High-Rise Firefighting Strategies

High-Rise Fire Definition

• A high-rise building is defined as being over 75 feet in height.
• High-rise fires have immense occupancy loads and require tremendous resources, making them challenging and potentially lethal.
• Fighting a high-rise fire is like battling multiple commercial fires stacked on top of each other.
• People on floors above the fire can be killed by smoke and fire gases.
• On a high-rise the fire and smoke move faster than everything else.
• Ascending a stairwell in a high-rise can take crews 60-90 seconds per floor to reach the fire, during which time the fire spreads.
• Incident command skills offer a solid base to save civilian lives and ensure the safety of fire crews.
• Pre-planning and training involving high-rise building personnel is essential.
• Knowledge of various systems (fire suppression, elevators, HVAC), internal communications, and building layout are important in high-rise fires.
• Preparation, knowing the environment, and understanding tactical opportunities drive effective incident command decision-making.

NFPA Data (2009-2013)

• U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 14,500 structure fires in high-rise buildings annually.
• These fires caused an average of 40 civilian deaths and 520 injuries, as well as $154 million in property damage annually.
• Approximately 73% of high-rise fires occur in apartments/multi-family housing (62%), hotels (4%), dormitories (4%), offices (2%), and healthcare facilities (2%).
• Most remaining fires were in mixed-use buildings or were misclassified properties.
• The fire death rate and average loss per fire are generally lower in high-rise buildings compared to similar buildings.
• High-rise buildings have lower percentages of fires with flame damage beyond the room of origin.
• Fire protection systems and features greatly affect outcomes in high-rise fires
• Example: Apartments have flame damage beyond the origin room in 4% of high-rise fires versus over 10% in shorter buildings
• Example: Hotels had flame damage beyond the room of origin in 4% of high-rise fires versus 11% in shorter buildings.
• Example: Dormitories had flame damage beyond the room of origin in 2% of high-rise fires versus 1% in shorter buildings.
• Example: Offices had flame damage beyond the room of origin in 10% of high-rise fires versus 21% in shorter buildings.
• Example: Healthcare facilities had flame damage beyond the room of origin in 4% of high-rise fires versus 9% in shorter buildings.
• High-rise buildings are more likely to have fire-resistant construction and wet pipe sprinklers.

Case Study - Granite Tower

• Automatic fire alarms can create complacency in firefighters.
• Always take high-rise incidents seriously due to their complexity and danger.
• The incident commander should call for help and request a significant number of firefighters.
• Large fire departments should have automatic second alarm responses for high-rise fires.
• For small and medium departments, resource options should be pre-planned, and mutual aid agreements established.
• Aim to have 100 firefighters on scene quickly.
• Do not assume nothing is happening if nothing is showing outside of the building.
• A frightened security guard reported a "bigfire" in the elevator machine room on the 33rd floor.
• Elevator malfunctions also occurred
• Climbing 33 flights with 75-100 lbs of gear requires a firefighter to be in top physical condition
• Focus on firefighter welfare because managing risk increases significantly
• Establish a command post (CP) at the fire command center (FCC) within the building.
• For escalating situations, move the incident command post (ICP) outside with a two-sided view of the building.
• Assign a chief officer to the FCC as a systems control officer.
• Prioritize stopping the fire and completing a primary search.
• Focus on tactical and task-level work.
• Assign a company officer as the fire floor division supervisor, then replace them with a district chief.
• Use divisions to maintain a reasonable span of control.
• As complexity increases move towards sections chiefs
• Consider an fire suppression branch responsible for the fire floor and floors above and below.
• The upper branch will be responsible for floors above the fire floor.
• The interior support branch is responsible for everything below the floor below the fire.
• Assign the third-due truck company for rapid intervention team (RIT) duties, equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED).
• Establish emergency power to a low-rise bank elevator for access to the 16th-floor sky lobby.
• Establish a medical group there with paramedics and ALS equipment
• Address logistical challenges due to the lack of elevators; assign four engine companies to assemble a stairway support team.
• Request local utility company to quickly control and shut off electrical power to the fire floor.

Tactics - SAW-CSS-RECEO-VSS

• SAW-CSS-RECEO-VSS is a tactical template for all types of incidents, but it can be modified for high-rise fires.
• It dictates actions based on staffing, resources, codes, and interpretation of high-rise tactics.
• Universal practices should be considered as a minimum foundation for incident command.
• Key points serve as benchmarks for the incident commander and tactical supervisors.
• ALS-BASE (attack, lobby, staging, BASE) is a classic acronym for initial command considerations in high-rise fires.
• SAW-CSS-RECEO-VSS components detail high-rise tactical and command considerations.
• Key points are in italics and correspond with the tactical worksheet.

