High-Rise Fire Response

Introduction

• The procedure and guidelines here pertain to personnel responding to and operating a high-rise fire.
• All chief officers and company commanders, as well as all uniformed members, should be aware of the instruction's content.
• The Deputy Fire Chiefs of the Operations Bureaus are responsible for the content, revision, and annual review.
• Definitions are contained in Appendix I.

Responsibility

• The First Arriving Company Officer reports initial size-up to Command and Control (C&C) and initiates the Incident Command System (ICS).
• The First Arriving Company Officer also takes necessary action and provides for personnel safety.
• The Incident Commander (IC) manages the incident overall and provides follow-up reports to C&C until the resources demobilize.
• The Safety Officer identifies and evaluates hazards, advises the IC on personnel safety, and investigates accidents involving Fire Department personnel.
• The Safety Officer can alter, suspend, or terminate unsafe activities and provides the safety message for the Incident Action Plan (IAP).
• Company Officers report their "Holding" position, follow check-in procedures, maintain unit cohesion, provide safety briefings, and complete assignments.
• Command and Control (C&C) assigns extra tactical frequencies or command channels upon the IC's request.

Policy

• The Los Angeles County Fire Department's high-rise fire priorities are life protection, incident stabilization, and property/environment conservation.
• Personnel at a high-rise fire must follow the Emergency Incident Safety Instructions (Volume 10, Chapter 3, Subject 1) and wear proper PPE.
• Elevators shouldn't be used for initial investigation/fire attack or logistics transport unless the IC deems it safe.
• The IC holds responsibility for elevator usage.
• High-Rise fire incidents' organizational structure and nomenclature align with the Incident Command System.
• The standard response to a reported high-rise fire incident in Los Angeles County adheres to Volume 10-2-2, "Response to Alarms."
• When the IC asks for additional resources, C&C directs these to a "check-in" location (usually BASE) and designates a travel route.

Procedures

• Incident Priorities align with policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Tactical priorities include investigation/rescue, fire attack, property conservation, adequate water supply, building systems (Lobby Control) control, and control of floors above and below the fire.
• Personnel must adhere to Emergency Incident Safety Instructions (Volume 10, Chapter 3, Subject 1), and Uniform Regulations (Volume 2, Chapter 11, Subject 1).
• Personnel protective equipment should be worn.
• Priority resource allocation is needed to accomplish strategic priorities utilizing a standard methodology.
• The IC is assumed to have flexibility in tasking individual engine and truck companies.
• These procedures only address the first alarm assignment, and the IC assigns extra resources.

Priority Resource Deployment, First Alarm Assignment

• First-in Company: radio size-up, investigation/initial action, rescue/fire attack, water supply, pass command, communicate location, conditions, and needs.
• Second-in Company: assume command, establish Lobby Control, request/assign resources, and support investigation/rescue/fire attack teams as requested.
• Third-in Company: Water supply and workforce.
• Fourth-in Company: Establish Base and workforce.
• Additional Companies: Workforce.
• First-in Rescue Squad: Prepare for a Medical Group/Branch as needed and workforce.
• First-in Battalion Chief assumes the duties of the IC.
• Second-in Battalion Chief may be assigned as a Division Supervisor on the fire floor.
• First-in Assistant Chief also assumes the duties of the IC, and the first-in battalion chief should remain at the command post.
• The first-in battalion chief is to be utilized at the IC's discretion as deputy IC, Plans Chief, Operations Chief, etc.
• The Third-in Battalion Chief could be assigned as Logistics Chief.
• A Fourth-in Battalion Chief may be assigned as Division Supervisor on the floor above the fire.
• Additional Chief Officers may be assigned as needed.
• The IC may exercise flexibility with company and chief officer assignments as conditions may warrant, but adherence to basic resource deployment policies and procedures are still paramount.
• The first-arriving officer needs to passes command to the second, which should include annunciator panel info, elevator status, ascent route for fire attack crews (stairwell location and identification), and any other relevant info.

