The After Action Review: Post-Incident Size-Up

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The size-up is for all intents and purposes, our game plan or battle plan, if you will, against the structure we are working at. The size-up is where firefighters and fire officers gather information in order to make safe, efficient, and effective fire ground decisions. Fire ground decision making, as we know, is meant to be quick, but with an emphasis on safety and ensuring the tactics are done efficiently and effectively.

One aspect we do not stress enough is the fact we do not consider the culmination of the incident. After fire command is terminated and all units are back in quarters and in service. We must remember the pre-planning is not over just because we cleared the incident and everyone is back in the station and safe. This is where the add-value work is put into place and now it is time for the after-action review or post-incident size-up.

During the after-action review (AAR), firefighters and fire officers can discuss and share information obtained from the alarm and also discuss the success and failures they have experienced during the alarm. This is a time to ask a few question:

• What did we expect to happen?

• What actually occurred?

• What went well and why?

• What can we improve upon and how?

The benefit of asking these questions allow for strengths to be easily identifiable making it easier to uncover areas of weakness. By uncovering areas of weakness, you can develop ways to improve them! If you do not identify what went wrong, how could you ever expect to improve? On the contrary, if you do not understand what went right and why, duplicating that same success in the future will not be easy. Ensure necessary changes discussed in the AAR are implemented sooner than later as the longer it is on hold, the greater the likelihood of any changes being implemented diminish.

The size-up as a whole is a valuable step by step process for all firefighters, to obtain knowledge of their response district, riding assignments, and strategy and tactic implementation. By beginning this process formally or informally early on, it will allow for continual growth for each firefighter and fire officer. The key to success as an individual and team is to get ahead of the game and prevent ourselves from being reactive, rather proactive.

Until next time, work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

 

When to Detach from the Plan

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In theory, our strategies and tactics for our incident action plan are developed based on our 360-degree size-up. In reality, our strategies and tactics of our incident action plan are developed based on many variables - the pre-incident size-up, the alarm size-up, the on-scene size-up and the post-incident (after action review) size-up. All these variables are covered in chapter 3 of my book, "The 5-Tool Firefighter" in greater detail. For purposes of this article, I am highlighting them for other purposes.

The pre-incident size-up

 The pre-incident size-up is the first and best place to begin putting our IAP together by collecting as much important and relevant information of the structure as we possibly can and therefore beginning to build our "gameplans" and try them out in training. During this size-up, we can locate and note the following:

  1. Construction type

  2. Interior space size

  3. Containment areas

  4. Stairwells and elevators

  5. FDC hookups

  6. Solar Panels

Note: variables change based on the type of construction and type of occupancy you are pre-planning. These six items are only a sample of what we could look to identify during a pre-planning.

The alarm size-up

During the alarm size-up this is where firefighters and fire officers should start considering the variables taken during the pre-incident size-up. On the way to the alarm, things to look into are as follows:

  1. Location of the structure

  2. Type of occupancy

  3. Current apparatus staffing

  4. Weather conditions and time of day (loosely)

  5. Apparatus placement (think water supply/aerial operations)

These areas will lead into building the strategies and tactics for our IAP for this particular alarm. Now comes the on-scene.

The on-scene size-up

This is where the pre-planning and alarm size-ups are put to work. All our work identifying key areas of consideration and training are now put to the test. In reality, it is where we are provided with much more information specific to the alarm, confirming our variables during the alarm size-up, such as building construction, type of occupancy and location.

 Here is where more in-depth size-ups will take place not only at the command level but at each company level. Firefighters of truck and engine companies will now begin going inside the structure and taking note of the area under a different light and different conditions and relaying their findings back to the incident commander. This information being done at the company level will now allow the IC (incident commander) to make fire ground decisions that’s are prioritized for a safe and efficient outcome. This process continues until command is terminated.

Post-incident size-up

Once we've returned to the station and cleared up, it is imperative that we begin to discuss what went right and wrong on the incident, no matter the severity of the incident. This helps firefighter and fire officers strive to improve on their strengths and weaknesses of their job and strive to be as successful as possible.

Things to consider:

  1. What did we expect to happen?

  2. What actually happened?

  3. What went well and why?

  4. What can we improve upon and how? 

Looking at these four areas of size-up, we need to understand one thing. Our incident action plan that is designed to assist is can also hurt us. Well, how is that possible? We have pre-planned, sized-up on alarms, trained on scenarios for this type of occupancy, we did everything? What would hurt us?

What could hurt us is by sticking to the script of the IAP. What do I mean by that? Unforeseen circumstances and confirmation bias.

The outcome of the incident is initiated in our thought process before we develop any strategies or tactics of the incident. In order to develop strategies and tactics we first must identify our outcome. Makes total sense right? We cannot plan for an outcome we do not have in mind.

Our confirmation bias also agrees but here is the caveat. We cannot identify areas of concern if we simply go off an incident action plan without detaching ourselves from the plan for a moment. Meaning, we use our IAP as a guide but also take the time to look around for key areas that we are predisposed to instantly ignore.

Here is an example. 

We prepare our alarm size-up and look at the time of day. For example, Engine 2 is responding to a fire alarm activation at 234 Sesame Street on a Tuesday at roughly 1400 hours. It is a 2-story residential wood frame structure and normally at this time the family is either working and/or at school. 

