Highrise 2

• This plan adapts normal Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) to high-rise operations to address complex issues related to mitigating incidents in high-rise structures.
• These issues include difficulties related to:
  • Access
  • Egress
  • Construction
  • Number of occupants

Guideline Introduction

• The Utah Fire & Rescue Academy (UFRA) provides training and education to firefighters in Utah, extending to safe mitigation of emergencies in high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise structures.
• UFRA's standard operating guidelines (SOGs) were developed by the UFRA High-Rise Training Group
• Guidelines are based on standards:
  • National Incident Management System (NIMS)
  • Incident Command System (ICS)
  • Utah State Fire Chiefs Association
  • IFSTA's Structural Fire Fighting: High- Rise Fire Fighting (second edition)
  • Fire Protection Publications' Model Procedures Guide for High-Rise Firefighting (second edition).
• UFRA's training programs support course curriculum through lesson plans, training, and updates.
• The guidelines should be followed by all departments.
• Departments should develop regional response plans and procedures.

Purpose and Objectives

• High-rise fires present unique firefighting problems related to access, resources, construction, and occupants.
• Incidents involving high-rise structures are challenging and high-risk.
• A high-rise building is defined as a structure 75 feet (23 meters) or higher.
• The document implements guidelines for operations in high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise fire incidents to mitigate related issues.
• Subsequent parts provide details and general operations (SOGs and supplemental information) for firefighting and support including IFSTA and Fire Protections Publications.

Incident Priorities

• Rescue priorities in high-rise, mid-rise, or low-rise structures should be clear to all personnel and to Command.
• All personnel responding to these alarm types should adhere to the following incident priorities:
  • Provide for the safety of firefighters by establishing rapid intervention
  • Protect life using three basic rescue strategies:
    • Fight the fire and evacuate the occupants
    • Evacuate the occupants only
    • Shelter the occupants in place and fight the fire
  • Control the incident by performing an aggressive attack
  • Conserve property - Salvage

Prioritizing Aerial Apparatus

• Aerial apparatus should be prioritized in high-rise residential or commercial buildings
  • Prioritize placement based on the location of victims and where close access to the structure is achievable.
  • Coordinate a controlled stairway use or have occupants shelter in place for areas above aerial apparatus reach.
• Stairways with roof hatches or scuttles are generally used for smoke removal, with positive pressure at the base.
• Stairways without roof openings are for rescue and evacuation.
• Stairways with roof access may be used for evacuation if most occupants are above the fire floor. If most occupants are below the fire floor, they can be evacuated by stairways down to the lobby area.
• The rescue or evacuation stairway must also be pressurized with multiple fans at the base of the stairs.
• Rescue efforts should follow this order:
  • The most severely threatened victims
    • Victim(s) whose location is known or when there is an obvious rescue
    • Victim(s) close to the fire (fire floor)
    • Victim(s) above the fire (floor above)
  • The largest number (groups)
  • The remainder of the incident area
  • The exposed area

Tactical Assignments

• First-arriving companies create the foundation for successful event mitigation, including:
  • Establishing Command
  • Initial scene assessment (size-up)
  • Information gathering
  • Assignment of initial duties and responsibilities
• Actions and information must be passed to the first-arriving chief officer to prepare the incident commander (IC) for the next level of incident command operations.
• First-arriving companies must address seven assignments:
  • Establish command
    • Command is always established, regardless of alarm type or pre-arrival information.
    • Fire department members responding to high-rise incidents must follow the NIMS Incident Command System guidelines.
• The first-arriving unit officer establishes command by:
  • Determining the unit designation and the name of command
  • Making a brief radio report that includes a scene size-up and the location of the alpha side
  • Making initial tactical assignments consistent with this document
• The command structure at a high-rise, mid-rise, or low-rise fire must be expanded early in the incident.
• Tactical assignment cards can assist the IC in expanding the organization easily
• General staff positions must be implemented aggressively with a working fire confirmation.
• Determine the fire floor or area where the incident is reported within the structure.
  • Crews must note what can be seen and talk to occupants upon approach
  • Locate the fire control room or fire control panel and/or seek information from the building's system control manager, the building's security officer, or another responsible person.
  • Crew member reading the panel must write it in grease pen or marker, and announce it to Command.
  • Some newer panels can print an activity log to observe and compare changes.

