire, and from the fire floor itself?
Before we go any further, let’s get the basics of horizontal ventilation out of the way—“textbook” venting for fire extinguishment and fire control—venting for life. After initial entry (usually the first horizontal vent), the objective is to open the “rear” of the fire (to where the nozzle will push it), remember? Second is the flanks—those adjacent areas where the nozzle and hose team is moving through to get to the “rear.” Finally, if needed, open the area the nozzle entered—store windows, additional windows of a fire escape, or ladder entry on the upper floors.
Now let’s talk of the differences and the “tricks.” Venting from below involves those firefighters operating outside the fire building, from the ground with long tools, or from various positions on a ladder device or by using the ladder itself. The vent you want from outside is first at the rear, again, where the nozzle is going. If you are in doubt even after all the communication, go for the window that looks like it will fail soonest—the one most seriously exposed from inside. If the building is four-sided—a two-story multiple dwelling, tor example—a short and rapid survey should solve your problem.
Outside from the same floor level is another matter. Not only are you looking for a “best vent” for the fire and its extinguishment, but in this case we assume you are going to try to enter the occupancy if the fire condition lets you. You are probably at a fire escape, have climbed to an apartment balcony, or are in the process of placing an aerial or portable ladder to the window you will use to enter. Here you want to vent the building, but you want to get your best “shot” at getting in. First, remove a window'(s) adjacent to your entry point. Take the tool that will reach it!
If it makes a difference and you did your homework (size-up), you are reaching for the other window from upwind. Take it out as completely as possible; after it “blows” for a second, take out the one in front of you —the one you hope you can enter.
Remember VES? You want the V part to be effective enough so you can answer the E and S parts.
Just a side note: I remember being told that I should “always” keep the old batteries I removed from my flashlight in my pocket so I could toss them to break windows. That idiotic “tip” goes all the way back to my probation period 30 years, two months, and 25 days ago. I remember picking the “hottest” window and tossing my battery. My “effective” hole was exactly the size of the battery, and the window pane could have served as a display for the battery. Take the window out—all of it!
Taking the window out with the ladder you eventually are going to use is fine if you remember some simple rules. First, position the tips of the ladder at the top third of the glass area and “drop” the aerial or portable ladder into the glass. If you extend, “punch” the ladder into the window, and then retract, you may pull the entire frame out of the building wall, and it will ride down the ladder like a giant square necklace. If you “crash” the lower half of the window, you will allow the massive top glass sections to ride the rails down toward your position.
Next, reposition the ladder. Raise, then retract, and lower it to the sill of the opening before climbing to enter to search. The position at the sill is used for
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