Initially we are thinking this could be a faulty smoke detector activation or maybe someone is home and it's burnt food on the stove. However, upon arrival we see no signs of "life" at the residence. There are no cars in the driveway or at the curb and no homeowner waiting for us. Right here, our confirmation has proven correct. No one is home and a faulty detector went off. 

We immediately considered that because of the time of day with no activity at home upon arrival and the lack of cars visible to us, it must appear no one is home. 

Now let's detach from that mindset for a moment. 

We automatically assumed based on the time of day and day of week no one would be home however, that simply cannot be the case. To overcome confirmation bias, we need to loosely take time of day into account and assume every response has occupants on scene. Having a rough idea of who might be home is good to have but it cannot be written in stone and here's why. 

A residential structure could with an attached or detached garage could have the homeowner’s car parked inside (off-day or working from home) or the car could be for all intents and purposes, at a shop getting work done.  

To go further into the example here is more details. The engine company officer decides to DETACH from the initial mindset and dispatch and peak around the exterior of the structure that has a 6-foot privacy fence around the side yard and into the backyard and notices black smoke coming from the basement windows on the "C" side (Charlie side ) of the structure after entering through the fence gate. 

We've identified two areas of concern here. One, we disregarded the confirmation bias of time of day that the potential of no one is home and we identified an unforeseen circumstance based on the initial dispatch of the alarm.  

By detaching from the plan for a moment and taking a step back to question and prove out your initial mindset can oftentimes be the difference between a reactive approach or a proactive approach. The IAP is a great tool to have although we must ensure we are always critically thinking on scene and not simply going through the motions.

Until next time - work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

The Size-Up

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Let’s Talk Size Up! 

Talk. If you just talk is anyone listening? Well, they should be. But if you don’t send the message properly, not only will they not listen, but they will also not get the picture you are painting. So, what is size up? To me, it is much more than just talk. It is giving others the image you are seeing right now. It is giving them vital information about whatever the incident is at hand. Let’s just base this conversation on House fires. What are you looking for? Is it just the building? NOPE! There is so much more. What is the exterior telling you about the possible battles you may face? I recently read a post from OJ Kolodziej, a Fire Captain from Birmingham AL and the owner at Magic City Truck Academy, a Fire based training company similar to mine. If you don’t follow him, you should!  But he made a recent post on size up. It was a short post about vehicle size up at a house fire!  Yup vehicle size up. This simple method will help you find clues of what may be inside this home.  How? Glad ya asked, look into that vehicle instead of running past it!! Well, if you have a visible victim then yeah go past it. For the sake of this article, there are no visible victims. Look at the car, are there any car seats or booster seats, how many? What are the license plates? Handicap, or is there a handicap tag hanging on the mirror? What is the general condition of the car? Is it in shambles and full of stuff and things, this may give insight of the interior of the home. Is the hood warm? What does the back window have for stick figure stickers?? A vehicle can tell you a lot!  


Photo by Ryan Johnston, training burn Greenville Maine 

Now we have looked at the vehicle, what does the door yard look like? SQUIRREL!! Did you notice I didn’t talk about time of day? Yeah, I’m not going to. Now several years ago I might have. But as our world changes so does our size up factors. The lack of or having a vehicle in the driveway at any point day or night is not really a reason (in my opinion) to search more or less. Today’s culture has taught me that it doesn’t matter what time of day it or if a vehicle is present or not that I should not base my search on either of these items. They may direct me towards a targeted search, but not swaying my decision to search. With COVID and just the amount of people working from home, we are likely going to find victims regardless of the time of day.  

OK back to my original thought. You have taken note of the vehicle, and you are likely doing a 360.  What are you seeing? Building type, number of floors, is there the same number of floors in the front as there are in the rear? What are you smelling? What are the conditions? Smoke, Fire,  Nothing? If you do have smoke or fire, from where and how much? You can even get into the smoke volume, color, speed and density. Do you know what your water source is going to be?  What mode of attack will you be in? Offensive, Defensive, Investigation? Once you announce this info over the radio to the incoming units establish command. I am the worst person for a stationary command, but it is important. So, announce the location of command, rely on you officer staff to relay pertinent information to you as needed and once a command post is established stay there, if possible, see what I did there? In the fire service Never and Always are two bad words. The thing about size up is that it is always on going. As the incident changes the resources that you may need or not need changes. I try to reassess the incident every 10 to 15 minutes in the first hour.  After that the incident will dictate my time line. This article is no means the end all to size up. It is  just some of the things I do. Hopefully this will trigger you to look at how you size up your fires and  as always, if you have any questions or comments please reach out! I really enjoy it when we have  feedback, I learn so much from all of you, either when I am out strutting or if it is through this article sparking conversations. SO, how do you size up?  

Ryan Johnston

Owner, Maine-Iac Training

www.maineiactraining.org

ryan@maineiactraining.org

Dangers of College Rental Properties

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Having a college in your response area can be a source of frustration and try one’s patience. For many new college students this is their first time living on their own and fending for themselves. This often brings an increase in nuisance alarms, medical calls following the first big campus party and a host of other calls for service. However, as trying as it may be, it is important not to become complacent. In a study published by the U.S. Fire Administration it was found 94% of fatal campus fires took place in off-campus housing. This is an alarming statistic we should be aware of. As the cost for college continues to increase more and more students will look to live off campus to save money. Knowing the common dangers found in off campus housing and the tactical considerations to take when responding to emergencies at these locations is critical for any department that has a college in their response area.

