Fireground Strategies: Cold-Weather Firefighting

BY ANTHONY AVILLO

Those of us who have braved the winters know how brutal the cold can be. And when you’re the incident commander (IC), there’s nowhere to go—no rehab for the IC. So as the snow and ice accumulate, so do the challenges. Weather extremes, especially cold, take a terrible toll on the body, both physically and psychologically. Let’s talk about some considerations not only for the IC’s decision-making needs but for the well-being of the troops in the street.

• The Challenges of Fire Operations in Extreme Cold
• Preparing for the Weather: Winter
• Cold Weather EMS Operations

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

A seasonal preparedness policy is a great way to stay ahead of bad weather. Departments should have policies in place that provide a timeline and that offer an inventory of equipment to secure and check before the weather gets cold.

The timeline should start well ahead of typical forecasted local conditions. Checklists work well for this, and a solid relationship with department or municipal shops should be part of the plan.

Address the following key areas in this preparation policy:

1. The firehouse. The required firehouse inventory should include a supply of salt, shovels and icebreakers, generator checks for weather-related power outages, and lighting. Additionally, plan for and schedule with the city the continuous plowing of firehouse aprons and access areas.
2. Apparatus. Apparatus preparation should include checks on the serviceability of chains, windshield fluids, heating systems, and thawing equipment.
3. Equipment. Equipment checks will ensure companies have what they need and that there are plans in place for contingencies when additional equipment is needed.
4. Personnel. All personnel should be aware that weather emergencies will usually require overtime as more staffing will be needed for every required department operation. This includes the scheduling of hydrant shoveling details. Additional clothing, food, and bunking facilities should be part of the personnel plan as well.
5. First aid. The department should provide training on the recognition of cold-related injuries such as hypothermia and frostbite well before the winter weather begins. (Training on recognition of heat-related injuries before the onset of the summer is also critical.) Peer recognition of when members are being affected severely by cold—or hot—weather is critical. In many cases, peers are the first to notice any symptoms.

Not having a plan in place causes delays in weather-related preparation. One day before a storm is not the day to figure any of this out. It’s worth noting that the same weather-appropriate preparation plan should be in place for summer months as well as for areas that experience hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather-related issues such as blizzards (photo 1).

Everything Slows Down—Except Fire Spread

Unfortunately, fire spreads at the same rate regardless of the weather. Because of this, anticipate more advanced conditions on arrival, as heavy snow will slow down all operations. This goes beyond response. It also includes stretching lines, raising ladders, and moving equipment. With these factors in mind, it is critical that as many personnel as needed should be used to get the first line in service before even thinking about a second line.

Exposure lines may need to be stretched quickly due to wind conditions, which often come with winter storms. You may have to quickly secure a water supply and use a deck gun until you can get a 2½-inch line between the fire building and exposures.

It’s always easier to deal with one building than to have to deal with two—or three. Moving equipment in extreme weather is also more difficult. The use of ground ladders, rescue baskets, and even carryalls might allow companies to move equipment more rapidly in snow-covered areas, using these tools as sleds. Consider this before the bad weather sets in (photo 2).

Street Challenges for Response

Narrow streets become even narrower when the snow accumulates. Cars park farther from curbs. They hang off corners, block snowed-in fire hydrants, and are sometimes abandoned in the middle of the street.

Highways and even secondary streets can also be treacherous. Discuss and plan for having plows in service as part of the response prior to a storm. Communications will be the key in these situations so you can adjust apparatus positioning. Heavy snow accumulation might also cause apparatus issues in low-clearance areas such as overpasses where the rig might normally fit. This might even include firehouses. One department damaged its rig backing in on a snow-covered apron. The higher profile of the rig backing up on the snow caused it to hit the top of the door.

Visibility and Ventilation

Heavy swirling snows affect visibility like fog but colder. Heavy winds will affect ground laddering. Roof operations are particularly hazardous in snowstorms. Cold weather also affects our ability to vent the building. Smoke may not lift as it does in warmer weather. Also, freezing weather affects smoke color, causing a whiter smoke to issue from the building. Check out the smoke color in photo 3. Don’t be fooled by this. Keep an eye on volume, pressure, and density to get the best read on it.

