Roof Operations: Safety and Tactical Ventilation

• Aerials should allow safe roof access/egress and tactical positioning for defensive operations.
• An Assistant Safety Officer or assigned individual observes roof conditions during operations.
• Roof operation companies: access roofs from stable platforms, have ≥2 egresses, full PPE/SCBA/radio, roof ladder, and sounding tools.
• Stable platforms include safety lines, roof ladders, and aerial devices.
• A structurally sound, unexposed roof area acts as a safe refuge/egress.
• Roof reports detail design/construction, structural/fire conditions, firewalls, openings, heavy objects, and ventilation plans.
• Roof operation objectives: constant structural stability evaluation, adequate vertical ventilation, and progress reports to the IC.
• Ventilation roof cuts: 7-9-8 for flat roofs; bay/louver for pitched roofs (if safe).
• Vertical ventilation holes must be 16 sq ft (4x4) and near/over the fire.
• Use kerf (plunge) cuts and triangular inspection holes to check for fire on roofs.
• All PPE exposed to combustion products requires Gross Decon.
• All personnel exposed to combustion products do Gross Decon before rehab, leaving the incident, or training.
• Gross Decon is located in the Warm Zone.
• First-arriving suppression establishes/oversees Gross Decon near combustion products.
• Drivers ensure clean municipal water (hydrant) and designated area with decon hose/green cone.
• Decon uses a brush fire flat hose with a garden-style nozzle (rain droplet setting) for high-flow, low-pressure flushing.
• The PPE drop zone is in the Warm Zone, downwind/remote from Rehab (off-gassing).
• Decon bags are twisted/taped, goose-necked, then twisted/taped again.
• "Shower within the hour" requires Battalion Chief approval, starts upon scene release.
• "Highly Exposed" are personnel performing interior tasks in thick smoke.
• Rural brush trucks have 800-1000ft of 3" hose, 200ft of 1 3/4" hose, and 2 SCBAs.
• The Hydrant Navigation System shows hydrant locations/flow rates, dry hydrants, and static water sources.
• All stations responding to structure fires in rural PBC send a brush truck with the engine (excluding 600 Series brush units).
• A Water Supply Officer (WSO) is well-versed in rural water supply.
• A standard 1 1/4 acre lot is ~200' wide for hose lay estimations in rural areas.
• Single-family dwellings need 250-500 gpm for room/contents fires.
• Single-family dwellings need 2,000-10,000 gallons of water for room/contents fires.
• Four rural water supply methods: Modified Direct Pumping, Nurse Tender, Relay Pumping, Folding/Dump Tank.

Water Supply Methods

• Modified Direct Pumping uses all on-scene water-carrying units to supplement the attack pumper.
• It involves 2 engines, 2 brush trucks, and 1 tender, yielding 6000 gallons.
• Modified Direct Pumping is used for short-duration fires (rooms, garages, sheds).
• It is recommended for confirmed rural structure fires with limited water.
• Nurse Tender Operations involve a tender supplying water directly to the attack engine.
• Nurse Tender Operations are recommended for short-duration fires.
• Nurse Tender Operations is unsuitable if the incident could expand.
• Relay Pumping Operations are preferred when water is unavailable near the fire.
• The pumper with the largest capacity is at the water source.
• 5" supply lines should be used from the water to the fire scene
• For long lays, lay the entire hose bed
• Folding/Dump Tank Operations are indirect water supplies using portable tanks.
• Dump tanks are for when the water source is far and relay is impractical.
• Tanks hold 3,000-5,000 gallons each.
• The supply engine drafts from the tank to relay to attack.
• Folding/Dump Tank Operations requires a minimum of 2 tenders.
• Cannot be used to supply master streams/aerials.
• Incidents needing 300+ gpm require multiple tanks.
• Tenders carry 3,000 gallons of water, foam, and SCBAs; back down the roadway.
• Float a Pump Operations are for inaccessible draft sites and a last resort.
• Float a Pump Operations requires ≥2 high-volume pumps.
• Place the source pump as close as possible to the pumps and monitor constantly.
• Fire watch is needed if potential for rekindle exists, the structure is unsafe, suppression and/or notification systems are non-functioning but the structure remains habitable.
• For wildland fires, establish a fire watch to extinguish potential rekindles/hot spots. Record conditions and actions.
• For non-fire situations, a fire watch is needed if the system is non operational OR upon notification/ discovery of a fire suppression system not being 100%
• The Fire Marshal determines actions, including fire watch, if an occupancy presents an immediate safety threat.
• For non-wildland fire watches, provide documents to the owner and notify the Fire Marshal's Office ([email protected]) immediately.

MCI Levels

• MCI is when the number of patients overwhelms first-arriving units.
• Level 1: 5-10 patients
• Level 2: 11-20 patients
• Level 3: 21-100 patients
• Level 4: 101-1,000 victims
• Level 5: Over 1,000 victims
• MCI types include shootings, explosions, collapses, plane crashes, vehicle accidents, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events.
• The FOO may contact the State Warning Point for additional resources outside of PBC.
• The FOO maintains a resource list: Tactical Command Unit, Area Command Team, Incident Management Team, Support 81, Disaster Response Unit, Tactical 34, Inventory Specialist.
• Secondary patient assessment during MCI uses METAG and leaves the original triage ribbon to show changing status.
• Transport logs include the patient's METAG ID, destination hospital, and transport unit number.
• A formal After-Action Review is required for MCI Level 3 or greater.

Abuse

• A vulnerable adult is someone 18+ whose ability to care for themselves is impaired due to disabilities or aging.
• For suspected physical abuse: notify law enforcement and EMS Captain; do NOT leave the victim alone (transport or turnover to LE).
• Follow up activities where a patient was transported for suspected abuse. Report to Florida Abuse Hotline, initiate MIH, thoroughly document.
• Suspected sexual abuse procedure of a minor or vulnerable adult: Notify law enforcement, PBC Victims Services Rape Crisis to request SART, Florida Abuse Hotline, and EMS Captain.
• Documentation for abuse calls: identify/document any items moved/altered, items left by Fire Rescue, comments by the patient, complete MIH referral. Mentally competent patients have the right to refuse all or any portion of treatment or transport if they meet all of the following criteria AAOX4, Clinically Sober, and Without life threatening or potentially life threatening emergency conditions that could impair their judgement
• Conditions that could impair judgment: hypoxia
• When a patient refuses transport, use all efforts to have a competent adult stay with them and inform them to call 911 if their condition changes.
• Florida Statute 401.445 allows emergency treatment of incapacitated people without consent (but no unreasonable force).

Guidelines for safe roof access, tactical positioning, and ventilation during firefighting operations. Covers roof condition assessment, stable platforms, and emergency egress. Details roof reports, structural stability evaluation, ventilation techniques, and cutting methods.