Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 2
Table of Contents
Purpose & Introduction
Definition of High Rise & High Risk Occupancy
Responding to High Rise & High Risk Occupancy fires
Tactical Principles (for fighting fires in High Rise
& High Risk occupancy structures)
Ventilation (in High Rises & High Risk occupancy)
Below grade tactics
Ventilation below grade
High Rises under construction
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Purpose
High Rise and High Risk Occupancy fires have many similarities and thus require many of the
same Procedures, Incident Organization and Tactics. This chapter provides a source of
information to equip firefighters for an effective response to High Rise & High Risk occupancy
fires. It provides a foundation of understanding about these situational types of fires, as well as a
departmental guide for the consistent and safe mitigation of these incidents.
This chapter includes the following topics:
Definition and description
Tactical goals
Operational procedures
Distribution of duties
Safety considerations
Introduction
High Rise
Office Residential
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Perhaps no other fire presents a greater challenge than those in High Rise structures (also
referred traditionally as Type I construction). Because of their size, variety, and varied
occupancies, these structures require diligent fire service training, pre-fire planning, and
adherence to disciplined fire suppression procedures.
As the City of Ottawa grows, so too does the need for the Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) to keep up
with advances in fire engineering, and science, as well as procedures. Intensification of the urban
core in order to maximize land use as well as reduce the environmental cost of transportation has
lead to an increase of High Rise buildings being built in Ottawa. In addition developers are
designing buildings for more than one type of occupancy including office towers and residential
apartments.
For the purpose of this manual, High Rise Building shall be defined as any structure above six
stories in height. High Buildings are defined as buildings four to six stories.
Hospital
School
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High Risk Occupancies include but are not limited to: Schools, Hospitals, Seniors Residences,
Daycares, Rooming Houses and in some cases, Commercial Occupancies (e.g. Shopping Malls
and Churches). Unlike High Rises these structures may be built as any Type of construction.
These structures may be only one story in height but have a very large footprint. The time of day
will increase or decrease the life risk factor and thus tactics will need to reflect these risks.
Rescue may involve numerous people and evacuation will usually be complicated due to various
factors (e.g. occupants may need to use secondary or unfamiliar exits). In some High Risk
Occupancies there may not be stairwells however there may be a maze of hallways and multiple
exit points to be searched and cleared of smoke.
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Implementation
High Rise Procedures should be implemented if any of the following requirements are met:
The structure is defined as a High Rise/High Risk
The structure requires unreasonable evacuation time
The fire would pose the potential for significant stack effect
A large sized structure where High Rise procedures would be beneficial
Pre-planning information identifies the requirement for High Rise tactics.
Distribution of Duties
For the purpose of this chapter, the Distribution of Duties will be based on order of arrival.
Please note that the following duties assume that the first-arriving vehicle will be a pump
apparatus followed by a ladder apparatus and a 2nd pump. It shall be understood that
regardless of vehicle type, duties will be assigned according to this arrival sequence. In the
absence of orders from the Incident Commander, Company Officers will report to Incident
Commander over the radio, with the assumption of their sector.
If for any reason companies are required to deviate from the pre-assigned sequence,
Incident Command is responsible for reassigning available resources as required by the
Incident Action Plan.
For additional sectors, branches, and sections not covered, see OFS SOP FI 03.1-2001, Incident
Management System (IMS).
In non-hydrant areas it will be necessary to reallocate resources in order to secure an adequate
water supply as per SOP FI 02.1, Water Supply for Non-Hydrant Areas. Therefore any pre-
assigned duties will have to be back-filled by additional resources.
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Rules of Operation
As per SOP FI 03.1-2001 Incident Management System only Fire Suppression personnel
are allowed to initiate and assume Incident Command.