Typically, off campus housing owned by the college are required by either local or state building codes to have a higher level of fire protection. This is also true for privately owned rentals that are either listed as college rentals or multiple dwellings. The most dangerous of the off-campus housing are the privately owned rentals that “fly under the radar” of local building departments. The legality of these occupancies varies based on the authority having jurisdiction as well as local and state building codes. These rental properties are usually close to campus and were once privately owned single-family homes. Due to this, these occupancies are rented as a single-family rental. The rental agreement is signed by one individual, but in reality, a group of individuals live in this rental and share the cost. Yet, as far as any documentation shows it is a single person renting a single-family home. This is how these occupancies “fly under the radar” and are not required to have the same level of fire protection as would an occupancy listed as a multiple dwelling.

The traditional ways one can identify a multiple dwelling from the exterior does not hold true in identifying these off-campus houses. These are often single-family homes and are kept to look that way from the outside. They have one meter as opposed to multiple meters, which ordinarily could have been used to determine how many apartments maybe present. The amount of cars present could signify how many people live at the location. However, because these occupancies were once single-family homes there often is not the space to park more than two vehicles. The number of vehicles may also be limited per the rental agreement, street parking regulations or just the simple fact that many college students do not have their own car. The photo below is of a college rental that on paper is a single-family rental. In 2021 it had 15 college students living in it.

On the inside of these residences the layout may remain similar to its original design or be completely changed to accommodate more individuals. One of these common changes is making living spaces that would normally be a dining room or sitting area into bedrooms. This might be done by placing temporary wall partitions or like in the photo below, simply hanging a large curtain. This is important to note because at 2am bypassing the dining room to head directly to the second floor to search bedrooms might have you passing a bedroom.

Bedrooms or rooms with doors tend to be created into single room occupancies (SROs). Each SRO will have an individual lock and could house multiple renters in a tight space. Often, each of these doors will have a hasp on the interior and exterior of the door and a padlock is used. When a renter leaves, they place the lock on the outside, when they are home, they can place it on the interior hasp. Land lords do it this way for cost saving reasons as well as to make it easy on the land lord when renters change. In the middle of the night during an emergency it is going to be very difficult for occupants to find a key and then open the door increasing the likelihood of trapped victims. Crews should also consider taking the appropriate forcible entry tools because doors in most home that would be unlocked will need to be forced in these occupancies.

In this particular building the front door had a keyed lock on the inside which if engaged could inhibit occupant egress. The occupant’s ability to evacuate is a major issue in these rentals. Looking back at the exterior photo of the building the third floor has no second means of egress leaving only a very narrow interior staircase to get up and down. This staircase is also challenging for crews to ascend to complete searches or get a hose line in place.

Common areas are often overloaded with furniture in what many would consider abnormal configurations. Clutter is also a major issue. Packing so many people into small spaces it is almost impossible to avoid. Below are a few examples of conditions found in these rentals. In the first you can see a living room packed with couches. During the week they are pushed together to allow for easier travel between rooms, but over the weekends and at night they are spread out and block entrances in and out of different rooms to allow people to congregate and sit. The next photo shows a bedroom that has not only a bed, but a couch coffee table and dresser all packed into the room. This is a common setup in these bedrooms.

The third picture is of one of the SRO bedrooms. As you can see it is packed with stuff. Another thing to note is the amount of electronics plugged in. Here we see an AC unit, mini fridge, TV, and fan. Multiple this by however many bedrooms there are, and we have a huge electrical hazard. Many of these rental properties are older homes and do not have updated electrical systems or service this is something to keep in mind when going on investigations in these types of properties. Areas like kitchens and bathrooms generally remain unchanged and are shared amongst the renters, but again can be cluttered and unkept. All of which makes searching and advancing handlines more difficult.

Another thing to note is within these rentals there is usually a locked area which is the landlord’s space that the renters do not have access to. Typically, this is the basement or utility rooms. This allows the landlord to have storage space as well as keeps tenants from being able to access the buildings utilities. This being said, gaining access to the building’s utilities may not be easy and interior doors leading to the basement, attic or utility rooms may be locked and have a higher level of security than one would expect. Taking all of this into account is important when responding to incidents at these occupancies. Being aware of the obstacles one might encounter on the interior not only increases firefighter safety, but more importantly civilian survivability. Knowing you will encounter multiple locked interior doors, atypical layouts and high life hazards are all important in making tactical fireground considerations.

William Morrissey has 14 years of fire service experience and is a career firefighter with the Arlington Fire District (NY). He began his career as a volunteer with the Washingtonville (NY) Fire Department. Morrissey is NY State Fire Instructor and New York State certified code enforcement official and has a bachelors is psychology.

TIC Differences

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If you wanted to look at planets in the night sky, would you use the binoculars you take on a hike for looking at wildlife? Probably not. You would use a telescope so you could see as much detail as possible. You would pick the right tool for the right job. 

