By Aaron J. Heller
Abandoned commercial buildings are once again becoming more and more prominent in cities and towns across our nation. Like a line from the Bruce Springsteen song, “My Hometown,” says, “Now, Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores/Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more.” We are seeing whitewashed and boarded-up windows more and more as the nation struggles with the results of the pandemic, economic downturn, and a potential recession. These structures must raise red flags in our firefighting minds immediately. Once bustling and productive buildings that we were familiar with are becoming new and dangerous challenges for our firefighters.
- Vacant Buildings: Scourge of the Fire Service
- It’s Just a Vacant
- Responding to Fires in Vacant Buildings: Proceed with Caution
- Abandoned Building Policy: Five Years Later
Before we dive deep into this topic, we must address the elephant in the room. Even though a business is no longer open or has been abandoned, we cannot assume it is vacant. Abandoned and vacant are far different terms. Our fireground operations must reflect our regard for the lives of potential occupants; they always have been and should remain our top priority. This may be a controversial mindset in some departments, but it is important to address long before a fire occurs.
To begin, we must identify these buildings and share the information with all our companies and mutual-aid partners. Although this may be difficult in large cities or more populated response areas, we can simplify it by breaking it into each company’s first-due area. Chiefs should want their crews out in the street learning the district and profiling buildings. The local fire marshal’s and the building inspector’s offices are excellent resources; these officials often have their eyes on target hazards we should be aware of. Look for open or broken points of entry, illegal electrical hookups, and any other signs of building usage (photo 1, 2). As we compile this information, we should add it to an accessible database such as our computer-aided dispatch systems. The goal is to be armed with plenty of information when fires occur in these buildings.
(1) Photos 1-5 by author, photo 6 by Matthew Paglione.
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Training
Once we have identified what we face and have developed a set of fireground priorities based on our staffing, resources, training, and local challenges, it’s time to prepare the troops. Training for this type of fire can’t be generic or one-size-fits-all. As many have stated over and over, training for the commercial fireground is not the same as training for our typical one- and two-family dwellings scene. Now we are adding various states of disrepair, lack of fire code conformity, and potentially hostile or impaired occupants to the equation. Additionally, these aren’t cookie-cutter buildings.
In the area where I work, we see everything from abandoned warehouses to office buildings, strip malls, garages, taxpayers, and even residences that were converted to commercial businesses. Each presents its own hazards and challenges; each requires somewhat different tactics (photos 3, 4).
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Initial Size-Up
The initial size-up is critical. The incident commander (IC) must quickly determine not only building construction but the structural stability. This is based on dispatch information, his initial 360° survey, preplan notes, and the extent of fire involvement. This rapid and evolving process sets all our fireground actions in motion. The IC must determine the best entry routes, hoseline placement, ventilation options, and victim removal routes.
Hoselines and Water Supply
For an engine company, stretching and pushing into an abandoned warehouse or manufacturing plant require much more than they would for a small mom-and-pop store. Engine company personnel must be well versed in hoseline selection based on the conditions presented along with their department procedures and prior training. Again, an engine company capable of stretching and operating 2½-inch lines; performing stairwell stretches, rope stretches, and stretches to the roof; and extending attack lines is of great value.
Remember, this may take more than one company, especially if your staffing is limited as it is with many departments across the nation. Additionally, they must have the proven ability to secure a reliable primary and secondary water supply for these fires. Don’t misjudge the necessary fire flow; it can be fatal! Always err on the side of caution.
Forcible Entry
Typically, these fires require a great deal of truck company skills as well. Forcible entry; vertical and horizontal ventilation; and, most certainly, thorough searches are the most glaring needs. Because we are talking about abandoned buildings, the level of security will vary greatly. They may be boarded up with simple plywood, HUD-style window security, or commercially produced devices such as vacant property security systems as described by Fire Department of New York Firefighter Jim Sandas in his fireengineeing.com article, “VPS Windows,” https://emberly.fireengineering.com/fire-prevention-protection/vps-windows/ (photo 5).
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Beginning with forcible entry, truck company personnel must be prepared for every challenge they would face in an occupied structure yet look out for homemade locking devices. Unfortunately, we must also consider booby traps that illegal occupants install to slow down or prevent entry. This is not just an urban concern; suburban or rural homeless people have just as much to lose by those encroaching on their claimed space. Companies must determine the tools needed and be prepared to dig deep in their cache to address the level of security presented. Proficiency with a set of irons, rotary and chain saws, hydraulic cutters, and torches will lead to better operational success. If forcible entry will be delayed by burglar bars, child gates, or fencing or because something just doesn’t look “right,” it is imperative to advise the IC and other crews on the fireground.
Search
Probably the most debated and controversial tactic with these structures, after offensive vs. defensive attacks, is the level of search that departmental procedures or ICs allow. I am a strong proponent of getting in these buildings and performing well-coordinated searches. The caveat is that we must consider the following if we want success:
- The structure itself must be structurally sound enough to commit firefighters inside.
- Personnel must be well trained and equipped to carry out large-area search techniques. This may include rope-assisted search along with a strong knowledge of thermal imaging camera usage.
- Search teams need uninterrupted communications with those running the operation.
- Personnel must understand the building construction they are facing and know their limits both individually and as a crew.
Anyone who has either studied or lived through these types of fires knows that we have lost firefighters in commercial structures that may often be abandoned. However, we are still obligated to rescue those in peril; that only happens if we get in and are proactive in our searches. This is not a duty to take lightly. In many cases, our searching firefighters are the only link to occupant survival.
Ladders
Ladders are another constant need in commercial fires in structures of more than one story. Placing portable ladders at as many windows as possible will provide interior crews with better options for victim removal or firefighter escape should conditions deteriorate. Additionally, although we have less flexibility with aerial devices, they are great for assisting in victim removal. Laddering these buildings must become habit and not an afterthought (photo 6).
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Often, people go about their days often unaware of their surroundings, even when things are in plain sight. Firefighters and officers do not have that luxury. We are responsible for having a heightened sense of alertness, continually assessing the hazards, perceived hazards, and challenges we may face at a moment’s notice. Locating, identifying, and assessing our abandoned or vacant buildings must become a priority. These challenges are ever-present and most likely to increase over time. Don’t get caught off guard. Have a plan, share it with the troops, and train on it until it becomes second nature.
Aaron J. Heller, a 37-year veteran of the fire service, retired as deputy chief of the Hamilton (NJ) Fire Department, where he oversaw the training division. He is a NJ Level 2 instructor, fire official, and EMT. Heller instructs and has been a presenter at several national, regional, and local training events throughout the United States and abroad.