The first arriving Suppression firefighter initiates/assumes command and reports to
Dispatch via initial radio transmission
The first Fire Suppression officer to arrive on-scene shall assume Command
All subsequent arriving Company Officers must report to Command via radio to receive
and confirm assignments, unless reporting to a Level 2 staging area OFS SOP FI 03.1-
2001, Incident Management System (IMS)All personnel on location must ensure that
they are properly accounted for in accordance with SOP SA 02.1-2001, Firefighter
Accountability and Entry Control.
All personnel in the Hot Zone must wear full personal protective equipment (PPE). All
other personnel must wear PPE in accordance with SOP SA 03.2-2001, Hazard Control
Zones.
The initial 5 companies entering a High Rise structure shall bring, as a minimum, the following
equipment:
Hand lights
Portable radios
45mm (1 ) High Rise pack (red bag)
65mm (2 ) Extender pack (50)
Forcible entry tools
Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC)
Latch straps, door wedges, and chalk
When High Rise Procedures are used, the Incident Commander is required to direct and
coordinate the efforts of several companies without being able to see them or the immediate
results of their actions. Once Command Mode is established, it is extremely important that a
Command Post be established in a suitable location, where the Incident Commander can direct
overall operations and be available to any support agencies.
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Note: The rationale for establishing elevator control immediately is to ensure that supporting
companies can access the fire floor in a timely fashion. The elevator can play a crucial role in
transporting personnel and equipment where it is needed quickly and easily as compared to using
the stairs. It is strongly recommended that the elevator be used as a means of effective
transportation if it is determined safe to do so.
If arriving with another crew, both crews shall proceed to the emergency floor together.
For safety reasons the area around any building should be kept clear of civilians and non-fire
emergency personnel. This Control Zone may also facilitate unobstructed ladder operations.
Therefore, it is recommended that a 60 metre Control Zone be established around the building
for fire vehicles only. An access route shall be maintained.
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Example of an initial PA Announcement for a working fire condition (both English and
French if at all possible):
Attention, Attention, this is the Ottawa Fire Service. We have a fire on the 6th floor. Remain
in your apartment. Do not use the elevator or stairs. If you need immediate help call 9-1-1.
Stand by for further information. (Repeat twice)
"Attention, Attention, ceci est le Service des incendies d'Ottawa. Nous avons un incendie au 6me
tage. Restez dans votre appartement. Ne pas utiliser l'ascenseur ou les escaliers. Si vous avez besoin
daide immdiatement, appelez le 9-1-1. Attendez pour plus dinformations. (Repeat twice)
Example of an initial PA Announcement for alarm activation (both English and French):
Attention, Attention, this is the Ottawa Fire Service. Firefighters are investigating the cause
of the alarms. Stand by for further information. (Repeat twice)
"Attention, Attention, ceci est le Service des incendies d'Ottawa. Les pompiers enqutent sur la cause
de l'alarme. Attendez pour plus dinformations. (Repeat twice)
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Rehabilitation Sector
Rehabilitation is an important sector for fighting fires in High Rise structures. Whenever
possible, the Rehabilitation Sector should be situated on the floor below the Staging Area. This
location will allow for companies to descend only a few floors for rehabilitation, rather than
several floors to the street. This close proximity will thus provide for a quicker turnaround time
and allow the Incident Commander to better manage personnel. SOP SA 01.1-2001 REV-
Fireground Rehabilitation
Rescue and Evacuation Sector
Command should establish a Rescue and Evacuation Sector whenever it is in the best interest of
occupants to be evacuated due to an immediate life safety hazard. The Rescue and Evacuation
sector officer will develop a plan, request resources from command, and perform the following
tasks:
Evacuate persons in greatest danger first; which includes those closest to the fire and
those in areas in which there are heavy concentrations of smoke.
Designate specific areas for evacuation and assign companies to those areas or floors
in order to assist with evacuation.
Identify safe evacuation routes.
Consider protecting occupants in place if the evacuation route is unsafe.
