Building Anatomy If you don’t know how the building was built, its materials, the degree of compartmentation, workmanship, level of fixed or passive systems and layout: then how do you expect to effectively and efficiently engage in a structural fire on the building on fire? Many times phased construction on large scale building projects allows […]

The company and command officer’s ability to accurately and effectively read the building establishes not only the direction of an incident but also its potential outcome. What can you access from this street view of this building, its occupancy risks and structural and collapse profile? What type of strategies and tactics would you employ upon […]

A large warehouse fire in a 211,000 SF complex resulted from a transformer explosion this morning at the Wix Distribution Center in Gastonia, NC. The building complex was a former textile mill and was built in 1917. Published report indicate that more than 60 firefighters operated at the scene to control the fire. It was […]

All bowstring trusses are not created equal.

Identifying, Establishing and Managing Collapse Zones I mentioned in a recent post about on-going research and recommendations being developed for a significant report. A notable issue that seems to resonate and surface on a reoccurring bais is the identification, establishment and management of collapse zones. Building type, construction systems and materials, initiating, apparent or contributIng […]

Light Weight construction has given way to Engineered Structural Systems (ESS) which in today’s evolving fireground, have an even more extensive array of performance, operational and integrity issues that affect a building’s performance under fire conditions.To unequivocally state that nothing has changed in buildings, occupancies, fire flow delivery rates and demands for increased proficiencies of […]

Know what to look at when Reading the Building? Looks can be deceiving.

Defining Building Categories and Systems for Today’s Fireground

A new USFA topical fire report, Civilian Fire Fatalities in Residential Buildings (2008-2010), examines the characteristics of civilian fire fatalities in residential buildings. Unintentional/careless actions and smoking are the leading causes of these fatal fires.