Don’t neglect to look at the little things when conducting a Building Size-up and assessment

Defined by your actions on the Fireground and in Quarters.

Before Making Entry, while in the street; Has someone completed or assigned reconned a 360 of the building? Have you looked at the Building and its Profile? Made a Rapid Risk Assessment? Assessed the Building’s Anatomy? Considered the Compartment? Considered the Fire Dynamics? Assessed the Predictability of Performance? Scanned for Situational Awareness? Considered the MELT? […]

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 […]

It’s not about NOT fighting fires, but rather fighting fires smarter.

Understanding the building – its complexities in terms of anatomy, structural systems, materials, configuration, design, layout, systems, methods of construction, engineering and inherent features, limitations, challenges and risks – is fundamental for operational excellence on the fireground and firefighter safety.

This special weekend edition of Ten Minutes in the Street TM is being offered on CommandSafety.com and is taking advantage of a training video produced by the LAFD in 2009 that involved a basis initial dispatch to a report of a rubbish fire that escalates into two structure fires and resulted in multiple alarm operations. Challenge your personnel and discuss and tabletop the incident scenario based on your operational and orgnizational profile and resources.

Fire/EMS Safety, Health and Survival Week: Day Three-The New Rules of Engagement  With so many changes (budget cuts, staffing reductions, reduced training, etc.) in so many fire departments, it is critical for fire fighters to focus on their own survival on the fire ground. There is no other call more challenging to fire ground operations […]

Chicago: Anatomy of a Building and its Collapse PDF Training Aid The recent post titled: Chicago: Anatomy of a Building and its Collapse has been receiving a considerable amount of attention as the post makes its way throughout the fire service eMedia sites, links, likes, shares and commentary circles, with over 6,000 views in the past […]

Operational Safety Considerations at Ordinary and Heavy Timber Constructed Occupancies  Building Type III and IV Training Materials for the Fire Service This program was developed to support the case study information published within the 2009 Near-Miss Reporting Calendar for the Month of May, 2009 for the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System.  If you’re not familiar […]