This is a picture I took during training to show the difference between two thermal imaging cameras. Which one do you want in your hand when operating on the fire ground? I'd actually want both in with the crew but how and when each one is used will depend on the task. The camera on the left is a situational awareness TIC that can be used to locate fire or egress points. It has a lower resolution and a slower processor. I tend to think of them as a "personal" TIC because they are smaller and can be used in a pinch. The camera on the right is a decision making TIC that can be used to search and for tactical, strategic decision making. It has a higher resolution and a faster processor. I tend to think of these as an "officer" TIC because they provide more information in order to direct a crew's efforts. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the TIC on the left, but you have to utilize the correct camera for the task at hand. They are different tools for different jobs. 

Train with your TICs in different environments and, if possible, realistic temperature conditions. They will operate in different resolution modes and temperature scales depending on the temperature of the environment and it's important to understand how the TIC will react. Know what the icons on the screen are telling you. Understand the color palettes (ignore the spot temp) so you think of temperatures in terms of colors and react accordingly. Also work on your scanning speed and pattern to help prevent lag and optimize how you collect. Make sure you understand the limitations AND advantages of the TICs you use so you can do your job the best way possible. 

Be Smart - Stay Safe!

Food Trucks and Firefighting Concerns

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For decades food trucks and food carts have been service food to people on street corners, carnivals and events all around the world. In today's world, food trucks and food carts are popping up everywhere. From birthday parties to school and work functions you name it and a food truck is probably there serving food. These carts or trucks are known as Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles or MFPV for short. Some are trucks designed to house a kitchen setup and others are trailers pulled by a truck or SUV. Either way both serve the same purpose, preparing food for customers.

 

These trucks provide a unique set of challenges for firefighters and provide a few hazards that commonly scene when fighting vehicle fires.

 

We are very well aware that cooking is the leading cause of accidental fires in the United States with respect to residential fires. With respect to commercial occupancies, these structures are more well equipped to handle the potential of an accidental mishap in the kitchen. Commercial kitchens mitigate the risk through hood suppression systems over their cooking appliances such as ovens, burners and grills. The same goes for MFPVs…but not exactly.

 

The newly designed, custom-built food trucks will be equipped with hood suppressions systems however the older retro-converted trucks may not be as equipped. Making the workers not as fortunate should an accidental kitchen fire breakout. In all cases, all MFPVs will be equipped with portable fire extinguishers to suppress kitchen fires from grease, fat and cooking oils.

 Propane Tanks

The most significant risk of fires to MFPVs are propane tanks. According to the NFPA, 68% of food truck fires are related to leaks or failures in the propane tanks themselves. Propane is used in various ways with respect to food trucks. For one, they're used as fuel for cooking and possibly refrigeration.

 

While propane is generally safe to cook with, a small 20-pound cylinder on a backyard grill has the explosive equivalent to 170 sticks of dynamite. MFPVs can carry around 100-pounds of propane cylinders at a time in order to be efficient and produce food services to customers. One hundred pounds of propane is capable of producing more than 2.6 million BTUs (British Thermal Units). One food truck carrying that amount of propane can generate 6 times more energy from an exploding propane tank than a backyard grill using a 20-pound propane tank.

 

Since these trucks are constantly moving from place to place, the risk of a propane failure can increase. This is due to the trucks driving on bumpy terrain or hitting potholes. Both of which can loosen the connections and fittings or cause structural damage to the tank. With respect to air, propane is heavier. In fact, propane is 1.55 times heavier than air which causes it to sink. Thus, causing a pooling effect near the floor should a tank leak. Because of this, a single spark from the cooking appliances has the potential to ignite the gas.

 

Many trucks carry spare tanks or have their current tank fitted to the outside of their MFPV which decreases the risk of leaks inside the unit. The risk this does carry is tank explosions from minor collisions on the roadway or single vehicle accidents.

 Generators

Older MFPVs are more likely to pose a risk with the use of portable generators. These are used to run electricity to the truck. Older MFPV's or converted ones could possibly lack the proper ventilation of the off gases from the generators which raise the risk of carbon monoxide emergencies in the mobile unit. 

 Past Incident

On July 1, 2014, in the Feltonville neighborhood of Philadelphia, a leaking propane tank ignited and exploded. The truck operator and her daughter were severely burned and died three weeks later. An additional 10 others were injured as a result of the blast.

 

Since then, the NFPA has made changes to NFPA 1 and NFPA 96. The leaders at the NFPA concluded that an easily adopted national standard would go a long way in increasing the number of communities with comprehensive food truck safety regulations.

 

These standards and changes can be found at the links below:

 

https://www.nfpa.org/news-and-research/publications-and-media/blogs-landing-page/nfpa-today/blog-posts/2018/11/21/nfpa-1-requirements-for-commercial-cooking-equipment-and-updates-from-nfpa-96-firecodefridays-wednesday-edition

 

https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=96

 

Until next time; work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

Vacant Building Proposal: Good or Bad?

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On February 22, 2022, the Baltimore Sun released an article regarding a city Councilwomen who wants to issue rules for entering vacant homes and firefighters to wear body cameras. Last month the city of Baltimore saw one of the deadliest fires to firefighters in the city's history. The fire at 205 S. Stricker Street claimed the lives of three firefighters when the building collapsed. In the wake of that incident, the proposal from the councilwomen came to life.

