FAKE-OUTS, PART 2
BY TOM BRENNAN
Let`s continue exploring some examples of “fake-outs” and the types of problems that we might have to face because of them.
Locking systems that fail safe or fail secure. These systems are also known as “lock safe” or “lock secure.” Many of us think that the words “safe” and “secure” mean the same thing. Nothing could be further from the truth, and each system must be an important part of the preplan for the occupancy employing such a system.
These sophisticated and complicated systems are found as part of the fire alarm systems that are an integral part of large buildings, usually commercial establishments (high-rises) or institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, jails, for example). What the fire service needs to know is what happens to the locks when a fire-related device activates within the building. Does the door assembly (assemblies) lock or unlock? Because of obvious evacuation needs, most of the systems unlock the door assemblies to stairs, halls, and related rooms and spaces. But a minority of devices lock the doors on alarm. They are located in finance-related occupancies–banking establishments and high-rise finance locales. Halls and doors on floors with safes and vaults and access areas to negotiable paper are good examples. Entering firefighters must know what they will face before they get there. The need for personnel and tools and equipment for a fail-secure system are much greater than for a fail-safe system. Remember, too, that most of these systems lock also when there is an electrical failure.
Where the $#%/#$@ is that skylight? You are the “roof person.” Vertical ventilation is your goal. The fire building is one story and attached to similar large-area buildings. You raise the ladder to an adjoining structure, note the layout and the skylights, and cross over to the fire building. Where is that skylight? Gone? Yup!
Skylights are generally not needed in today`s commercial occupancy. Electricity is cheap–cheaper than heating through the leaky skylight or cooling a heat draft. When skylights are located on one-story commercial structures, they are nothing more than a `third” entry door for burglars. Many have been “roofed over.” As a roof person, you may find new tar surfaces–among other things–covering the area where the skylight had been. This area may still be your target, because of the ease of creating a vertical ventilation hole in new light construction, but in that success lies the danger. One of my cohorts literally cut his own hole to fall in because of the faulty construction of a patched skylight. Rules, codes, and inspections go with the patch job on an old skylight. Just enough timber (two by three inches) to hold up the plywood. A great rule to observe if you want to cut the former location of a skylight is to keep yourself (both feet) outside of the perimeter of the cut at all times.
Three or more lock cylinders on one door. This is basically an urban-becoming-suburban problem. In areas with a known crime record, they are on all the apartment doors. But, now we are in control–we pull cylinders and use key tools. Right? Nope!
You pull all the cylinders in quick fashion and now begin to put the key tool into the backs of all the locking devices and turn and twist to open. But the door is still locked. What happened? Major Fake-Out Number 11. The tenant is getting smarter than the burglar. He (or she) didn`t lock all the cylinders. You and your team can go through a ton of combinations and still look foolish as the engine waits with the water.
Key: Put the point of the halligan (or whatever) into the cylinder hole you just made, and drive all the locks off the inside of the door.
“Get the windows in the rear!” you are told, as the outside ventilation team member. We will make this simple and say that it is on the ground floor or at a one-story building. You arrive at the location and take a hefty swing with your tool, expecting to free the combustion products for your teammates and make this heavy smoke condition a “piece of cake.” Your heavy tool bounces violently off the glass-like surface and sends you shuddering into the rear lot as you lose your balance. What was that? LexanT!
This space-age plastic, used for window and door glass, was first installed in great quantities in telephone company buildings throughout the land. Then it was used in schools that had a broken glass budget larger than the education budget. Its use then spread to liquor stores and other occupancies. Its presence had the following results for fire departments. First, you could not ventilate adequately. Then, you could not enter a highly occupied space (schools) from the alternate entry–the window. Then firefighting was put on hold because you couldn`t get to the rear of the flaming store.
Torches don`t work. They reseal the LexanT. Concrete- and steel-cutting saw blades don`t work, because the heated cut reseals itself also. What does work is the carbide teeth of the wood-cutting blades. This is another situation that should be preplanned, and it should be made known that the “automatic assists” to the firefight–alternate entry, horizontal ventilation, and more–will be delayed. Also, expect unnatural fire behavior–such as downward spread of fire and flashover, not to mention delayed smoke explosions in remote areas of the occupancy.
Oh man, look at all these locks! Or just one great sophisticated lock–magnetic and the like. Should we go another way? Sure, if there is time! But what if there is no time? Fake-out? Nope.
Remember, very strong doors may be hung on weak walls. Partition walls of block buildings are about one-half the thickness of the enclosure walls! It can be easily breached–at least in the area of the locking device that can be manipulated by a gloved firefighter`s hand reaching though a tiny hole!
Fake-out in the fire service must be like “surprise.” It should be spoken of until it no longer exists. n
TOM BRENNAN has more than 35 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 the 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).
