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Tactical Considerations for Truck Company Operations at Specific Target Hazards

I have attached photos of an interesting target hazard in a neighboring community that I thought posed some interesting tactical challenges.

The photos I have provided were shot with an idea of giving you a "three (3) sided view" as though you were arriving on-scene and your chauffeur pulls past the building.

What considerations would you make if pre-planning this hazard with your company? What concerns you about the structure? What about exposures? Let's get the discussion going.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on March 28, 2008 at 8:45pm

I see an abandoned building(boarded up windows and doors, and no meter in the meter pan) that has exposures to multiple sides that are extremly close. The only real tactical challange I see is the power lines to the front will make it impossible for you ladder to be deployed.

If this place is on fire it is essesntially a fire dept. controlled burn. Have your truck company open it up, have your engine company fill it up, and make sure the utility truck brings plenty of drinks and snacks. You are gonna need multiple BIG lines on this fire for the main building and the exposures. If those lines were not there then I would recommend setting up the aerial master stream as well. Which would also make it easier to "open up".

Even if you suspected someone was in there you would have to base your rescue profile on the amount of fire and location of fire. This building seems to be very old and we don't know how deteriorated the interior is. This is 99% of the time a defensive fire in my opinion.

Permalink Reply by Christopher A. Barry, Sr. on March 29, 2008 at 11:07am

Excellent thought process. The exposure 4/D side is an occupied building. The exposure building at the 3/C side I found interesting as should the building also become involved, you will need to have a company check this building in its entirety for extension to any other exposures. The utility lines in the front of the building are a challenge for aerial operations as you indicated and will require a change in approach, Big lines are the order of the day. Thanks for the thoughtful response.

Permalink Reply by Christopher A. Barry, Sr. on March 30, 2008 at 10:07am

This is a photo of the exposure 3/C side.

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