Verifying Fire Floor and Controlling Occupants

• Verify the fire floor and extent of the fire.
  • Even seeing nothing, Command should assume concealed fire.
  • Most high-rise buildings shield the interior of the structure from arriving companies' view outside.
  • Verify the fire location via fire/smoke conditions, talking to evacuating occupants, and observing changes/conditions.
  • If fire involvement is greater than 25% of a total floor, the IC and Fire Floor Supervisor may abandon direct attack on that floor and prepare for deluge attack one to two floors above based on average square footage of a high rise structure.
• Control the occupants.
  • Documented fires prove that most occupants will self-evacuate.
  • Occupants of high-rise structures that practice evacuation drills in conjunction with an emergency operations plan have a greater chance for survival.
  • AHJs should coordinate annual evacuation drills.
  • Occupants will begin evacuating once a fire protection system activates or a fire report is given
  • Most systems automatically notify occupants two floors above the reported fire floor.
  • Fire personnel should announce evacuation of the two floors above by building speaker system.
  • Assign a branch director under the Operations Section to evacuate or direct the significant number of occupants.

Evacuations

• Evacuation routes are normally limited to two stairways, also the prime access route that firefighters use in order to attack.
• The immediate fire area should be evacuated quickly to at least the third floor below the fire floor.
• Further evacuation should be predicated on risk to the occupants because premature evacuation often hinders fire control efforts and can add to general confusion.
• Risk determination and the decision to evacuate should be made by personnel on their assigned floors. Subsequent evacuations should be managed to avoid interference with operations.
• Personnel may be needed to effect efficient high-rise evacuation. Many occupants may self-evacuate at first notification even if a plan exists.
• Most doors in high-rise stairways leading back to the office areas are secure, but some are not.
• Standard entry methods (hard keys/forcible entry tools) may be needed, do not rely on automated systems. Assume the worst. Do not allow occupants to enter contaminated stairways if possible.
• Assigning personnel to keep the area clear aids a safe evacuation stairway
• Keeping all doors leading to the evacuation stairway(s) closed helps secure the area

Controlling Building Systems

• To gain control of the building systems, a building engineer must be summoned to Lobby Division or to the control room firefighter by Command.
• This assignment must be completed on every response, regardless of the alarm.
• Three building systems should be controlled:
  • Fire suppression/pump system - Monitor operations
  • HVAC - Limit fire intensity and control heat/smoke travel by utilizing the building engineer to coordinate/control the HVAC systems. If no engineer is available, leave system operating, or shut off completely, in coordination with Command and divisions based upon smoke movement.
  • Elevators - Activate elevators into Phase 1 to return elevators to the ground floor.

Confining and Extinguishing the Fire

• Reflex times of 30 to 45 minutes can be expected in high-rise response due to high fire load. Use 2½" lines for the primary attack.
• Aggressive coordinated attack has proven to be the most effective tactical option in the majority of high-rise operations.
• First-due response must assign a minimum of three crews to the fire floor from the first, two engine companies and one truck company).
• If the first-in crew confirms a working fire, Command must immediately double the assignment to the fire floor
• Standpipe operations will be the first tactical option for fires reported on floor five and above.
• All standpipe valves must be secured, as open valves and caps can cause water damage to uninvolved floors which prevent proper nozzle pressures and flows.
• Firefighters advancing to the fire floor must check and close the standpipe valves, marking the valve in a visible spot afterwards.
• Elevators can be used to transfer personnel and equipment upon fire suppression, as well as roof valve closure.
• Personnel and equipment will be shuttled from the lobby to the Resource Staging Area normally two floors below the fire floor.
• Elevators can be used by personnel only if they’re determined safe and that the indicating alarm area or the fire floor has been checked by a building system representative or a fire department member.
• The following guidelines should be used when operating in an elevator:
  • Fire service override should be working.
  • No visible smoke, fire, or water should be present in the shaft.
  • One set of keys should be in the elevator, leave one set in the lobby
  • Test the elevator operation on the next available floor
  • Crews in the elevator must have their radios on
  • Crews in the elevator must have a portable chemical extinguisher and tools
  • Precautions should be taken regarding the elevator’s loading
  • Crews should be dressed in full PPE and on air if fire conditions haven't been confirmed
  • Members located in the lobby must also have radios on
  • Do not use elevators for initial access to the fire floor if is reported on floor five or lower unless it is a known hydraulic system and the elevator control room is on the ground floor or below.
  • Under no circumstance should the elevator be taken closer than two floors below the fire floor.
  • A test stop should be made five floors below as the elevator approaches the intended floor
  • A pry tool should be ready to force the interior doors open & engage the manual brakes
  • Elevators can be used to move the equipment once conditions are assessed