Firefighter social media had plenty of conversations regarding this, and I'm here to give my opinion on it. First, what is the actual proposal? The bill will prohibit city firefighters from entering any "vacant" building if the fire has consumed 25% of the building. It also states firefighters could only enter the "vacant" building if the department confirms a victim is inside and a safe entry can be made. Firefighters are prohibited from entering a collapsed structure unless someone's life is in immediate danger. Lastly, it mentions a requirement for firefighters to wear an audio/video recording device to be used at the scene of fires.

So, there is a lot to take away from this proposal, and I'll break it down using my opinion, starting with the 25% rule. My first question here is, who calculates the 25%? Is it the first arriving unit? In that case, I feel it's relatively simple always to say, "fire has consumed 20%" if we're going merely off a size up, who is going to stop you? 25% of a building is not a lot, which means ¾ of the building does not have visible fire and could easily be accessed for an interior operation. It mentions that firefighters may enter if there is confirmation of a victim and it's safe to enter. Victims aren't always at the windows saying they need help; to find all victims, you have to search; to do that, you have to enter the building. Buildings should be considered occupied until proven otherwise, especially when it comes to vacant buildings in an area such as Baltimore.

I'm torn when it comes to firefighters' audio/video devices. I feel it can easily benefit firefighters for training purposes. It can also help with investigations; god forbid something goes wrong. However, the public trusts the fire department, and they may not want firefighters recording inside their homes. Two things to take away from that, 1) the bill says it will be for fires only, so maybe that does not include your familiar smells and bells where you would get a good visual of the interior of someone's home. 2) Many firefighters already tend to have cameras on their helmets or turnout gear, so would this make a difference? It all comes down to how it is written in the proposal. If lawmakers can convince the community that they won't be using the footage for anything else rather than fires, you may not get any negative feedback.

Firefighters take an oath to protect life and property. Although I honestly feel or at least hope this proposal comes with the best intentions to protect firefighters, it contradicts the job these men and women were hired to do. This article is my opinion only, and I'm not here to bash anyone or say what's wrong or right. I like this to start good conversations. Conversations are great for the fire service. If you'd like to discuss it feel free to contact me, I love hearing from readers and fellow firefighters! My contact info is below. 

Instagram @firemantom193

Twitter @MarchianoTom

 

The Importance of Fire Behavior

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It has been said time and time again, "You can never train too much for a job that can kill you." As we are aware, firefighting has many aspects to it. Many of these are common to every fire department, no matter their location, size, or status (career or volunteer). Other aspects are specialized areas that not all departments focus on or specialize in, such as medical, hazardous materials or technical rescue. In any case, having a sound basis in the area of “firematics” is a steppingstone to success for yourself and for your crew. We will briefly touch on key areas every firefighter should have a sound understanding and strong knowledge of. Many of these areas are touched on briefly in probationary/training school and then oftentimes, pushed aside once graduated. However, these areas are the core foundation for everything we do as firefighters and lay the groundwork for everything else we do on the fire ground. The skills of understanding these concepts, terminology and definitions is in fact, simple in theory. The difficult area is understanding the strategies and tactics behind them in order to implement those them. All good leaders and firefighters must understand these core areas of which everything else it built from. 

The areas I would like to briefly touch upon are building construction, fire behavior, reading smoke and size-up.

Building Construction

In the American Fire Service, there are five and oftentimes six different types of building construction however this may be different in various parts of the world based on the materials used to build structures. As firefighters, it is imperative that we know our enemy and know everything we can about it. Without having at least an understanding of our enemy, it becomes difficult to defeat it. In most every one of our cases, the enemy is the building structure. In order to be a successful firefighter in any capacity, on any apparatus, in any area, understanding and having a solid foundation of building construction knowledge is vital. Just as a world-class fighter study their opponent in the months leading up to a fight, us as firefighter MUST study our buildings in our areas, so we too are prepared to fight…and WIN. 

The most vital piece of information I can provide here is simple. It makes a difference in knowing the different type of structures and how to identify the differences however, what make it even more important is the ability to identify the types and how thewy will react under fire conditions while in the moment! This leads us to fire behavior. 

Fire Behavior

Fire behavior is the foundation on which all firefighter knowledge is built upon. Moreover it is our understanding of fire behavior from which we can gain an understanding of fire and how to suppress it properly. The lack of fire behavior knowledge creates an even greater risk for serious injury or death. Understanding fire behavior is truly being able to operate as a firefighter. The understanding of fire behavior is the basis for understanding fire suppression and the understanding how to properly perform other tactics such as ventilation, forcible entry on some occasions and overhaul.

As society changes or in many cases evolves, so does fire behavior. The reasoning behind this is simple - the introduction and presence of synthetic materials (also known as plastics). These materials in their solid form are petroleum- based products, therefore producing an increase in the output of thermal energy. This reasoning alone is a cause for a more rapidly spreading fire regardless of the type of structure it is in. More so than not, it is causing our enemy (the building) to have more fuel to hurt us. To understand fire behavior, it is important to understand the phases that come a long with it and it’sattributes – ignition, growth, full developed (flashover is present) and decay (back draft is likely). To understand these areas takes years of studying and training to become proficient but have the basic concepts down is a great start to proficiency in fire behavior for firefighters of all levels and experience.

With fire comes smoke. 

Reading Smoke 

An important aspect on the fireground for many reasons is understanding smoke and smoke behavior. Many clues from the smoke alone can help identify the location and status of the fire. Command and company officers, as well as firefighters, need to be able to read and interpret all of the clues while conducting their size-up upon arrival and throughout the incident.  

