15 Points of Size-Up

The 15 Points of Size-Up Excerpts from Fireground Size-Up by: Michael A. Terpak Battalion Chief, Jersey City, NJ

COAL TWAS WEALTHS Construction Occupancy Apparatus & Staffing Life Hazard

Weather Exposures Area Location & Extent of Fire Time Terrain Height Water Supply Special Considerations Auxiliary Appliances & Aides Street Conditions

Construction: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

The Classes of Construction • Class 1: Fire Resistive Construction • Class 2: Noncombustible/Limited Combustible Construction • Class 3: Ordinary Construction/ Brick & Joist Construction • Class 4: Heavy Timber Construction • Class 5: Wood Frame Construction • Hybrid Construction

Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Favorable Characteristics • Structural components do not add to fire load/spread • Compartmentalization

Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Negative Characteristics • Heat • Forcible Entry • Large, open spaces • Ventilation

Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Collapse Concerns • Spalling • Suspended Ceilings

Class 2: Noncombustible COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Favorable Characteristics • Structural components do not add to fire load/spread

Negative Characteristics • Everything else is negative…and you’ll see why • Most prone to collapse

Class 2: Noncombustible COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Collapse Concerns • Unprotected Steel • Steel Deck Roofs

Class 3: Ordinary Construction COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Favorable Characteristics • Exterior walls do not add to fire load • Normally smaller in avg. square footage than Class 1 or 2 buildings

Class 3: Ordinary Construction COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Negative Characteristics • Alterations • Concealed spaces and voids

Collapse Concerns • Parapet Wall • Hanging Ceiling Space/Multiple Ceilings

Class 4: Heavy Timber COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Favorable Characteristics • Surface-to-mass ratio • Lack of void spaces

Negative Characteristics • Heavy fire conditions will produce tremendous heat • Severe exposure problems

Class 4: Heavy Timber COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Collapse Concerns • Collapse will generally encompass large areas • Structural debris thrown extended distances

Class 5: Wood Frame COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Favorable Characteristics • Generally the smallest avg. square footage of construction types Negative Characteristics • Fire spread • Structural components add to fire load/spread • Interior stairways act as vertical artery

Class 5: Wood Frame COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Collapse Concerns • Entire structure is combustible • Upper floors are often supported by smalldiameter wood members • Lightweight wood truss construction

Occupancy: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

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Occupancy Classification Occupancy Load & Status Occupancy Content Occupancy/Construction Associations

Occupancy Classification COAL TWAS WEALTHS

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Residential Commercial Mixed (combo. of residential & commercial Institutional Educational Health care Manufacturing

Occupancy Load & Status COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• How many people are in the building at this time? • Are they young or old? • Are they ambulatory or non-ambulatory? • Are they awake or asleep?

Occupancy Content COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Are there haz-mats in this building? – Reactivity; together or w/ water? – Flammability/combustibility? – Radioactivity? – Health concerns? – Specific hazards?

• What is the building’s fire load? – Light, medium, or heavy?

Occupancy Content COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Are there any specific stock concerns within the building? Examples… – Plumbing supply warehouse – Carpet and rug store – Toy stores

• Is there any water absorbent stock within the building? – Increased load concerns – Stock swelling could push out walls

• What is the content value? – Jewelry shops – Computer stores – Museums

Apparatus & Staffing: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Staffing – Decreased volunteer response during the daytime hours – Decrease in number of active volunteers – Minimal number of career firefighters due to budget contraints

Apparatus & Staffing: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Response compliment & capabilities – Number & capability • How many apparatus are responding to your incident • What types of apparatus are responding to your incident

– Resource typing • A “ladder company” can mean different things – Is it a tower ladder, a ladder tower, a snorkel, a quint?

Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Firefighters – Incident Command System – Accountability System – Training – Situational Awareness

Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Occupants – Areas of greatest danger in a building • • • • •

The fire floor The floor above the fire The top floor Floors in-between Floors below the fire

– Occupant life hazard concerns • • • • • •

The number Their location Their condition Accessibility Resources Care

Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Bystanders – Anyone near the scene perimeter

• Other emergency service personnel – EMS – Law Enforcement – Public Works – EMD

Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Topography and/or obstructions that might interfere, delay, or cause concern with our operations – Setbacks – Buildings built on a grad – General accessibility

Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Setbacks: Buildings set back from the street/road & buildings surrounded by and set back bay decorative landscaping – Concerns include • • • • •

Apparatus placement Hoseline selection, stretch, & placement Water supply (long driveways, etc.) Equipment needs (how do we get it all there?) Can the building be reached by the aerial device?

Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Buildings built on a grade – Buildings that appear to be two stories from the street, may actually be three stories from the rear. • Could lead to misdirection in a rescue attempt • Could lead to unintentionally placing firefighters above the fire

• General accessibility – Anything that gets in the way • On the ground: fences, cars, trees/shrubs, etc. • Overhead: tree limbs, electrical lines, cables, telephone wires, etc.

Water Supply: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Water Availability – Hydrant, dry hydrant, landing, lake, pond, etc. – Need to know where the closest water is located ahead of time

• Water Needed – “Big fire = Big water” – “Big water = lots of people”

• Water Delivery – Water Shuttle – Supply Hose – Nursing Operations

Auxiliary Appliances & Aides: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Detection Equipment – Smoke Detection – Heat Detection – Flame Detection

• Suppression Equipment – Sprinkler Systems – Standpipe Systems – Special Extinguishing Systems

• Aides/Assistants – People that can provide assistance and/or information at a specific incident

Street Conditions: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Street Width – Direction of approach – Apparatus positioning

• Traffic Flow – Two-way or one-way?

• Street Surface – Asphalt, concrete, dirt, stone, gavel – Stability for heavy apparatus – Water run-off or collection

• Unusual – Know and anticipate difficult areas • Flood prone, etc.

Weather: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Wind – Gusting or sustained winds above 10 mph should be considered significant • Concerns include ventilation, hose stream reach and penetration, etc.

• Temperature – Cold: temperatures below 40°F • Firefighters fatigue early; promotes conditions that cause slips and falls; long durations of exposure dull the senses • Considerations need to be given for evacuated occupants

– Hot: temperatures above 85°F • Heat exhaustion and heat stroke • Require early and frequent reliefs & rehab • May require additional alarms to relieve firefighters

Weather: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Humidity – Reliefs: concerns of heat exhaustion & heat stroke – Fire spread: Low humidity increases fire spread concern – Ventilation: High humidity often leads to temperature inversion, which can decrease visibility; maybe even make it difficult to find which building is actually on fire

• Precipitation – Heavy precipitation may increase FD’s response time – Heavy precipitation may make some roads impassible

Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Life Hazard – Buildings prioritized by “the most severely threatened exposure” vs. “the most severely threatened life exposure”…there’s a difference

• Location & Extent of the Fire – Current fire involvement w/ its extension probability & possibility

• Exposure Proximity – Attached or separated, & by how much?

Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Fire Building Construction & Features – Exterior sheathing, air shafts between the buildings, common attics/cocklofts, etc.

• Exposure Building Construction & Features – Exterior sheathing, air shafts between the buildings, common attics/cocklofts, etc.

• Wind – Consider its speed and direction

Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Exposure Designation

Area: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

Area: the square footage involved & the square footage threatened Concerns 1. Irregular shaped buildings 2. Irregular shaped areas 3. Interconnected buildings 4. Hidden areas 5. Overall square footage

Location & Extent of Fire: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

The most influencing factor of size-up Considerations for: • Below grade fires • Lower-level fires • Top-floor, attic, & cockloft fires • Upper-level fires

Time: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Time of day/day of the week – Occupants – Traffic

• Time of the year – Fire/occupant loads

• Burn time

Height: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

• Height Accessibility – Can the ladders reach? – Can the hose streams reach? – Elevators? – Stairs?

• Smoke Behavior – Stack effect – Reverse stack effect – Stratification

Special Considerations: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS

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High rise buildings Row houses/town houses Vacant fire buildings Manufacturing processes