Addressing the Floor Above

• One crew will be assigned to the floor above after a fire attack relief cycle of 3:1 has been established.
• This crew’s responsibility is to report to Command conditions above the fire floor, including:
  • Give smoke and heat conditions
  • Report conditions and which stairway they are located in
  • Confirm that evacuation has occurred or is controlled
• A shelter in place strategy may be necessary if the evacuation stairways have been compromised with smoke and heat.

Notifications and Resource Responses

• The following notifications will be made along with AHJ notifications for structure fires during Level IV or 3rd Alarm High Rise Notifications:
  • Activation of the Emergency Communication Center, consideration to establish an Incident Management Team (IMT) per AHJ policies
  • Initiating off-duty member call-back procedures via Dispatch
  • An EMS field supervisor dispatched to the scene
  • A fuel tanker dispatched to apparatus base
  • Notification to the to respond.Red Cross
  • Notification to the city, county, and state emergency manager
  • Contact structural engineers, if needed
  • Notification to the city, county manager, or mayor

Resource Response Levels

• Level I or High Rise Alarm Notifier Response:
  • Automatic alarm drop, notifier alarm without confirming calls, At least 1 engine company.
  • NOTE: AHJ cancellation policy can apply to alarm.
  • Resources:
    • 1 BC or chief officer
    • 3 Engines
    • 1 Truck
• LEVEL II OR 1st ALARM HIGH RISE RESPONSE
  • Possible smoke in a high-rise, smell of smoke, no visible fire, no confirming calls, dispatch not receiving enough information to upgrade the assignment to a Level III Response.
  • Response: Red light and siren
  • Resources:
    • 1 BC
    • 2nd-due BC or chief officer notified
    • 4 Engines
    • 2 Trucks
    • 1 EMS ambulance
    • 1 Air supply/Utility unit
• LEVEL III OR 2nd ALARM HIGH RISE RESPONSE
  • Report of fire, visible smoke, confirming calls with or without automatic alarm drop.
  • Response: Red light and siren
  • A balance of all assigned units at this point
  • Resources:
    • 1 DC or AC of operations or designated chief officer by respective department
    • 4 BCs or other designated chief officers
    • 8 Engines
    • 4 Trucks
    • 2 Air supply/utility
    • 3 EMS ambulances
    • 2 Heavy rescues
• LEVEL IV OR 3rd ALARM HIGH RISE RESPONSE
  • Confirmed working fire by unit(s) on the scene
  • Response: Red light and siren, in addition to Level III Response already dispatched
  • Resources:
    • 1 Multi-agency Regional Task Force consisting of:
      • 1 DC or AC (Total 2)
      • 2 BCs or designated chief officers
    • 4 Engines
    • 2 Trucks
    • 1 Mobile Command Unit
    • 1 Communication Chief will be notified by dispatch
    • 1 DPS helicopter support/aerial reconnaissance
• A Level I or Level II Response upgrades to Level III if any criteria from the caller indicates visible smoke or fire within the structure.
• In cases of visible smoke or fire, the upgrade is automatic between the initial dispatch and companies going "on the air."
• Dispatch relays additional information if the first-due company or BC is “on the air," and the first-due company or chief officer makes the decision to upgrade.