Provide frequent progress reports to command
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The Medical Branch shall be established by EMS in an appropriate area which ensures:
It does not inhibit fire operations or movement of personnel and equipment
It is suitable for patient care, i.e., where patient care can be provided in a non-toxic
environment, and free from the potential for medical equipment to become contaminated
from smoke
It is close to efficient transport of patients
It is safe for both patient(s) and EMS personnel
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Lobby Control
Ventilation Sector
Ventilation Sector
Accountability Incident Command
Medical Branch
Level 2 Staging
Figure 1
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Fireground Communications
There are 2 Main concerns regarding communication at a High Rise fire:
2. It is difficult to maintain adequate communications using portable radios due to the mass
of concrete and steel used to build the structure that blocks radio transmissions.
There are a number of steps that can be taken to improve internal radio communication:
Position vehicles equipped with a mobile radio repeater on as many sides of the
building as possible
Changing the location of the portable radio a few feet in one direction or another
Locating/positioning the radio closer to a window or an outside wall
Placing the antenna against or outside a window
If the fire is on one of the top floors, transmitting from the roof
Locating/positioning radios close to or inside stairwells
Use of talk-around feature as per SOP CO 01.1 Radio Communication Procedures
In order to reduce radio traffic, use face-to-face communication whenever possible, at the
sector level.
Communication Alternatives
In addition to mobile and portable radios, the following are examples of alternate
communications:
Built-in voice communication systems
Firefighter telephones
Elevator telephones
Landline and cellular phones
Messengers and runners
Apparatus public address systems
Individual apartment intercom systems
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Advancing Hoselines
Direct attack
If conditions permit, the first fire-attack hoseline should be connected to the standpipe
connection on the fire floor. This method enables firefighters to keep the stairwell doors on the
fire floor closed, reducing the amount of heat and smoke entering the stairwell.
In open-concept office buildings and below grade operations, a lifeline should be attached to the
exit door and advanced to the hose cabinet to enable firefighters in finding their way back when
visibility is reduced. Strategically placed hand lights on flash cycle can also provide firefighters
guidance back to stairwells or an area of refuge.
The importance of properly stretching the initial attack line cannot be overstated. When
stretching a hoseline from the floor below the fire floor, personnel should:
Confirm that the standpipe outlet is operational prior to connecting the initial attack line.
Use the 65mm extender hose
Ensure that the hose is laid to one side of the stairway
Flaked above the landing on the fire floor
The nozzle firefighter should ensure that the hose is not gathered in a pile on the landing,
as this may impede opening the door to the fire floor
Charge the hoseline and adjust the flow pattern prior to advancing into the hallway.
The officer in charge of fire attack should utilize a thermal imaging camera and direct the
firefighter on the nozzle accordingly.
Note: The thermal imaging camera is an effective method for determining heat and fire location.
However, upon arriving at a closed door with a suspected fire behind it, the nozzle operator can
paint the door (spray a very small amount of water mist) in an effort to determine where the
evaporation of the water stops. The line on the door may show the level of the heat in the fire
compartment.
Fire personnel shall always use water application methods that reduce the possibility of flashover
in accordance with OFS training. Remember: Smoke is fuel! Properly apply hose streams into
the smoke layer, in such a way as to not disrupt the thermal layer. This can reduce temperatures
in the gaseous layer and prevent flashover.
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Indirect Attack
Conditions that may prevent direct attack include wind driven fires, adverse flow-path(s), or a
super heated environment. When a direct attack compromises the safety of fire personnel an
indirect attack shall be used initially. When safe for personnel, direct attack tactics shall be used
to fully extinguish the fire. The following are examples of Indirect Attack:
Using Specialized Nozzles such as a Bresnan nozzle lowered from the floor above
Flanking by directing the agent from adjacent balconies or breaching wall(s) of adjacent
unit(s), etc.
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Figure 2
When conducting primary searches, OFS utilizes IFSTA Essentials 6 door Marking System
when searching rooms. A secondary search is required once a fire is under control and it is safe
to do so. To indicate that a secondary search has been completed, the X indicating the primary
search completed is circled.