Here are some clues to take into consideration: potential fuel, density, color, velocity, and volume. 

Smoke is fuel. In today's world and the modern-day fire service, the products of combustion are highly toxic, flammable and potentially explosive. The smoke’s chemical composition is different at each fire due to the different fuel sources yet, one thing remains the same; smoke contains high levels of carbon monoxide.

Density identifies the thickness of the smoke, it’s level of energy and if there is a potential for a flashover or for fire spread. 

Color tells you how flammable the smoke is and what is burning.

Velocity tells us how fast or slow the smoke is moving and by doing so helps determine the location and its flow path. 

Volume on the other hand doesn’t speak to firefighters about smoke or fire but it does give firefighters the amount of fuel that is burning. By knowing how much fuel is burning, provides insight to the size and intensity of the incident.

Understanding smoke provides the fundamentals for reading and identifying changes in fire and smoke conditions in the interior or exterior of a structure, along with identifying and possibly preventing flashover or fire spread. 

Size-Up

The size-up is for all intents and purposes, our game plan or battle plan, if you will, against the structure we are working at. The size-up is where firefighters and fire officers gather information in order to make safe, efficient, and effective fireground decisions. Fireground decision making, as we know, is meant to be quick, but with an emphasis on safety and ensuring the tactics are done efficiently and effectively. This is done in three phases; the pre-incident size-up, the on-scene size-up and the after action review. All three of these have their purposes.

Pre-incident size-up allows firefighters to gather as much information as we can about the structure and in contents inside and helps guide our on-scene strategies and tactics. 

On-scene size-up is where firefighters utilize our pre-incident size-up and put it to work. This size-up is where more information is provided specific to the incident and can now confirm our findings from the pre-incident size-up. Further, this is where company operations are assigned and take place.

 After-action-review is the final stage in the pre-planning process. This is the time for firefighters and officers to discuss and share the information obtained and to discuss the success and failures experienced at the incident. It is also a time to ask a few key questions. 

• What did we expect to happen?

• What actually occurred?

• What went well and why?

• What can we improve upon and how?

The benefit of asking these questions allow for strengths to be easily identifiable and make it easier to uncover areas of weakness. By uncovering areas of weakness, you can develop ways to improve them! 

In closing, I’d like to leave you with this piece of advice. If we think of firematics as an orchestra and each piece getting broken down into sections, we can identify each area as its own unique piece yet, an integral piece to the orchestra as a whole. With practice, each section sounds in harmony and sync with one another, but without practice or even a section missing, the harmony and synchronization doesn’t happen. This is the same for firematics, you cannot have one without the others.

For further information on these topics, you can refer to my book, “The 5-Tool Firefighter” where these concepts are laid out in greater detail along with other areas of interest to guide all firefighters on their journey to success.

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired.

 

 

Solar Panels: A New Addition to Today’s Fire Service Enemy

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In a 24 hour period the sun produces enough energy to supply our planet for over four years. That’s 1,460 days of solar energy the planet received in just 24 hours. Solar energy is everywhere and the advancements in it are growing and for many reasons. It's renewable, pollution free and cuts costs of other energy sources. What's this mean for firefighters? Well it means a lot. Solar panels are popping up all over buildings and on plots of land like never before. We're noticing this by a simple placard found on the commercial structures that are now using solar energy with the letters "PV" on it. 

 “PV" which stands for photovoltaic is the method of converting solar energy into direct current electricity (DC) using semiconducting materials that exhibit the "photovoltaic effect". The "P" which stands for photo (light) and the "V" which stands for voltaic (electricity), this of which it bears its name. The PV effect is the creation of voltage or electric current in a material when exposed to light. 

In today's society, solar panels are everywhere just like truss construction is everywhere. Thus creating a need for firefighters to be aware of the dangers and understand how to attack fires with PV systems. 

For firefighters to be safe and operate efficiently on the fireground, there are a few critical steps we must take to ensure the solar panels are accounted for and in check. Do not begin fire suppression until these first 2 steps have been completed.

  • 360 Size-up: This is a no-brainer. By performing a 360 size-up upon arrival, firefighters are able to possibly locate the panels or the energy storage system (ESS) if the panels are on the roof or an area without access to at the time. Most of the time depending on jurisdictional building codes, the ESS panels are located on the exterior of the structure normally near the utilities, the garage or the basement, should the structure have one.

  • Treat this as an electrical fire and turn off the systems starting with the utility grid. The main breaker box will activate the backup battery and run the risk of electrical shock to interior firefighters in the structure. If the battery is located in a confined space in the structure and exposed to heat above 150 degrees Fahrenheit, it is imperative that ventilation of that space begins.

Once the size-up has taken place with the panels and/or ESS located along with fire suppression taking place, ventilations needs to begin. However, firefighters and command need to understand that if the panels are located on the roof and are burning, there is a potential for collapse based on the volume of fire around the panels and on the roof. 

 When performing ventilation, especially vertical ventilation, firefighters must recognize that electricity is being produced by the panels 24 hours a day. 

  • Once these steps have taken place, fire suppression can now continue. As a safety precaution, firefighters should try and extinguish the fire at a minimum of 20 feet away when using a straight stream or a minimum of 5 feet when using a fog pattern.

