Foreword

xv

PART I

GENERAL FIREFIGHTING TACTICS

1

General Principles of Firefighting

1

Sequence of Actions to be Taken

5

2

Size-Up

7

Life Hazard

9

Height and Area

17

Location and Extent of Fire

18

Apparatus and Manpower

21

Water Supply

21

Auxiliary Appliance

23

Weather Conditions

24

Street Conditions

24

Hazmats

25

3

Engine Company Operations

27

Fire Behavior and Methods of Attack

28

Choose the Proper Operating Mode—Offensive, Defensive, or No Attack

37

When Human Life is at Stake, an Offensive (Interior) Attack is Mandatory

38

Get the First Hoseline in Operation to Cover the Worst Case before Stretching Additional Lines

39

When an Attack is Stalled, Increase Ventilation, Water Flow, or Both; if Unsuccessful, Change Tactics

40

When an Effective Offensive Attack Isn’t Possible or Hasn’t Succeeded within 20 Min, Prepare Defensive Positions

41

When Forced into a Defensive Mode, Consider the Possible Effects of Total Involvement of the Structure

42

4

Hoseline Selection, Stretching, and Placement

45

Factors Affecting Hoseline Choices

46

Selecting Attack Lines

47

How Long a Line

50

Stretching Hoselines

52

The Placement of Hoselines

58

Nozzles and Appliance

62

Types of Fog Nozzles: Constant Gallonage vs. Constant Pressure

65

Specialized Nozzles and Appliances

67

High Expansion Foam

68

Class A and Compressed Air Foam Systems

71

Special Nozzles: Applicators, Piercing Nozzles, Bent Tips

73

5

Water Supply

77

Basic Principles of Pressure

78

Knowledge of Water Supply

84

Terms Used in Water Supply

85

Large Diameter Hose

92

Applying Heavy Streams

98

Flow Meters

100

6

Sprinkler Systems and Standpipe Operations

101

Operations in Sprinklered Buildings

101

Fire Departments v. Sprinklers

102

Fire Department Operations

103

Problems with Sprinklers

104

A Suggested Strategy

106

Types of Systems

106

Size-Up at Sprinklered Buildings

113

Locating and Operating Controls

116

Restoration of Protection

118

Standpipe Systems

118

Classes of Systems

122

Operations

126

Selecting the Attack Stair

128

7

Ladder Company Operations

135

Ladder Company Functions at Structural Fires

137

Ladders 4

137

Laddering

141

Factors Affecting Ladder Selection

141

Proper Climbing Angle

143

Proper Tip Placement

143

Materials of Construction

144

Guidelines for the Safe Use of Ladders

145

Aerial Devices

147

Vent, Enter, Search

150

Overhaul

154

Salvage

161

Control of Utilities

162

8

Forcible Entry

165

Forcible Entry Size-Up

167

Conventional Forcible Entry

169

Through-The-Lock Forcible Entry

174

The Multilock door

186

Forcing Metal Gates and Roll-Up Doors

187

9

Ventilation

195

Reasons for Ventilation

198

Types of Ventilation

197

Negative vs. Positive Pressure

200

Advantae of Positive-Pressure Ventilation

201

Disadvantages of PPV

202

Vertical Ventilation—Taking the Lid Off

203

Venting Flat Roofs

204

The Problem with Truss Roofs

211

The Truss

212

Operations on Lightweight Roofs

217

Metal Deck Roofs

217

Insulspan™ Panels

220

Trench Cuts

221

Some Additional Considerations When Venting

224

Roof-Venting Hazards

226

10

Search and Rescue

229

Primary and Secondary Search

230

Search Safety

231

Probable Locations of Victims

234

The Secondary Search

235

Guide Ropes

236

Team Search

238

Applying Technology to the Search Process

241

Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICS)

242

PART II

SPECIFIC FIRE SITUATIONS

11

Firefighter Safety and Survival

247

The Survival Syllabus

247

Roll Calls

254

Rapid Intervention Teams

255

Removing Unconscious Firefighters

259

Incident Commander’s Duties

260

Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Down a Stairway

263

Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Up a Stairway

264

Moving an Unconscious Firefighter Out a Window

265

Vertical Removal through a Hole in a Floor or Roof

268

12

Private Dwellings

271

Venting Peaked Roofs

275

Roof Design

276

Making the Cut

277

13

Multiple Dwellings

281

Roof Operations

291

Fireproof Multiple Dwellings

294

14

Garden Apartment and Townhouse Fires

301

15

Store Fires—Taxpayers and Strip Malls

309

Styles of Taxpayers

310

General Problems with Commercial Fires

312

Cellar Fire Operations

316

Masonry Floor Construction

317

Store Fires

320

Cockloft Fires

321

16

High-Rise Office Buildings

325

Types of High-Rises

328

Ventilation at High-Rise Fires

336

Vertical Ventilation

337

Horizontal Ventilation

340

Using Elevators

341

Operations

344

Control of High-Rise Operations

349

17

Buildings under Construction, Renovation, and Demolition

353

Buildings under Construction

353

Structural Problems of Buildings under Construction and Renovation

357

Danger of Partially Occupied Structures

360

Buildings Undergoing Renovation and Demolition

361

18

Fire-Related Emergencies: Incinerators, Oil Burners, Gas Leaks

363

Natural Gas

363

Common Natural Gas Emergiencies

364

Unusual Problems Involving Natural Gas

373

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

373

Oil Burners: Their Operation and Hazards

377

Determining the Origin of Odors or Smoke

381

Responding to Carbon Monoxide Alarms

384

Wood-Burning Stoves

385

19

Structural Collapse

387

Causes of Collapse

391

Collapse Indicators

394

Establishing Collapse Zones

396

Collapse Rescue Operations

400

Collapse Rescue Plan

402

Reconnaissance

402

Street Management at Collapses

407

Safely Precautions during Collapse Operations

410

20

Fire Department Roles in Terrorism and Homeland Security

413

Potential Indicators of Ongoing Terrorist Activities

414

A Historical Perspective

415

Fire Department Response to Bombings and Explosions

419

Preparation for Handling a Bombing Campaign

421

Facts Related to Recent Bombing Campaigns

421

Response Consideration

422

Command Procedures

426

Company Operation

427

Blast Damage, Size-Up, and Expected Effects

428

Evidence Preservation

428

Dirty Bombs and Radiological Dispersal Devices

429

Operations at Suspected Radiological Indicidents

431

Chemical Agent Incidents

432

Operational Procedures and Strategies

434

Command Procedures

435

IC Considerations

436

First Alarm Tactical Operations

437

Definsive Operations

441

Defensive Tactics

442

Glossary

445

Index

451