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Smoke Migration
The following factors may cause smoke to spread to areas outside a fire compartment:
Effect of Weather:
o Wind direction and speed
o Barometric pressure
o Temperature
Flow Paths
Temperature effects created by the fire
Stack effect
Smoke stratification
Mechanical air-handling systems
Effect of Weather
External conditions, such as: wind, barometric pressure, temperature, etc., may cause smoke to
move away from a fire area towards various parts of a building. Under certain conditions, wind
action can cause smoke to move vertically within a building, but its main effect is to cause air or
smoke to move in a horizontal direction toward the leeward and side walls. It is wise to take note
of the direction and speed of the wind at the time of the fire as it can have a major effect on flow
path and the spread of fire within the building. A phenomenon referred to as a Wind Driven Fire.
Flow Paths
Refer to Chapter 1
Temperature Effects Created by Fire
Heat generated by fire increases gas temperature, which in turn forces smoke outside of the fire
compartment by means of thermal expansion and stack action. For any given increase in
temperature of a fire compartment, there is a corresponding increase in the volume of gas. This
gas is forced outside from an area of high pressure towards an area of low pressure, as a result of
thermal expansion of smoke volume that increases in pressure as long as the temperature in the
compartment continues to rise.
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Stack Effect
Stack effect is defined as the vertical, natural air movement throughout a high rise building
caused by a difference in temperatures between the inside and outside air. Stack effect in a
building is like stack effect in a chimney. Stack action in winter causes air to flow into a building
at low levels and out at upper levels. This effect occurs when dense colder air infiltrates the
building at a low level creating a draft in a shaft such as a stairwell or elevator. The cold air
displaces the warmer air creating upward-flowing currents of air movement.
Reverse flow patterns occur in summer in air-conditioned buildings when inside temperature is
lower than outside temperature, although the temperature differences are less in summer than in
winter. Stack effect can be responsible for a significant smoke migration in a high rise building
fire. The magnitude of stack effect is a function of several factors:
Difference in temperature between inside air and outside air
Building height
Air seal of the exterior walls
Air leakage between floors
Figure 3
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Horizontal Ventilation
Figure 4
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A residential high-rise should be vented after extinguishment using the following method (as
illustrated in Figure 6):
Vent vertically through the stairwell equipped with a bulkhead door or hatch to roof
or exterior, when feasible.
Companies should coordinate efforts when opening doors for ventilation.
Companies should begin on the ground floor and move upwards. When a floor is
vented, companies should proceed to the next floor above and repeat the procedure
until the entire building is vented.
If the only stairwell opens to the lobby, another fan should be set to seal the entrance
of the lobby, in order to pressurize the ground floor lobby area.
Coordinating a ventilation plan requires a great deal of radio airtime. Officers should consider
requesting through IC and Communications additional radio channels for Ventilation and
Stairwell Sectors. This will facilitate these sectors to coordinate a ventilation plan without
adversely affecting overall fireground communications.
Additional PPV fans and companies will be required if the building has multiple stairwells or a
unique layout. It is important to remember that only one stairwell should be used for ventilation
and others should be pressurized to allow for safe evacuation. This ensures that all the smoke and
heat is channelled in one direction making the ventilation process more efficient. All stairwells
must be continuously monitored however to ensure evacuating occupants are not in danger.
Occupant Safety
The most effective means to ensure occupant safety is an aggressive fire attack, coupled with
limited evacuation specific to those occupants in immediate danger. Total evacuation of a high-
rise building (under fire conditions) is not always practical and can also reduce the effectiveness
of firefighting efforts. Confining the fire to as small an area as possible and moving those
occupants directly affected to a safe location minimizes the life hazard problem. The IC should
decide whether to evacuate the occupants or have them shelter in place.