Working Incident/Addition of Air Operations

• Dispatch centers will make the necessary working fire announcements and contact the Department of Public Safety helicopter if needed
• Mutual and automatic aid agreements (regional) must be current. Helicopter crews that will be involved in a high-rise incident need to meet the following criteria:
  • Use AHJ's guidelines and procedures along with “Quick Access Plans” for identifying high-risk occupancies.
  • Must be knowledgeable of the radio channel use for each jurisdiction
  • Must understand that the helicopter will be used to report smoke and wind conditions at the roof level and make reports to Command
  • Must understand the use of helicopters for rooftop rescues and that deployment of fire crews to the roof can be a function. A department chief officer should accompany the helicopter crew
• IC must prepare to implement the Air Operations Branch under the Operations Section after dispatching helicopters.
• Command should aggressively delegate air support due to safety requirements

Upgrading Levels of Response

• A small operating working fire operating high-rise needs 50 for the fire to be controlled
• Statistics that exist say 98% of fires operating high-rises will be controlled with 24 firefighters if there is a pre-plan That is why a level III response is needed for the required number of firefighters
• Command request a level 3 regardless of the size of the fire

Apparatus and Resource Responsibilities

• This assignment is to report to the appropriate location and do work from base.
• Crew will prep supplies
• Command will see how many resources are requested and the commander will regulate the immediate response
• Important for a fire like this is the department capabilities the fire load, size and the resources.

Resources

• Engine companies must rescue, provide water to standpipes, provide hand lines & attack the fire.
  • Use pre-assembled High-Rise Standpipe and Nozzle Kits and the primary will use hose of 2 ½” in fifty foot bundles.
• High-rise structure fire attacks should be aggressive and rapid. Attacks may be sustained for several hours with teams operating for ten minutes at a time.
  • Engine crews should have three members in the lead and two members at the entrance to assist with line movement.
  • Division Supervisor is assigned to the first in captain until a chief comes.
  • Division Supervisor should be in contact with command and communicate needs

Truck Company tasks

• Truck companies will need to rescue, do a force entry, gain assist, ventilate and support engine and rapid intervention. Truck should carry all tools to support.
• Truck companies members should save as much power as possible, they cannot be carrying supplies that exhaust them. Truck members are to support rescue of fire areas breach and aggressive attack to access the fire.
• All operations should work along with command in the ventilation stage so that the evacuation stairways remain a viable and safe space. These will include blower augmentation and maintaining positive pressure to keep products of stairways clear.
• Group should operate under comms Supervisor and division to confirm objectives are synchronized.

Staging and Planning

• RSA or resources staging area is needed for High-Rises in order to have tools medical and firefighting teams.
• It has also been proven that RSA is usually two stories below the fire and can be approved by IC if close by.
• Manager maintains the operations and oversees supplies.
• Communication plans are important to be local or county to keep in order

Tactical High-Rise

• AHJ need to be able to use new aid agreements to limit time and resource usage for large scale events
• If something is not there cards can set in motion initial assignments.

Chief Officer Task List

• First to respond to the chief command.
  • Put apparatus 200 ft away from structure so Command Post and Apparatus Base don't get congested;
  • Safety procedure to the incident, traffic and accountability which are tools.
  • Main thing establish commands assign position build accountability
• 2nd response of command fire divisions supervisor.
  • Park near the IC and gear up with safety procedures
  • Check in with command and assign crews and assume commander roles
• 3rd arriving:
  • COMMUNICATE STUFF Secure the lobby and elevators to deploy stuff.
• 4th arriving Chief to assign apparatus stages
• 5th arriving to fire command
• 6th Chief
  • Planning section of EMS unit
• 7th arrive apparatus staged

Engine Tasklist

• 1st arrives. Fire attack crew

  • Place near entrance but not in front, radios and extinguishers.
  • Enter command center and assess. Conditions if conditions start attack

• 2nd arriving.

  • Standpipe backup, find engine for 200 foot operations and report
  • Report to fire department

• 3rd arriving, backup in stairwell, 200 perimeter to replace attack team in floor for division

• 4th backup in stairwell- 200 perimeter, same as 3 but setup in stairwell

• 5th arriving.

  • Park and go into the stairwell

• 6th arriving.

  • Stairwell and replace for rest

• 7th fire team and attack team.

  • Coordinate attack on floor supervise Ops in ICS.

• 8th stairwell is engine and set 2 sprinkler

• 9th will go in 2nd stairwell to back up.

Trucks

• First
  • Locate truck advantageous for rescue but gear
• Second
  • Fan in stairwell.
• Third- Stairwell rotate support in area.

Definitions

• Air Operations Branch: ICS implement
• App Base manager 200 ft
• Plenum
• Presssure reduction valve
• Residential High-Rise
• Resource staging-
• Roof scuttle - door to roof.
• Task cards quick assignments