High-Rise Fire Emergency Procedures

Introduction

• The purpose of this document is to describe High-rise Class "E" office buildings, point out problems/features regarding fire, and establish operating methods while recommending precautions.
• The building types included are those built before 1945, between 1945-1968, and after 1968.
• Many buildings are 200'x400' with up to six stairways on lower floors and three or more on upper floors: some have only two stairways from lobby to roof.
• Procedures must be general due to variations in construction techniques and building complexity, differing substantially from the "Ladders 3" approach for multiple dwellings
• The multitude of fire problems in occupied structures limits first alarm resources, initiating new signals/response patterns that demand controlled/coordinated unit operation.
• The procedure aims to establish critical priorities and assign chief officers and/or company units to solve problems.

Description of High-Rise Class "E" Office Buildings

• All are 75 feet or more in height, vary in area (2,000 to over 300,000 sq ft) and are fireproof/non-combustible.
• Buildings used primarily for transacting business, rendering professional services, or providing public and civic services are Class "E."
• Examples are: office spaces, showrooms, banks, telephone exchanges, civic administration, and assembly occupancies, like restaurants.

Class "E" High-Rise Office Buildings Built Before 1945

• Construction methods resulted in a "heavy-weight" building, weighing ~20-23 pounds per cubic foot.
• Structural steel encased in concrete, exterior walls of masonry construction, and substantially tied to all floors.
• Generally, no plenum-type ceilings, normally steam-heated; usually not centrally air-conditioned
• Exterior windows were openable.
• Buildings erected between 1938 and 1968 were required to have a fire tower; some built before 1938 contain them.
• Floors were constructed of reinforced concrete, and core construction techniques were not used.

Class "E" High-Rise Buildings Built Between 1945 and 1968

• Construction techniques resulted in a "medium-weight" building typically weighing 10-20 pounds per cubic foot.
• Fire towers were required in all of these buildings
• The Characteristics include a mix of pre-1945 and buildings built post-1968, in order to conform to the 1938 Building Code.

Class "E" High-Rise Office Buildings Built After 1968

• Construction methods resulted in a "lightweight" building usually weighing ~8-10 pounds per cubic foot and were constructed typically with a lack of compartmentation
• The structural steel component has fireproofing material sprayed on.
• Exterior walls are curtain walls constructed of glass and metal
• Securing exterior curtain walls leaves a 6" to 12" space requiring additional fire stopping.
• The ceiling plenums are extensive, lack fire stopping, and return air to the air-conditioning system while accommodating building equipment
• Usually heated by HVAC systems which are typically multi-floor systems.
• Exterior windows are usually not openable.
• Fire towers are not required, floors are light in weight with "Q decking."
• Core construction techniques are extensively used

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning System (HVAC)

• Good HVAC management's strategic objectives involve limiting fire spread and controlling smoke movement in order to assist FD members
• IC must know how the HVAC system functions for strategic plans during a high-rise fire
• HVAC systems in high-rise office buildings fall into two categories: central air conditioning systems (processing equipment providing air to more than one floor) and non-central (serving only the floor on which equipment is located).
• Emphasis regarding this section is on central air conditioning systems

HVAC System Subsystems

• Processing equipment.
• Supply of processed air to the floors of the building.
• Returning air from the floors for reprocessing happens on floors with mechanical equipment rooms (MER).
• MER contains outside air supply dampers, the air filtering, heating, cooling, and humidity control equipment, supply & return airshaft ductwork, return air fans, exhaust dampers and mixing dampers.
• Supply of air to the floors is accomplished via; supply airshaft, fire dampers, supply air ducts and air diffusers.
• Returning of air from the floors is done via; return air inlets, return air plenums, fire dampers, smoke detectors and return arishaft.
• Typical centrally AC high-rise buildings use multiple HVAC systems, each supplying groups of floors known as HVAC system supply zones.

Normal Air Flow Through the HVAC System:

• Through processing equipment which returns air from the building via the return airshaft (RAS) for reprocessing
• A return air fan (RAF) assists air movement in the return airshaft (RAS) which then flows through mixing dampers
• Outside air is mixed, with the amount dependent on ambient temperature/humidity determined by engineers/computer
• Mixed air is processed by filters, heating/cooling equipment to control humidity. A supply air fan assists air movement into the supply airshaft
• Supply - Air is distributed to the floors via the supply airshaft (SAS) which is distributed on each floor by ducts found in the plenum
• Found in ducts where they enter the supply airshaft and go through a rated fire partition are the fire dampers.
• Air from the supply ducts is distributed to the occupied areas by air diffusers mounted in the hanging ceiling.
• Return - Air from occupied areas flows to the collectors into the plenums that flows through to the return airshaft. Fire Dampers in the shaft at each floor and rated fire partition. The air then returns for processing

HVAC Strategic Operating Plan

• Determine the status of all HVAC Systems in the building: both supply and return fans that have not been already shut down need to be manually shut down
• Take note that some systems only shut down supply fans, requiring return fans to be manually shut down
• Before any further action, the fire floor must be accurately determined before further action can be taken.