Shelter in Place
Occupants should be sheltered in place when:
Their unit is not compromised or in danger
The flow path(s) will be negatively affected by the opening and closing of doors
Sufficient resources are unavailable to properly evacuate or secure safe evacuation routes
Premature evacuation hinders fire operations
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Evacuation
In high-rise apartment buildings, most fire fatalities occur in the apartment of origin. The
second most common area for fatalities are stairwells. Fire personnel must:
Exercise strict control of all stairwells.
Employ every option available to communicate with the building occupants.
If a public address system is available, a message shall be communicated instructing the
building occupants as to what actions, if any, they should take.
Personnel assigned to Evacuation Sector should assess the risk/benefit analysis and determine the
appropriate level of evacuation required for the circumstance, including:
In general evacuation usually starts with the fire floor with subsequent floors being be
evacuated based on the risk to occupants.
The occupants of the fire floor should, if possible, be moved to a safe refuge area (usually
at least) three floors below the fire floor.
Any occupants at risk above the fire floor(s) should be moved to a safe refuge area.
Occupants below the fire floor can usually remain sheltered in place in order to keep
corridors and stairwells free.
Occupants should never be moved to a floor where an internal staging area has been
established
Whenever possible evacuations should be managed to avoid interference with
firefighting operations.
Salvage
Construction methods used in high rise buildings create many paths for products of combustion,
as well as water to travel through the structure. This condition, coupled with the fact that high-
rise buildings often contain important documents and equipment, requires that salvage operations
be given prompt attention.
When a salvage problem exists, the Incident Commander must assign a salvage sector early in
the incident.
Refer to the most current IFSTA Essentials of Fire fighting and Fire Department
Operations Manual Salvage techniques
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Overhaul
In all fires, a complete and thorough search for any hidden or remaining fire must be preformed
to ensure complete extinguishment.
Refer to the most current IFSTA Essentials of Fire fighting and Fire Department
Operations Manual for Overhaul techniques
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Below-Grade Communications
Communications below grade can be hindered because of the mass of concrete, steel, and even
the heavy concentration of smoke. The first-arriving officer at a below-grade fire shall ensure
activation of vehicle repeater(s) as soon as possible in order to maintain radio contact. Portable
radios that cannot stay in contact with a tower shall be set to the vehicular repeater (VR_CONV)
frequency, as per SOP CO 01.3-2003 Vehicle and Portable Radio Operating Procedures.
In situations where radio communications cannot be maintained, the following options should be
considered:
Establish a communications relay using the portable radios as walkie-talkies by
switching the channel to talk-around feature to ensure adequate communications.
Note:
o When using talk-around a separate radio will be required to monitor the
operational channel.
o Communications will not receive firefighter down notifications if radios are
set to talk-around function, nor will radios on this setting receive emergency
evacuation tones.
If available use the internal communications system (fire phones), which include
telephone handsets in small red cabinets in hallways. A firefighter can be assigned to
use this system as a link between Fire Attack and the Lobby Control Officer.
Use a series of firefighters as runners from one area to the next. If this is being done
in the Hot Zone, it should be performed using line of sight so that no firefighter is
alone.
Evacuation
Below-grade evacuation can be difficult under fire conditions as there will be fewer available
means of egress. Exit points may only be at grade level, forcing building occupants to travel
upward to evacuate. For this reason, the outside perimeter of the building should be surveyed for
fire escape stairwells that may originate below grade. Rescue and evacuation are of prime
concern because there will be no windows or balconies for the occupants to use as temporary
areas of refuge.
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Below-Grade Ventilation
Ventilation for a below-grade fire can be a complex problem. Because there is very little natural
ventilation below grade, heat and smoke can rapidly build to dangerous levels and hamper
firefighting efforts. Concrete can absorb a great deal of heat, but the heat sink effect will
eventually cause the concrete to radiate heat back into the fire compartment, increasing
temperatures. Ventilation will not only remove smoke and heat from the fire but also absorbed
heat from the concrete.
