This should be a real simple bread and butter fire. Our brothers and sisters in Detroit might do several of these in a night.

1.) What size line(s) and where?

2.) How much help will your departments first alarm assignment need?

3.) What is your first priority here?

4.) What other hazards should you be considering?

5.) Have you checked and monitored the conditions and deterioration of the vacant s in your response district?

Stay safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week a fire at a construction site.

1.) What size line(s) will be needed for this scenario?
2.) What is the primary hazard to firefighters here?
3.) What thoughts should you have for electrical hazards on a job site like this?
4.) What other job site materials could be stored on site that might present a hazard to your personnel?
5.) During routine responses and district inspections do you stop by construction sites to see what is going on? Maybe you should!
Stay safe and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week the problem is common to every community…..Holy Smoke! It’s a church fire. You might have several within your response district. Take a look.

1.) What is your initial report given, and your attack plan?

2.) This happens to be a wood frame building many churches are some form of masonry construction with heavy wooden timbers. Or they can be ultra modern large open structures. Get out there and pre plan these large occupancy structures.

3.) What is your salvage plan? As fire attack is moving forward and if it is safe enough to do so, are there any additional salvage efforts that can be taken for artifacts that may be irreplaceable?

4.) Have you trained to advance a deck gun or ground monitor into a building over one hundred feet and get it aimed into the overhead? Think about this as a possibility and try it during a training exercise in an open parking lot, without any stairs or obstructions.

5.) In the scenario given what is the estimated dimensions of the collapse zone? Try to estimate actual numbers it is good practice.

Stay safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week a combination problem. Take a look.

1.) How many patients should you expect on a fully loaded school bus?

2.) How many ambulances should be called for initially? Just a random rule of thumb might indicate an initial call for 1 ambulance for each 5 patients. This indicates some will be minor and not need it and some may not need transport at all. ( black tag) It is not a certainty but it gives you a starting point.

3.) When was the last time you trained on school bus stabilization and extrication techniques?

4.) How much does a school bus weigh? How much weight are you trying to move / lift?

5.) Review some of the factors that complicate fire suppression during rescue attempts.

Stay safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week we are looking at an occupancy that is common to much of small town America.

1.) What do we know about these structures in general? (Think large open spans)

2,) What is the potential occupancy number on certain days of the week and league nights?

3,) Is there a restaurant / kitchen facility on site? What potential problems could arise from that?

4.) What is your plan of attack for the scenario shown?

5.) Have you pre planned similar facilities in your area? Have you reviewed machinery on site to talk about rescues of persons with hands in machines?

Stay Safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week we take a look at some of the challenges of fires in parking garages.

1.) Have you pre planned these type of facilities in your area. Use ropes to gather measurements for hose stretch length.

2.) Does the garage have standpipes? Are you familiar with the system? Is there a fire pump?

3.) If you are dispatched to a vehicle fire, what should you realistically expect on arrival? If you answered anything less than 3 vehicles involved you might be underestimating it.

4.) Have you trained on extending hand lines over your aerial, or putting a water thief on the end of the aerial to advance attack lines?

5.) Although there are many openings, what is your plan for exhausting smoke during and post fire attack?

Stay safe, and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

This week another commercial taxpayer type occupancy with heavy smoke and fire from the door.

/

1.) Indicate your first priority in this scenario.

2.) Can your first alarm assignment handle this, and if not what is the best use for the manpower you have?

3.) What do you anticipate for openings and access on the “charlie” side?

4.) What problems might be indicated that could hinder ground ladder use?

5.) How many total lines will you need for this incident and describe their placement.

Stay Safe and Stay Thinking!

This week we take a look at a fire in a small corner grocery store, with apartments above.

1.) Based upon what you see here, where is the fire located within the building? Why?

2.) What are the aisle configuration and stock configuration in the small stores? How will that affect firefighter mobility and advancing of hose lines.

3.) Is it likely that there is an interior stairway to the apartments?

4.) How many apartments would be in an upstairs layout like this?

5.) If there is a door and stairway on the “Charlie” side where will it take you? At the top of the stairs if you open the door where will you be?

Send responses if you want feedback, and stay safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013

How familiar are you with the buildings and processes in your response area.

1.) Pre emergency planning is vital in dealing with industrial and manufacturing situations.

2.) This scenario is prepared so that the image can be a vapor cloud or a smoke condition. While discussing it review each choice. How would heat conditions from a fire make this situation worse than just a vapor release?

3.) What does this valve do??? Not only should you have pre-plans of the building but in some cases it would be extremely helpful to have diagrams and schematics of individual machines, piping and valves.

4.) What level of response would be required for this emergency? If this incident requires mutual aid or specialty teams like Haz mat, when was the last time you had a drill with them? What about I there was a victim down in the foreground and a rescue was involved?

5.) Have you practiced unified command training with private sector folks, mutual aid and state and or even federal agency response? Unified command can be a separate training all in of itself.

Stay safe and stay thinking!

Pete Lamb @ Copyright 2013
For information contact pete@petelamb.com

This week a fire in a strip mall.

1.) What construction features can be found in most of these buildings?
2.) What are the common forcible gentry challenges in the rear of these buildings?
3.) Are you anticipating an interior ceiling or not?
4.) Explain your use of thermal imaging at this fire?
5.) Discuss the number, size, and placement of lines at this fire?
Say Safe and stay thinking!
Pete Lamb
Copyright 2013