MODULE 4

Lesson 2.1 – Principles of Structural Fire Fighting

This chapter will point out the main features of a good fire fighting plan. Fire fighting is has been, and
always will be one of the main objectives of fire protection. A well – manned, well – equipped and well
– trained fire department provides a solid based upon which effective fire fighting depends. The
strategy and tactics used to suppress fire evolved from this base.

The following are the strategy used in fire fighting:

1. Locate the fire

2. Confine the fire

3. Extinguish the fire

4. Exposures

In addition to the basic tactics the following are also added:

1. Rescue

2. Overhaul

3. Ventilation

4. Salvage

Location – locating the fire sound like a simple matter. In an open lumber yard where flames are
reaching for the sky, it is a simple matter. But finding or locating a fire in a room in a cellar of a three –
storey dormitory or building which is filled with dense smoke is not an easy.

Confinement – confining the fire is the next step in strategy. Judgement, skill and experience must be
used to the utmost to determine whether or not the fire is to be the utmost to determine whether or not
the fire is to be routine or a disaster. Confining the fire simply means to restrict its spread to its point of
origin or at least to the area involved.

Extinguishment – extinguishing the fire may take as little water as that use in a booster line, or it may
take thousands of gallons played through heavy appliance. The decision rest upon the judgement,
skill, training and experience of the officer – in – charge.

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Factors to be considered in extinguishment:

Time of Day

A. The hour of the day can have a direct bearing on the life and fire hazards involved.

B. Time also has a direct bearing on the speed of the response of fire fighting and rescue vehicles.

C. During hours of darkness, special lighting equipment may be needed. Night operations may require
auxiliary fire fighting personnel.

Weather

Some of the Weather factors that must be considered:

A. Temperature

B. Humidity

C. Wind and precipitation

The direction of wind determines where the greatest exposure dangers are located. High humidity
means a smoky fire and difficulty in operating in the building without thorough ventilation. In an
situation where pungent fumes are encountered, more additional hardship and danger for the fire
fighters operating and fighting fire in the street and particularly in narrow alleys at the rear or sides of
the building on fire.

In this type of fire situation, it is frequently impossible to get in close enough to do inside work, and it is
necessary to operate from the outside of the building unless suitable respiratory protection is provided.

Reviewing these entire situation, there are also other factors such as excavations or other obstructions
in the street in the immediate neighbourhood of the fire that may have as direct bearing upon the
operation of the fire department, as well as the amount of apparatus and personnel that will be
needed.

The fire

Factors to be evaluated at the Fire Scene:

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A. Extent of the Fire;

B. Its location in the building;

C. The type of contents involved;

D. The life hazard/s;

E. The fire conditions

F. Type of construction

Occupancy

Determine the number of people that occupancy the building, including the materials that are found in
it also note the nature of the units occupying the building.

Ventilation

It is method used for clearing the building of smoke and, localize the fire and reduce smoke and
forcible entry damage.

Types of Ventilation

1. Vertical Ventilation – the method to establish vertical ventilation is it must be worked from the top
and down. Heated gases and smoke rise to the highest point and, if confined, will tend to “mushroom”
or rise to the highest point of the building, exerting their heating effect on everything they touch.

2. Cross or Horizontal Ventilation – If the smoke and gases have not reached the higher levels, cross
ventilation can clear building one floor at a time. Windows are the easiest and generally most available
for the common types of buildings, but the indiscriminate opening of windows and doors can defeat
the purpose of ventilation.

3. Mechanical or Forced Ventilation – a process or method of ventilation whereby a device such as

smoke ejector is utilized to remove faster excessive heat and dense smoke in a confined building.

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Factors to Determine the Location for the Opening/ventilation:

1. Location of intensity of fire

2. Highest point on the roof

3. Direction of wind

4. Existing exposure

5. Extent of fire
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6. Obstruction

Steps in the Procedure for Vertical Ventilation:

1. Check the condition of the roof support to make sure that they have been burned away or weaken
to a point where there is a possibility to collapse under your weight. Feeling the roof for hot spots
helps you determine if the fire has reached the point to cause weakening.

2. Plan a way of escape from the roof in case of an emergency, such as roof collapse. Have a lifeline,
especially on a peaked roof to prevent falling.

3. Use an available openings that are part of the roof construction, such as skylights or roof trap doors

4. Make certain passageway for the smoke and heat extends down through the ceiling of the room. A
hole in the roof is of no use if there is no relief for gases, heat and smoke in the room below.