Due to the fact that natural ventilation is rarely effective below-grade, mechanical ventilation
might be the only successful method of ensuring adequate ventilation. Positive pressure
ventilation (PPV) fans, water fog hose streams, and the buildings own air handling system
should all be considerations. Stairwells and elevator shafts may become the only avenues for
smoke and heat to travel, thus placing evacuating occupants and firefighting attack companies in
a hazardous situation. If the building is equipped with underground parking, the entrance and exit
ramps could provide the safest and most effective path for ventilation.
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Figure 7
The Incident Commander should ensure there is a vent to the outside prior to pressurizing the fire
area. For a fire that has not self-vented, prior to the arrival of the first fire companies, once crews
have entered and extinguished the fire ventilation will need to be established by opening a
window and/or door in the fire unit. Thus, when the stairwell door to the floor is opened for the
fire attack, the floor will become pressurized.
For a below-grade fire in a high-rise building, there are several possible horizontal ventilation
options:
Loading dock entrances
Basement exterior doors
Exhaust fans
Parking garage entrances
Windows
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Figure 8
Using a stairwell for ventilation may be the only option available (see Figure 8). The
disadvantages of this option are that it is difficult to monitor the entire ventilation stairwell.
The disadvantages of using any upper floor for ventilation (as shown in Figure 8) are two-fold:
1. The floor will sustain smoke damage
2. The products of combustion can contaminate the ventilation stairwell above the
ventilation floor.
3. Increased requirement for resources to insure occupants are safely away from
ventilation stairwell.
Using an alternate opening on another floor may be the most effective option to remove smoke.
This exhaust opening could be an exterior door from a stairwell, exterior door of a garbage room,
etc. The method chosen should have the least negative impact
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Elevators
Firefighter operations in high rise buildings often rely heavily on the use of elevators. If the fire
is below the 5th floor however, initial use of the elevators for quick access to the fire floor may
be of little help and should be avoided. In addition elevators must not to be used for accessing
below-grade fires. Below-grade fires can be exceedingly challenging and use of the elevator can
create more problems than benefits. Upon arrival at the recall level, elevators should always be
checked for any occupants.
The first arriving officer should take the time to try to acquire:
Keys, access card or specialty device to access floors. Take only the keys necessary.
Manually activate the phase one recall switch at the elevator lobby.
Inspect the elevator shaft(s) for indications of problems. If it has been determined that
shafts are safe, elevators may be used.
Insert elevator key into the in-car key switch and turn to ON position. This will put
the elevator into phase two operation. For each operation the button is to be depressed
and held until the operation is completed.
Avoid taking non-fire personnel in an elevator to investigate alarms when the cause of
the alarm is unknown.
Exit the elevator 2 floors below the fire floor and proceed via stairs
If an elevator acts erratically or malfunctions:
Never use the stop button on the in-car elevator panel.
o Use of the in-car stop button can leave firefighters stranded between floors.
(The follow pictures show three different types of stop buttons.)
Exit at the next possible level by pushing the floor buttons in the direction of travel. (That
is, if problems occur at the 5th floor level, push 5, 6, and 7 in rapid succession.)
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If the car does not stop (momentarily) turn the in-car emergency switch to HOLD, if
available. This will cancel all registered calls and bring the elevator to a controlled stop at
the next available floor.
If the elevator is equipped with a call cancel button, pushing it will cancel all in-car calls
and stop at next available floor. Temporarily turning the in-car emergency switch to the
OFF position will also cancel all registered car calls and bring the elevator to a controlled
stop.
If the car stops using any of these techniques, push and hold the door open button and
exit. At which point inform Lobby Control that the car is out of service and clearly mark
it as such, so that it is not mistakenly used by incoming fire crews.
More information on Elevators will be available on future hyperlinks
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Depending on the height of the building being constructed, it may or may not be equipped with a
dry standpipe system, which can be used for firefighting operations.