  • After the fire has been knocked, overhaul can begin - carefully.

Panel safety

Firefighters should be careful not to touch any of the panels in case of any damage done to them during the fire. Instead, firefighters should cover the panels with canvas tarps, especially at night due to no sunlight exposure to them. The reason panels should be covered during night operations is due to the wires running through the conduit to the charge controller or inverter which continues providing the panels power. 

Battery safety

If the battery was the source of the fire, continual water flow to the extinguished battery is important to keep the battery cool and from the possibility of obtaining a chemical reaction causing a thermal runaway. Should a thermal runaway occur, the temperature inside the battery will reach the point that causes a chemical reaction inside the battery. This reaction produces more heat and drives the temperature of the battery higher, causing further chemical reactions and more heat. In thermal runaway, the battery cell temperature will rise in milliseconds and release suddenly. The chain reaction will reach temperatures of around 752 degrees Fahrenheit and produce gassing of the battery along with fire. 

Burns tests have shown that lithium-ion batteries can produce these chemical reactions 72 hours after extinguishment. 

 As technology changes, firefighters need to be educated and trained on all of the new advancements in the market today. By doing so, firefighters can continue to develop a proactive approach to new technology when responding to incidents. Solar panels may not be completely new to us but the growth of them in residential and commercial structures has rapidly increased over the years. Today, it is nearly impossible to not catch a glimpse of solar panels on almost every street across the country. Stay diligent to the advancements in the world and continue to keep training and getting after it.

 Until next time; work hard, stay safe & live inspired.

 

Fire Fact

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According to studies, wood burns at 1,880 degrees Fahrenheit which is one degree hotter than gasoline which burns at 1,879 degrees Fahrenheit yet is much less than methanol also known as “wood alcohol” which burns at 2,190 degrees Fahrenheit; 310 degrees hotter than wood but in a normal atmosphere most materials will burn near the same temperature. (Source: NFPA 921, 2014 ed. Table 5.6.5.1.)

In a controlled setting this will stand true since burn times for each of these are vastly different as well as the heat release rate that is being produce by these as well. Temperatures are good to know but also knowing that the more the products of combustion in the room (their respective temperatures will still be produced) the greater the HRR and the greater fire flow needed.

That’s your fire tip of the week! For more on HRR and fire flow check out our article "Importance of Fire Flow in Today's Fire Service" on why an increased fire flow plays a tremendous part in cooling the products of combustion in today’s rapidly changing society.

Understand a Backdraft

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In today’s society firefighters are responding to fires during the later stage of the fully developed stage or at beginning of the decaying stage of fire. This is to no fault of our own, in which multiple factors go into this such as time of day, traffic, faulty fire alarms systems or lack thereof, etc., but understanding the risk of responding to fires as this stage and the vital role we play by knowing fire behavior and knowing the effects of what happens at each stage of fire growth. In this stage, we as firefighters are at an inherent risk of responding to confined fires deprived of oxygen and without proper ventilation and coordination, we are adding to the problem rather than making it better. One of the biggest risk we run into is called a backdraft. A backdraft, also known as a smoke explosion NFPA 921: Guide for Fire & Explosion Investigations, 2011 Edition as, “A deflagration resulting from the sudden introduction of air into a confined space containing oxygen-deficient products of incomplete combustion.” 

So let’s talk now about the science of a backdraft. In decaying stage burning is incomplete because of the lack of oxygen feeding the fire, causing the fire to smolder or burn out. Nonetheless, the heat released from the fully developed state still remains and all flammable products of combustion are waiting for an introduction to oxygen so they can instantaneously combust in the room. We as trained firefighters can prevent this act from happening through proper ventilation. By doing so properly and in a timely manner, the upper areas in the room will be cleared from smoke and unburned gases which is done at the highest point possible. Coincidentally, if this is improperly done, the same unburned gases and other products of combustion are now at a higher risk to instantaneously combust once oxygen is introduced to the room causing a devastating effect on the structure and those in and around it. It is to be known that it only takes 25% of the space in a room or fire area to cause a backdraft to occur. 
With this being said there are certain warning signs that can be seen to indicate if a backdraft appears emanate:

• Black smoke becoming dense, greyish yellow

• Confinement and excessive heat

• Little or no visible flame

• Smoke leaving the building in puffs and being drawn back in

• Smoke stained and/or rattling windows

• Muffled sounds

• Sudden, rapid movement of air and smoke inward when an opening is made
Now that we have discussed the science of a backdraft, let us now discuss how we can safely manage this type of situation.

Ventilation

Vertical ventilation is possibly the best and most effective method of venting a structure showing signs of a backdraft. This will allow for the superheated gases to escape without introducing an excessive amount of oxygen into the structure. Should an explosion still occur during vertical vent, the force will be directed up and away from the vent crew that created the opening (roof cuts, skylight pops, etc.). Should vertical ventilation not be possible for us, horizontal ventilation is a consideration. This could be done using pike poles 6 feet or greater and positioning yourself near the corner of the building and moving all companies out of the “hot zone” or collapse zone. 

Quenching

Another method would be to quench the gases. This is done before we enter the room where the superheated gases were present. A few short blasts of water to the ceiling (also known as penciling) will provide enough cooling to stop an explosion from occurring. By doing this, we are controlling the heat release rate (HHR) and if we can control the heat release rate we can control the fire. 