All HVAC systems shall be placed in the non-circulating mode by

• Opening all outside air supply dampers
• Closing all mixing dampers
• Opening all exhaust dampers

Furthermore

• After determining the designated fire floor, all HVAC zones that do not include the fire area are to have supply fans running, for pressurized assistance.
• Alert all units operating in the building to report any adverse effects when reactivating HVAC systems.

Other Considerations

• Automatic closing of fire dampers is usually done via a fusible link or approved heat-activated device where any abnormal rise in temperature triggers the opening
• The Fusible links should have a temperature ratings of approximately 50° F above the maximum temperate that would normally be encountered with the system shut down.
• Fire dampers that have closed must be manually reopened before air can pass and they are protecting.

Local Law No. 5 of 1973 requires either an approved product of combustion ionization detecting device or a combination product of approved smoke/thermostatic device.

These devices are to be located in the air return shaft on each floor to monitor inlets.

• Activation of the HVAC detectors stops air supply/return to the floor by activating a remote-controlled reversible fire shutter or shutting down supply/return fans.
• The fans cannot be reactivated until the detector has been cleared or bypassed.

Because of Temperature variations

• Air from the main air supply or a separate periphery air supply is ducted through the plenum on the floor below to the periphery of the building.
• Flexible Connectors are used between the ducts and the periphery treatment equipment a floor above: Fire can spread from floor-to-floor if they fail.
• Air goes through treatment equipment to meet demands, uses piping with heated/chilled water, and air discharges into the periphery of the building where is is returned.
• The Incident Commander shall contact the Building Engineer to obtain the following: location, zones, special zones (theaters, restaurants, computer rooms, stores), central control/location, number/location of return airshafts, common airshafts, controllable dampers and the location of the periphery air supply if there is one.
• Due to variations, Chief Officers should consult engineers to familiarize themselves with HVAC systems.

Hydraulics

• The stated purpose is to familiarize fire members with manually operated fire pumps. The building code of 1968 requires manual fire pump for buildings over 300 feet to supplement the standpipe high; the 1938 Building Code requires a manual fire pump for buildings over 250 feet high.
• The responsibility of building fire pump implementation has always been building engineers. The provided section does not release them from this assignment.

Pump Room Protocol

• Directions to follow are signs or directions on a pump room, typically located at the lowest cellar or sub-cellar floor.
• The pump room should be located. The gauges on the Inlet and Discharge lines to be noted, along with Locating the bypass valve on the discharge side of the fire pump, and that the discharge gauge is calibrated for higher pressures than the inlet gauge. Locate the bypass valve and ensure stem is in closed position, clock-vice, while checking the pump
• Notification to the engineer, upon arrival, is to be completed by the ECC assigned to operate pumps and if they are found and open, they are to be close them
• Some bypasses are not readily discernible: it is permissible to start pumps w/o checking the bypass valve although notify the engineer as notification: note this will effect pump efficiency. There can be a loss is 25% in an 8" riser and a loss of 45% in a 6" riser.
• Locate the Fire Pump Control cabinet and read the instruction plaque for starting

4-Step Procedure for Starting Pumps (control panel)

• First, close the knife switch to on.
• Next, close the circuit breakers.
• Push the starting button.
• Finally, move the selector lever to the desired position.

Furthermore

• If the Fire Pumps failed to start the emergency power lever located at the panel shall be used. Push or pull to set to the position and maintain contact in the Fire Command Station through communications or through phone in the pump room.
• There should be a check of the pressure in the discharge of the fire pump: if the pressure is not kept where it should be at, the setting to the lever has to be proper.
• The Building management is encouraged to provide this chart at the control panel.
• Pump capacity is usually at 750 gpm; most high-rise buildings have two side-by-side pumps.
• The building equipped with a combo will have similar starting procedures applies in the situation

Building Fire Pump Data

• ECC shall be assigned to assist engineers/operate building fire pumps, as they may not have the required knowledge to operate the hoses

• The building fire pumps should have red fire lines, and are usually located in the cellar or sub-cellar

• Fire pumps connected in parallel requires both to run at or near same pressure. Check gauges for visual equal pressure; one higher could have check-valve overcoming inefficiencies of the other.

• Adjustment should be left to the building engineer but move the pump-position lever if the reading is lower

• Standpipe phone, near each pump, provides direct communication with the Incident Command Post.