Specific Operations, First Alarm Assignment

• Incident Command: establish a safe command post, determine resource adequacy, provide follow-up and status reports with C&C, order extra resources, gain control of building systems, and maintain necessary Re-Stat/Sit-Stat records.
• Incident Command also provides needed ICS positions.
• Initial Investigations, Rescue, and Fire Attack should communicate a standard radio size-up report.
• Initial Investigations, Rescue, and Fire Attack should gain entry to the Fire Control Room or lobby area and obtain keys from the Fire Department lock box.
• They must also call elevator cars into Phase I, Fire Service recall, utilizing Fire Department key controls, and check annunciator panels for fire/signal locations and types.
• Ascertain other pertinent info, identify and enter a stairwell, and begin ascent to the reported fire floor.
• Pass command to the second-in company officer, and relay necessary info.
• Check area two floors below the fire for staging.
• Check conditions on the fire floor, above, and below, communicating info to the IC, and take necessary action, then communicate those needs to the IC.
• Water Supply Operations: Dedicate a minimum of two engine company apparatus with engineers; the first-in and third-in companies.
• Water supply operations at buildings using Class I (dry) non-cross-connected standpipe systems may require additional engine company apparatus.
• The first-in engine company engineer must spot their apparatus within 100 feet of the Fire Department standpipe connection.
• Only 2 1/2" hose shall be used for the hose lay between the engine company apparatus and the Fire Department connection.
• If a hydrant is within 100 feet, secure a primary water supply.
• The 3rd-in company engineer helps the first-in engineer secure adequate primary or secondary water supply, with volume and pressure.
• All Fire Department connection inlets should be connected to and charged as ordered.
• Lobby Control Operations: establish Lobby Control, designate a Lobby Control Manager, and maintain control of building systems.
• Lobby Control Operations must maintain Re-Stat records and recall/maintain Fire Department control of elevators and shutdown systems.
• Establish communications with the IC and landline telephone capabilities.
• Also, establish communications within the building to reassure and give occupants direction and direct firefighting personnel to the correct stairwell.
• Liaison with the building engineer and building security.
• Base Operations: Locate Base at a safe location 200 feet away from the fire building.
• Establish Base and a Base Manager, initiate diagonal parking, and establish communication with IC.
• Keep "Check-in" arriving personnel and maintain necessary Re-Stat records, and establish an Equipment Pool.

Operations, Greater Alarm Assignment Resources

• Reinforce Fire Attack companies with staff and equipment and provide for relief/rehab of personnel.
• Reinforce previously assigned command assignments in staffing.
• Also, reinforce equipment as needed, i.e., IC/Command Post, Lobby Control, Base, Divisions, and Groups.
• Initiate Staging inside the fire building and designate a Staging Manager.
• First and second-floor fires will have staging in a safe location, not necessarily within the fire building.
• Initiate Stairwell Support and designate a Stairwell Support Manager, then set up a Rehab area.
• Initiate an Air Operations Branch and designate a Branch Director.
• Initiate Branches, Divisions, and Groups, such as Elevator Rescue, Salvage, and Ventilation.
• Support demobilization with staffing.

Appendix I Definitions

• ANNUNCIATOR PANEL/AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: A system and panel that detects a fire condition and triggers a fire alarm which includes manual pull stations, smoke detectors, water flow indicators, troubleshoot indicators, and tamper indicators.
• BASE: A location where resources respond to prepare for use by the IC.
• ELEVATOR CONTROL: Phase 1 is when the elevator is recalled to the lobby and fire personnel have manual control of it and that is outside of the automatic functioning of the elevators
• FIRE ATTACK: Uses one or more hose streams in a coordinated effort to locate, confine, and extinguish fire.
• FIRE EXTINGUISHING SYSTEMS: These include automatic systems and are approved with the equipment to automatically detect a fire.
• Class 1: A dry standpipe system that has 2 1/2 inch outlets.
• Class 2: A wet standpipe system has 1 1/2 inch outlets.
• Class 3: A combination standpipe system has hose cabinet and 2 1/2 inch outlets.
• A combined system is a water piping system that serves 2 1/2 inch hose outlets and supplies water to sprinklers.
• HIGH RISE STRUCTURE: A building that has floors that are used for human occupancy 75 ft above the lowest level having access.
• HVAC: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
• LOBBY CONTROL: Positioned personnel that maintain building functions and direct incoming companies to the correct stairwell.
• Lobby control directs incoming companies to the stairwell and notes records of fire personnel leaving the building while alerting for change in the fire control room.
• LOCK BOX: Security box that contains building access items.
• STAGING: An area for equipment and workforce to rehabilitate and is ideally two floors away from the confirmed fire floor.