Flanking

If vertical vent and quenching not be an option, we could consider flanking the fire. To flank the fire, we should position engine company crews at the sides of the doorway and cool the room (compartment) with their hose streams. When doing this, make sure to not cross hose streams and take note of the windows in the room, if possible. A psi pressure of a mere 0.5 will blow windows out.  

Let’s all take this and answer these questions next time we are working on the fire ground.

What do you see upon arrival as the initial Incident Commander or first due Engine Company? 

What significance do these observations tell us about the fire conditions?

What's is the smoke telling us? 

What would be your actions?

Until next time; work hard, stay safe and live inspired.  

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.

The Halligan & its Mechanical Advantages for Forcible Entry

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The most used and go to tool in the fire service as we all know is the Halligan. The Halligan as we know is used for “everything” from forcing a door to searching a room, making purchase points in vehicle extrication to wall breaches and clearing windows for ventilation or a possible egress. You name it and a Halligan bar will probably be a tool of choice for any job on the fire ground, if not the tool of choice. Every apparatus has one or more on them for a reason, so it’s best we know not only what it’s used for but also know the bar.

Being able to use a Halligan for multiple purposes on the fire ground is wonderful but knowing the dimensions of the Halligan can offer firefighters more of an advantage when using the tool especially during forcible entry.  

But first let’s start with the bar’s history.

The Halligan was invented by Deputy Chief Hugh A. Halligan of the FDNY in the 1940s. Hugh Halligan was first appointed chief of the FDNY on June 16, 1916. Prior to the Halligan, the tools of choice or its predecessors as we could call it were the Claw tool and the Kelly tool. The Claw tool was considered one of the FDNY’s first forcible entry tools. The downside to this tool was its weight and the off-centered striking surface that made it dangerous for the firefighter holding the tool as it was being driven into a door.

The next tool was choice was the Kelly tool which was developed by the then captain of Ladder Company 163, John Kelly. Unlike the Claw tool, the Kelly tools striking surface was inline with the bar and had a 90 degree flat surface (adze end). Similarly to Claw tool, the Kelly tool was also welded and still heavy and due to both tools specific advantages, both were to be used during fire ground operations.

This is where Chief Halligan came in and wanted to develop a tool that could be held in one hand, wouldn’t break or crack and would not fatigue a firefighter while using it. This was the birth of the Halligan bar. The bar was made of cross-drop forged from one piece of No. 4140 high carbon content steel. As soon as the tool was available on the market it was a huge success that the Boston Fire Department was one of the first departments to place a Halligan bar on every ladder company in the department.

Today most of us use the modern take on the Halligan or the Pro Bar as it is called, which is the one tool that has stayed most true to original specs of the Halligan bar. It is fabricated from one piece of drop forged steel and measures 30 inches in length. The forks have a tapered V shape of space between them along with a gradual curve for leverage when prying. The adze end and pick also have a gradual curve for more of an advantage as well.

The dimensions of the Halligan bar

A standard Halligan is 30 inches in overall length. It consists of an adze end, a pick and a fork (or claw). The fork is 6 inches in length and the crotch of the fork is 5 inches – this is key for conventional forcible entry. The adze end is also 6 inches in length and 2 inches wide. The pick is 6 inches in length and the adze/pick triangle is 5 inches tall.  

Now that we know the dimensions of the Halligan bar, how will this help us in forcible entry?

Using the Adze end

More often than not when dealing with outward swinging doors, we will look to gap, crush or tunnel the door between the door (above the lock) and the jamb using the adze end of the Halligan in doing so and moving the tool up or down offering a 15:1 mechanical advantage with a maximum spread of 2 inches (width of the adze). The 15:1 MA is from the 30 inch Halligan bar and the 2 inch adze end of the bar. When forcing an outward swinging door it is advantageous to pry down on left side opening doors and pry up on right side opening doors. The key is to roll up in the direction opposite the pick to gain maximum leverage.

Forcing inward swinging doors is done in the same fashion as outward swinging doors except the Halligan is used in a different position yet the mechanical advantages will remain the same.

Using the adze end is similar to a class I lever. This is where the fulcrum placed between the effort and load. The movement of the load is in the opposite direction of the movement of the effort and the most typical lever configuration. Fulcrum or pivot point is the point on which an object balances or turns.

Using the Fork

When driving the fork between the door and the frame, the fork should be driven 3 inches past the edge of the door frame creating fulcrum. This will put our load on the Halligan at the 5 inch mark (the length of the crotch of the Halligan) at the door jamb, resulting in a load to fulcrum length of 2 inches. The more we drive our Halligan into the jamb the less we of a mechanical advantage we have when using the tool.

Using the fork is similar to a class II lever. This is where the load is between the effort and the fulcrum. In this, the movement of the load is in the same direction as the effort.

Work hard, stay safe and live inspired. 

About the Author

NICHOLAS J. HIGGINS is a firefighter with 14 years of service all within departments in Piscataway, NJ. Nick has held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain as well as being a township elected District Fire Commissioner for 1 term (3 years) in Piscataway, NJ. He is also a NJ State certified level 2 fire instructor. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from Kean University working in Corporate Taxation and is the founder/contributor of the Firehouse Tribune website.