Size-Up Considerations

• High-rises present size-up and reconnaissance challenges unlike typical structure fires.
• Reconnaissance is required in the lobby, control room, elevators, shafts, as well as on multiple floors
• Size-up is a mental process that requires exponential thinking for high-rise fires.
• Use pre-planning information while en route.
• High-rise buildings vary in construction, systems, and fire protection.
• Determine if the building is an apt building or office building and consider occupancy loads based on the time of day
• Use an algorithm from the street
• Identify involved floors and call additional alarms as per your SOG.
• Locate the on-site RP / building engineer to get info on the building systems
• Control the lobby and get information from the annunciator panel and all personnel on site
• Account for elevators
• Identify the location of smoke and potential victims with potential VP
• Identify the fire attack stairwell and the rescue/support stairwells
• Initial size-up should include an arrival report

Apparatus Placement

• Position the first engine at the lobby entrance, with the second at the fire department connection (FDC) for the attack stairwell standpipe
• Position Balance of the alarm a block away
• Protect apparatus, hoselines, equipment, and personnel from falling debris.
• 2 floors below is where staging normally is to support all operations above
• Always have a full alarm when staging
• Designate a staging manager
• Bring equipment, including SCBA cylinders, hose packs, portable tools, and radio batteries, to the staging area
• The apparatus parking area/base for high-rise fires should be 200ft away from the building.
• Companies should avoid falling debris when moving there.
• Consider traffic control

Water Supply

• Establish a water supply and connect to the standpipe after the attack companies and stairwell
• Consult a building engineer for the presence of a fire pump
• Designate who is securing the water supply, which is dictated by the SOG.
• Determine if hydrants are accessible; relay pump operations / group may be needed
• Check for sprinkler connections.
• Utilize a fire control room to manage the water supply

Command Structure

• Command must be established and announced immediately. Only one incident commander can exist and name the incident
• Lots falls on the shoulders of the first arriving company officers
• Contend with lobby, access panel, and how the building is occupied
• Need to ID attack stairwell
• ICP location must be announced
• ICP is typically not suited for the lobby
• ICP should be away from the building and incident base, able to view conditions
• Call additional alarms early and confirm base location
• Establish an early ICS
• Develop a communications plan to prevent overtaxing, and utilize PA system and floor numbers

Strategy

• Size-up for high-rise fires is delayed and can change while ascending
• Strategy consideration is to plan for the worst
• VP and incident priority/strategy
• Follow a well developed High-Rise SOG

Safety

• Keep it simple and calm
• Plan for intervention due to significant delays
• Bolster your Rapid Intervention Command group as needed
• The lobby determine who goes and has system control via building and elevators
• Medical unit separated from medic groups for personnel and rehab is important
• Backup is critical
• Two stairwells will need a second officer to assist
• ISO must be established to monitor the fire
• More considerations for high rise include
  • Weather
  • Stack Effect
  • Elevators
  • Fire rapidly and easily progressing
  • High Load
  • Falling debris
  • Crews Disorientation

Rescue

• rescue is extremely important
• Get attack lines in place

Primary and Secondary Searches

• Rapid Ascent Team is utilized to search and rescue
• Use evacuations for civilians based on the conditions in the Twin Parks Fire

Medical

• You need Medical treatment and support due to large scale rescue

Exposures

• Interior stairwells and shafts are all potential risks
• Extreme wind is an issue
• Control everything and take for granted
• Try to get above and protect asap

Confinement

• Confine the fire to as small an area as possible
• Contain the smoke along with the flames
• Always confine the fire by using HVAC and stairwells

Extinguishment

• Extinguishment of the Fire is critical
• Know the Fire water needed and flow
• Use multiple attack plans with needed back-ups

Overhaul

• Do not rely on the TIC alone for overhaul
• Assign people who can confirm if complete

Ventilation

• Stairwell Pressurization is needed
• Stack effect is to the build up of smoke in an area
• Wind can also affect what you need to do
• HVAC and stairwells must be coordinated

Salvage

• Salvage compared to search is low
• Conduct salvage in the later stages of operation for damage control

Support

• High rise fire support will be needed for
  • Engineers
  • Comms
  • Dispatchers
  • Law enforcement
  • ISO and LEO etc

Tactical Sheet Considerations

• Consider the tactics when fighting the fires
• Use ics systems
• Note the conditions of the building
• Note communications and rescue

On Common Alarms

• Take effective ICS use and communications as opportunities to practice
• Division happens right away
• Supervisors lead the group
• Lobby and system will control the team and assign accordingly
• Use food on the Stove as a means to stage

High-rise Fires with Confirmed Fire

• Consider completion after and lag to send support
• Send additional alarms
• Division happens right away again
• Teams need attack and primary support
• Lobby is needed in the same way and staging and bass assigned
• Look at evacuation and consider victims.

Visible Smoke and Damage

• Visible fire will spread and could burn hot
• Extra help and Alarms are needed again
• Always Consider conditions from the start
• Ventilation group will be needed

Sprinkler Systems

• These may have failed and civilians should be looked at
• Think ahead with additional help
• Same as other issues division and supervision will happen again and again
• Expand comms and traffic
• Expand rescue and teams

Additional Notes

• The incident has the capacity to escalate super fast
• The IC may not be enough
• Set up IC in a good place like the lobby of near building
• Split up fire of ICs
• Consider ventilation of roof
• Remember fires often kill both fighters and others