1. Fire control will require a significant amount of personnel. How would you handle this fire in regard to supervision of strategically-sensitive areas? How would your departent handle it? (might not be the same answer, right?) Do you get enough command officers and if so, what is normally done with them?

This seems to be a very labor intensive fire due to all the issues at hand. I'm thinking 3 or maybe even 4 alarm fire by the time we are done with it. I would handle the strategically-sensitive areas by making sure I do not exceed the span of control. I would do this by assigning division officers to take care of the tasks at hand. Since this will take time to set up, my fear would be the continuos spread of the fire. My department is only a 4 station department so we would definitely be using mutual-aid on this fire. In my department we would have enough command officers (the white wave :-)). If I were in command initially I would probably have the first one to arrive to assume the Safety Officer position. That is assuming that I would stay in command because if not then he would take command. I would use the other command officers as my division/section officers and command staff.

2. Where would you stretch lines? In what order? What size would they be?
If there is a stairwell to the D side of the structure, I would begin there with a 1 3/4" line (for mobility) for initial attack, I would have a second attack line (2 1/2") to the fire floor as a back up coming from the same side. I would then have an engine with a deck gun protect Exposure D. Depending on the report I receive from the attack group I may and most probably will deploy a third attack line (2 1/2"). Since the fire is coming from the A and D side, I am assuming the it is in multiple rooms along with the fact that it is in the cockloft noted by the heavy smoke on the opposite end of the building.

3. What should be happening at the roof level?
Vertical ventilation and consider a trench cut.

4. What would your RIC team be doing at this fire on your dept?
Looking for secondary means of egress, setting up ladders when found and reporting their location to command.

5. What ops would you be conducting in the 3 story exposure?
Evacuation first then having a crew investigate for possible extension.

6. What ops would you be conducting in the attached exposure?
Since there are stores on the first floor and having common shafts, I would need to have a crew check the most adjacent structure first and identify any hazards along with extension from the fire. Evacuation first of course.

your ops are good. Command is faced with lots of issues here so you will need alotta personnel. I would stay away from the trench cut b/c it would take too long to make. Better to cut a bigger h*** over the fire building. In addition, don't forget to not only evac exposed structures as you said, but don't forget to get lines inside the attached exposure to the top floor and inside the unattached one (with a 2-1/2" line to protect the combustible exterior wall) You must act as if fire is already inside and then if it is not, you are still there with suppression cpability. If u thinnk it is not, chances are it will be B4 you have had a chance to act. Good work
Be safe


Noel Marti said:

1. Fire control will require a significant amount of personnel. How would you handle this fire in regard to supervision of strategically-sensitive areas? How would your departent handle it? (might not be the same answer, right?) Do you get enough command officers and if so, what is normally done with them?

This seems to be a very labor intensive fire due to all the issues at hand. I'm thinking 3 or maybe even 4 alarm fire by the time we are done with it. I would handle the strategically-sensitive areas by making sure I do not exceed the span of control. I would do this by assigning division officers to take care of the tasks at hand. Since this will take time to set up, my fear would be the continuos spread of the fire. My department is only a 4 station department so we would definitely be using mutual-aid on this fire. In my department we would have enough command officers (the white wave :-)). If I were in command initially I would probably have the first one to arrive to assume the Safety Officer position. That is assuming that I would stay in command because if not then he would take command. I would use the other command officers as my division/section officers and command staff.

2. Where would you stretch lines? In what order? What size would they be?
If there is a stairwell to the D side of the structure, I would begin there with a 1 3/4" line (for mobility) for initial attack, I would have a second attack line (2 1/2") to the fire floor as a back up coming from the same side. I would then have an engine with a deck gun protect Exposure D. Depending on the report I receive from the attack group I may and most probably will deploy a third attack line (2 1/2"). Since the fire is coming from the A and D side, I am assuming the it is in multiple rooms along with the fact that it is in the cockloft noted by the heavy smoke on the opposite end of the building.

3. What should be happening at the roof level?
Vertical ventilation and consider a trench cut.

4. What would your RIC team be doing at this fire on your dept?
Looking for secondary means of egress, setting up ladders when found and reporting their location to command.

5. What ops would you be conducting in the 3 story exposure?
Evacuation first then having a crew investigate for possible extension.

6. What ops would you be conducting in the attached exposure?
Since there are stores on the first floor and having common shafts, I would need to have a crew check the most adjacent structure first and identify any hazards along with extension from the fire. Evacuation first of course.

THE PREFERRED POSITIONS WITH SUPERVISION WOULD BE I.C., ROOF OPERATIONS, D ELTA &BRAVO EXPOSURE OPERATIONS, SAFETY OFFICER & FIRE ATTACK OPERATIONS IN FIRE BUILDING.

IN MY DEPARTMENT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE IN THE INITIAL ALARM CHIEF FOR I.C., ASST. CHIEF OF FIRE ATTACK FIRE BUILDING & ACCOUNTABILITY FOR INTERIOR PERSONNEL. CAPTAIN FOR ROOF OPS, CAPTAIN/LT FOR EXP BRAVO & EXP DELTA, CHIEF OR EX-CHIEF AS SAFETY OFFICER.

MY INITIAL CALL WOULD BE FOR MUTUAL AID FOR MAN POWER & A RIC TEAM, MY INITIAL LINE WOULD BE A 2 1/2 TO THE EXP D, AN ADDITIONAL 2 1/2 TO 2ND FLR BUILDING OF ORIGIN TO FIND THE SEAT OF THE FIRE, THEN TO THE ROOF FOR A H*** OVER THE FIRE & TO TRY TRENCH CUT IF POSSIBLE TO GET AHEAD OF THE FIRE IN THE COCKLOFT. THEN ADDITIONAL TEAMS WITH A 2 1/2 TO EVACUATE & AND CHECK FOR EXTENSION IN EXP BRAVO STARTING 2 UNITS AWAY TO SEE IF FIRE IS IN THE COCKLOFT ABOVE THAT UNIT WORKING WITH THE ROOF TEAM DOING THE TRENCH CUT & EXP DELTA TO EVACUATE & CHECK FOR EXTENSION WITH AN 1 3/4 LINE.

RIC TEAM WOULD SET UP LADDERS AND NEAR SIDE ALPHA OF THE STRUCTURE LISTENING TO COMMUNICATIONS.