ROLLDOWN METAL DOORS
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Rolldown metal doors. Heavy security. Most of us think of them as innercity, high-crime-area phenomena. If you believe that, you just haven’t looked. Drug crime makes every neighborhood security-conscious. “Fashion-correct” rolldown doors have begun appearing on sliding glass patio doors as well as on windows in affluent communities. It is only because they are not steel-gray “slates” for graffiti that they may not be recognized. To encourage priority training, it is important to discuss the difficulties these door assemblies present to our on-duty fire forces.
Delayed discovery. This is especially true in commercial occupancies—from the one-story strip store (taxpayer) to the multistory structures It used to be that fires occurring during nonbusiness hours were evident to passers-by and patrolling security forces from blocks away, as the fire usually vented itself or presented an abnormal glow inside the store. Today, the glass still fractures and breaks, but the fire remains behind the solid door.
Fire location. This most important piece of information also is delayed after arrival. The delayed discovery fire has “pressed” the smoke condition into adjoining occupancies, and it is not that easy to determine to which of the several stores you should commit your limited personnel.
Backdraft. This was not a common phenomenon when building materials were too fragile to contain combustion products long enough to build the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions necessary for backdraft to occur; some part of the building failed—window or rtx>f. Today’s storeowners seal rear windows with cement blocks and even install steel plating on roofs, literally building safes in which to operate. Backdraft in these assemblies is a real possibilitytoday.
Auxiliary extinguishing systems. Where are they? Rolldown door assemblies are installed in a half day. The installers are not aware of flushmounted sprinkler and standpipe fire department connections. Once the new door is rolled down for the night, the connections disappear behind it.
Cellar door assemblies—those located in sidewalks and made of heavy-gauge steel. 1 know some of you don’t know what I’m talking about, but those who do have an additional problem with these rolldown doors. The common oil burner ignition fault or the refrigeration compressor motor emergency that usually is easy to detect and take care of becomes a forcible-entrynightmare. The rolldown door assembly presses tightlv against these upward opening assemblies. You must open the rolldown door to gain access to the cellar entrance doors.
Unnatural fire spread. Internal pressures cause fires w ithin these protected occupancies to spread around and through areas and assemblies thought to be safe. At occupancies above the fire, one usually’ expects fire to spread w ithin the voids—usually at the baseboards around the room —first. In these occupancies, however, the fire is pushed through the seams in the oak flooring itself— and more. Failure of the membranes protecting cocklofts (attic spaces) and truss lofts of multistory structures is common and occurs earlier than in structures without these security assemblies.
Civilian and firefighter protection. In twoand three-story mixed occupancy structures (first-floor stores w ith dw ellings above), protection of the occupants and the firefighters searching for them is a true life-hazard problem. The stores are a fortress, but the doors to the halls and apartments above are easily forced. To protect firefighters operating above the fire, get a handline operating on the ceiling to control vertical extension above. Time is not on our side, and the forcible-entry’ problem causes a dangerous delay in protecting firefighters above the fire.
Tools and equipment. You will never have enough. You will need saws on the roof of one-story buildings, saws and torches at the front for the security lock assemblies of the fire store and most of the exposures, and heavy equipment —even another saw—to open the rear of the occupancies (see “Strategic Factors,” Random Thoughts, June 1991).
Personnel—staffing levels. Here we go again. This is how you market your need for adequate staffing levels. More next time.