The decision by an Incident Commander to attack a fire offensively in a high-rise under
construction should include a decision-making process that addresses the following
considerations:
Fire Ground Priorities Risk assessment (i.e. survival profile), as well as crew safety
Rescue and evacuation
Building height
Size and location of the fire
Concrete curing time(s)
Visibility and vantage points from which to mount fire operations, such as
neighbouring buildings
Whether or not the fire involves contents or combustible forms, and/or supports
Water supply
Collapse potential
If fire companies can quickly and effectively extinguish the fire, then a rapid offensive attack
may be considered. Master stream positions should be established early to ensure a seamless
transition from offensive to defensive operations.
In addition, firefighter safety becomes more of a challenge in high rise buildings under
construction because of the following factors:
Unprotected void spaces
Increased trip and fall hazards
Entanglement hazards (like concrete form supports, wires, etc.)
Limited access to upper floors due to construction materials
Exterior combustible sheathing and tarps
Propane or natural gas heaters (used for concrete curing in cold weather)
Different stages of development for different floors, making orientation difficult
Lack of directional placards for stairwells and floors
Potential for wind driven fires because of open areas
Poor lighting and visibility
Lack of permanent structural stair cases
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Stability of tower cranes can also be adversely affected by heat or flame. Protective hoselines
should be positioned to cool cranes in order to prevent collapse should fire be encroaching. As
well, cranes should not be used as vantage points for directing hose streams into the structure
because they are not designed for this purpose. An Exclusion Zone around a crane should be
established if the fire is not initially contained. Incident Commanders must attempt to anticipate
fire spread and have fire companies assigned to limit fire spread whenever feasible.
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Appendix
High rise/High risk Quick Reference Sheet
The initial 5 companies entering a High Rise structure shall bring, as a minimum, the following equipment: Hand lights, Portable
radios, 45mm (1 ) High Rise pack (red bag), 65mm (2 ) Extender pack (50), Forcible entry tools, Thermal Imaging Camera
(TIC), Latch straps, door wedges, and chalk
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Apparatus Duties of Second Arriving Company Officer (Ladder)-Under Fire Attack Sector
Second
If a Working Fire is declared:
Arriving
Determine if exterior rescue(s) is needed.
1st Ladder
If the ladder and the onboard pump are both being used, the Officer must ensure there are qualified operators at
both the turn table and the pump panel.
If rescue is not required and a fire is confirmed the officer proceeds with their company to the fire floor and reports to the Fire
Attack Sector (Command) for assignment. (e.g. Rescue, back up line, control flow-path, salvage, etc.)
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Example of an initial PA Announcement for a working fire condition (both English and French if at all possible):
Attention, Attention, this is the Ottawa Fire Service. We have a fire on the 6th floor. Remain in your apartment. Do not use
the elevator or stairs. If you need immediate help call 9-1-1. Stand by for further information. (Repeat twice)
"Attention, Attention, ceci est le Service des incendies d'Ottawa. Nous avons un incendie au 6me tage. Restez dans votre
appartement. Ne pas utiliser l'ascenseur ou les escaliers. Si vous avez besoin daide immdiatement, appelez le 9-1-1. Attendez
pour plus dinformations. (Repeat twice)
Example of an initial PA Announcement for alarm activation (both English and French):
Attention, Attention, this is the Ottawa Fire Service. Firefighters are investigating the cause of the alarms. Stand by for
further information. (Repeat twice)
"Attention, Attention, ceci est le Service des incendies d'Ottawa. Les pompiers enqutent sur la cause de l'alarme. Attendez
pour plus dinformations. (Repeat twice
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Operational Guide Chapter 2
All personnel of the fourth-arriving company, including the apparatus operator, will be assigned to Stairwell Sector.
Additional equipment to be carried by the Stairwell Sector company includes, but is not limited to the following:
(4) spare air cylinders and carry bags
Ventilation Crew bag (Ladder belt, Bolt cutters, door wedges)
Available appropriate keys from the lobby control officer
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Operational Guide Chapter 2
Operator Duties
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