Equipment Challenges

Fogged-up self-contained breathing apparatus face masks as well as frozen regulators have caused problems for firefighters. This is the reality of winter. Add in frozen hydrants (always flow the hydrant before connecting), frozen hoselines, and frozen aerial devices, and operations can grind to a halt. We had to leave an aerial raised at one cold fire scene until it could be deiced.

We also had to chop aerial apparatus out of a block of ice in the street after another major fire. Nozzles should be left to trickle. This will prevent frozen lines, but it’s important to make sure they are not icing up areas of foot travel.

The Importance of Salt

Carry salt on every rig and spread it in all areas of operations. Don’t forget walkways, front steps, and any driveways leading to the fire building. In freezing weather, a request that your sanitation or public works department respond with additional salt should be high on the list of command support priorities.

We once had two firefighters break their legs on the same scene in the same location. One injury took place during the night while the fire was being fought. The other happened the next day when the next shift was picking up equipment. We have since purchased ice cleats that fit onto firefighter boots, to prevent this from happening again.

Addressing Hidden Dangers

I once found myself sliding toward the edge of a slightly pitched roof. It was a super cold night, and I was exiting a window to access a fire escape at the edge of the roof. The fire escape was at the end of a bump out on the floor below.

Luckily, I was able to grab the fire escape as I went over the side. It was a three-story drop. The culprit? Black ice on the roof—at night. Always be prepared for black ice, especially when operating above grade.

It’s important to probe everywhere and be aware that snow can cover hazards as well. A good, but unfortunate, example of the consequences of not probing everywhere is the story I heard about a firefighter who fell through a snow-covered skylight and was severely injured at a fire. Conduct peaked-roof operations only from aerial devices when the weather is foul. Icy roof ladders are extremely dangerous; however, operating without one, even on a lightly pitched roof, is asking for trouble.

Snow and Ice Loads

Snow loads not only add weight to the roof, but ice accumulations on the exterior of the building also add considerable weight to a possibly already weakened structure. Evaluate fire escapes and signage for ice loading. Keep in mind that snow loads can collapse roofs even in the absence of fires, so it’s important to continually monitor roof and building conditions. There were two gutted buildings in Union City (NJ), both of which collapsed after the ice melted. It turned out the ice was the only thing holding the building together.

Another concern is ice on power lines. This can create problems that must be addressed before they become issues (photos 4 and 5).

Cold-Related Injuries

Planning for cold-related injuries must be a priority. There are two groups of people for command to focus on:

1. The fire victims. Fire victims cannot be expected to survive in frigid weather for very long out in the street in their night clothes. Contacts must be in place so that shelter can be provided. In some cases, neighbors can provide shelters, but that is not always possible, and this kind of accommodation should not be assumed. I have taken over buses and used convenience stores to protect civilians until securing a place for them to go. In such cases, we did not necessarily have a plan for civilian relocation in the middle of the night, so I had to improvise. Remember, as incident commander, the survival of civilian evacuees outside the building is your responsibility.
2. The firefighters. Cold-weather firefighting must also take firefighters’ potential injuries into account (photo 6).

Regarding the troops, the IC must realize that fighting a fire in weather extremes will always require more people. Strike additional alarms early; you can always return them if you don’t need them. In these conditions, a one-alarm fire easily becomes a three-alarm fire; a two-alarm easily becomes a four. Your job as an IC is to ensure proper rotation and relief of companies. To do that, you need a tactical reserve.

You also need a place where you can warm up the troops. If you don’t have a rehab unit, you might have to take over buildings, buses, or anything else you can think of to protect your troops. Remind anyone new that they should have extra gloves and clothes on the rig in the winter, a winter bag if you will, and no synthetics or polyester—only cotton or wool. The problem is that they may not listen. Until they are caught once, that is—then they get it.

Having cold hands and feet will make you miserable. And as IC, you are probably not going to be relieved anytime soon. You must be ready to tough it out, so extra clothes are a good idea for you, too. I used to use ski mittens with inserts. And you know that outside streams will always find the command post at some point in the miserable weather. It’s simply part of the reality of the winter defensive operation fireground. Be nice to the troops and maybe they won’t aim so well (photo 7)!