By Michael N. Ciampo
After extinguishing what seemed to be a simple room-and-contents fire, truck company members began to overhaul the fire room to check for extension. They needed to pull the ceilings because of the fire damage that penetrated the gypsum board, which covered the lath and plaster ceiling beneath it. They also needed to open up the walls—which were just plaster and lath—and remove the windows and door frames because of the depth of char and still glowing orange embers emitting from them. Simply washing down the “alligator-skinned” frames would not ensure that fire wasn’t still extending beneath or behind them in the walls.
One member with a hook went over to the area of the ceiling that was burned away; near the charred lath, he began to pull the ceiling down. Another member with a hook entered the room and walked over to the first member to assist in pulling the ceilings. As he went to throw his hook up into the ceiling, he heard a loud “thud.” Mad that he couldn’t get the hook to penetrate the ceiling the first time, he put a little more muscle behind the second try. Again, he heard a loud thud. Getting more aggravated, he used a squat thrust motion as he threw the hook upward; it still didn’t penetrate the ceiling.
The firefighter next to him knew there were two ceilings and that the loud thud was an indication that the other firefighter most likely was hitting a joist or a cross beam. So he spun his hook around and used the butt end to make an initial purchase point into the ceiling. After penetrating the ceiling in one shot and making a circular hole, he repeated his action and had two holes close to one another. Then he spun the hook around and punched the hook’s head through the two holes and began opening up the ceiling.
Creating an initial purchase point into a “double” or single ceiling with the butt end of the hook can make the task of opening up quicker and easier. Using the butt end reduces your chances of hitting a ceiling joist with the large head assembly some hooks have. When you need numerous holes to quickly check for fire extension, you can also use this method. Remember, whenever making inspection holes in a ceiling, you must remove or push aside the insulation to get the true picture of what’s going on above you. Also, shine your flashlight (the one you should be carrying) up into the space for a better investigation of the conditions above.
A third firefighter entered the room willing to help, but the officer asked him to step out: Three firefighters operating too close to each other in a smaller room with hooks is an accident waiting to happen.
As the members pulled the ceiling, one of the firefighters got ahead of the other and was struck in the head with a large section of falling debris. When you pull gypsum or lath and plaster ceilings, try to work in unison with your fellow firefighter and move forward together (yes, sometimes you will have to go in opposite directions). It’s not a race to see who can do more work or who can get it done faster. Working alongside each other and keeping your hooks and work out in front of you prevent you both from working directly beneath the ceiling, eliminating the chances of getting struck with falling debris.
As the two firefighters proceeded across the room, they kept the heads of their hooks alongside the ceiling joists to pull the lath. The lath’s seams are normally overlapped and attached at the joist; pulling there will usually open up more ceiling bays. Remember, when you pull the lath in the middle of a ceiling bay, it often just snaps in half because it’s nailed to both joists. Then the two ends dangle from the joists, and if you don’t remove them, you have to maneuver around them or you could get struck in the face by them. The most important thing to remember about any dangling pieces of lath is the small nails that are embedded in them—they can hang like mini-daggers from the ceiling. If you aren’t wearing proper eye protection, these nails can easily cut an unsuspecting firefighter in the face or cause an eye injury. Take the time to remove the dangling pieces prior to moving forward. It’s okay to reach up with your gloved hand and pull them down rather than swinging at them with a tool and sending them flying, possibly striking someone else. Before the engine company washes down the room, remove the dangling pieces so the water stream doesn’t send them flying around either.
When members opened up the ceiling, they found the fire was extending into the next room. The officer went into this room and knew the ceiling needed to be pulled quickly. He opened up the dresser drawer and slid the occupants’ valuables into it to protect them.
The third firefighter quickly ran into this room, eager to get a piece of the action; he threw his hook into the ceiling in one attempt. Then he began pulling. As he pulled, the hook slipped and he lost his balance, almost stumbling over. He put his hook back into the hole and began pulling and yanking harder. Again, the hook slipped off the material. Then the officer informed him that his hook kept getting hung up on the joist and that the lath ran in the opposite direction (perpendicular to the joist), suggesting he pull in line with the joist.
Although we often rely on brute strength and a “hard charging” work ethic, we also need to continually size up and concentrate. It may take a little finesse, ingenuity, and knowledge to not always be that bull in the china shop!
● MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 25-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladder chapter and co-authored the Ventilation chapter for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos on www.FireEngineering.com.
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