• Starting procedures are reversed to deactivate, if no engineer in charge is present, by returning pump position lever, de-pressing the buttons and opening circuit breakers.

Other Fire Pump Considerations

• Fire pipes rated delivered capacity at floor hose-coupling is to be at 50 psi. Fire pump relief valve limits pressures rated above. Because of such reasons, the building fire pump is not supplying enough pressure to the floor-hose

• In order to prevent overheating/churning, the building's fire pump / FD engines that are supplying standpipes has to be monitored. There should be a separate engine that can supply

First Alarm Battalion Chief Operations

• First arriving Battalion Chief assumes Incident Commander position applying strategic priorities by determining fire-specific floors with available information in the lobby.
• Verify the fire floor by reviewing occupant/management and first ladder company information in order to determine the location by moving through the location as rapidly.

Additional Battalion Responsibilities

• Occupants in numerous floors may evacuate: these should be controlled in each phase.
• Occupants unaware due to large floor/mazes require area search in the fire floor above.
• Gaining systems control of elevators communications and pumps.

A Fire Will Require

Large commitments/equipment levels because of logistics + frequent member relief

• Preset-up assignments are to determine for high rise fires for Incident chief and branch positions- these shall be pre determined but may be reassigned. Conditions determine each situation

Procedures for First Arriving Chief

• Must to achieve established operation by determining the IC in the lobby, in the ICP, to have building system control
• The First Arriving Fire will be at the ICP for a time that will be transferred for the balance until the 3rd alarm

Assessment

• Size up determines adequacy through the 10-76 or more from building skin + serious situations

• To receive balance of 10-76 the command would take place that is a initial size up

• Building Director would inform all info about determination/ evacuation and elevator state. Fire floor/commination are to be established

Actions

• The Safety Coordinator must pass messages to the safety system of the personnel

• At this point start obtaining high rise checklist

• Achieving such an objective shall have following measures that will need an addition unit for operation. Also to communicate the location of the officers

Placement Protocol

• With the team is being spread out, the ladders are to stretch the line

• After placement the need/placement the location is to determine for the construction type from the units

Strategic

• It can be reinforced that the protection can contain a confinement

• In these type of structures the effects over time can assist in effects

• The 2nd are to be defined but the floor up should be the Supervisor after

• Supervisor shall be on the floor below to give constant communication and SCBAs

IC Must

Ensure control the all over operation

• The chief must communicate in full of the plan

• They must have the support of a group.

• Note: leaders must operate under directors.

Incident Command Post Procedures

• High-rise building fires demand specific command, control, and coordinated operation procedures with large floor areas, tall structures, high occupancy, and complex support systems.

Communication Network

• The command, control, and fire department coordination requires a well-defined communication channel using fire department handi-talkies (HT), fire department radio, hard-wire (Class E, standpipe, in-house, outside, and/or the sound) phone systems and crossband repeater

• The Incident Command Post will be the center of the network with dispatch + fire commands throughout levels

• The Command channels or branches are to establish a network for each event. The Aide shall monitor,

Supervisors

• Supervisor / director channels of communication will need to communicate across these channels- these may be established though second or hardwire units
• For more search and Evacuation or staging: channel will switch that communications can be on point and are not in the loop at the current time

Command Post

• Control is initiated form initial units where the operation

• The location is to have communication with the fire. This will allow communication from

Incident Commands in High Rise Fires may require

• Management, logistics, safety, command with implementing strategies, fire operations, group communications, and resource

• Forward group to be designated for tactical support

• Operations: have control and proper access or ground level direct

• High rise: to supply the lift into staging

• Triage - the incidents medical assistance depending on triage Staging - provide assistant

• All of These are to require assistance

Incident Location

Must Provide Accessibility To

Incoming Units

• Accessibility to elevators
• Building command station

The Fire director and fire plans should be implemented for communications

The First Officer

The first officer that comes to the first will set the area which is to contain and note the units. Battalion then oversees the units and assists. Then it can get going from the elevators and assess

Incident Commander

With limited time an area has to set a plan for the implementation in those conditions. Fire needs additional areas in the elevator

Responsibilities

• Aided fire need logistical assistance. Additional staffing then help. With units in areas are to give those support

The Incident command: Is in the lobby to manage all elevator for the pre designated are for follow to duties

To control

Stairwells cannot have the fans

For the suppression you cannot use for assist because will need to stop it with fans and the area must be ventilated

Vertical

There are options and safety is needed.

Air shafts will do the trick more that not.

Learn about employee responsibilities during fire emergencies, the fire safety director's role, and the Incident Commander's actions. Understand engine and ladder company assignments in high-rise fires. Review fire pump start-up procedures.