5. The opening should be large enough to provide a rapid exit for the smoke and gases.

6. Work with the wind at your back, keeping in mind the heat, explosive characteristics and toxic
effects escaping gas.

Steps in the procedure for cross, horizontal ventilation

1. Open the windows on the leeward side first, and then open the windows on the windward side.

2. After one floor is clear, ventilate the next floor in the same manner.

3. If at all possible, avoid making openings below the level of the fire.

4. If the opening is made at the same floor level as the fire, hose lines should be available for
immediate use.

5. Avoid ventilating a building in such a way that fire is withdrawn through any building part that is not
involved.

6. When making an opening exercise great care to prevent the spread of the fire to exposures, and
have hose lines available to protect the exposures.

Advantages of Ventilation:

1. Aids Rescue Operations

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Proper ventilation simplifies and expedites the rescue of victims by removing smoke and gases that
endanger occupants trapped or unconscious, and make the conditions safer for fire fighters.

2. Speeds Attack and Extinguishment

The removal of smoke, gases and heat from the building permits fire fighters to move rapidly and
locate the area and proceed with extinguishment. It will also reduce the danger of asphyxiation.

3. Reduces Property Damages

Rapid extinguishment of fire reduces property damage.

4. Reduces Mushrooming

When sufficient heat is confined in the area, the temperature of combustible materials rises to their
ignition points. These materials will not ignite, however, unless sufficient amount of oxygen is available
to support combustion. In this situation, a very dangerous condition exist because the admittance of
an air supply is all that is needed to create the overheated area into an inferno (backdraft). In order to
prevent this critical situation from occurring, top ventilation must be provided to release superheated
fire gases and smoke.

Exposures

It is an action taken by the fire fighters to cover or secure other building/s, people from exposing
themselves near the affected area or danger from fire.

Types of Exposures

1. Fire Exposures – refers to the property exposed to the fire, such as property directly across alleys
or besides the fire building.

2. Life Exposures – refers to the danger to the lives of the occupants of any building that is in line with
the travel of dangerous fumes or gases thrown off by fire as well as to the occupants of any building
that is seriously exposed to the fire from the building on fire. All other fire fighting actions (tactics) stem
from this basic strategy.

Rescue

Any action taken by the fire fighters to remove occupants/persons from a burning/hazards to a safety
place.

Overhaul

A complete and detailed check of the structures and materials involved in the fire to make sure that
every spark and ember has been extinguished and to have an assurance against re – ignition.

Salvage

An action taken by the fire fighters in preventing excessive damage by fire, smoke and water with the
use of a salvage cover or by removing materials out from the burning building.

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Hose appliances and Tools used in structural Fire Fighting Operations

Structural fire fighters must be completely familiar with fire fighting operations involving hose layout. A
complete hose layout consist of one end of the hose connected to a water source and the other end of
the hose is connected to the nozzle.

Two Categories of Devices in Hose Layout:

A. Hose Appliances – any piece of equipment used with a fire hose for delivering water. Hose
appliances have water running through them.

B. Hose Tools – Tools used with the hose line.

The Hose Tools

1. Universal Thread Adapter – Universal thread adapter is a very useful tool on any fire vehicle. It can
make a very quick connection to damaged or unusual size male hose connections. On one side of the
adapter is a standard 2 ½ inch male connections with National Standard Threads.

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2. Hose Jacket – A hallow cylindrical or barrel – shaped device that opens lengthwise through the
center on a set of hinges. It is a rubber lined to make it water tight. When the jacket is clamped around
the leaking portion of a hose or over leaking hose connection, the water is confined by the hose jacket.
This tool can prevent the disablement of the entire hose layout. They come in 2 ½ and 3 inch sizes.

A3

3. Hose Clamp – a tool used to stop the flow of water in a fire hose without shutting off the source of
water supply.

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Uses of Hose Clamp

a. Stop the flow of water through a hose while a hose lay is being completed.

b. Cut off the flow of water in a charged line.

c. Replaced a busted hose without shutting down the water supply.

d. Extends hose line while shutting down the water supply from the clamped hose.

e. Advances a charge hose line up stairs

Apply the hose clamp to a section of hose approximately six (6) feet from the coupling.

Types of Hose Clamps:

a. Screw down

b. Press down

c. Hydraulic down
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General Rules in using Hose Clamp:

 Apply the hose clamp at least 20 feet from the pumper.

 Apply the hose clamp at least 5 to 6 feet from the coupling on the incoming water side.
 Stand to one side when applying or releasing the hose clamp as the handle has a tendency to
snap open suddenly.
 Place the hose in the center of the jaws to avoid pinching the hose.
 Close and open the hose clamp slowly to prevent water hammer.

Spanner Wrench and Hydrant Wrenches

a. Spanner wrench is used to tighten leaking connections and to loosen connections that are too tight
to break with hands alone. Can be used as a wedge for prying. It has a slot for pulling nails and a flat
surface for hammering.

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b. Hydrant Wrenches are used to open and close fire hydrants and to remove hydrant outlet caps.
Some are designed to tighten or loosen coupling connections. It is usually equipped with a pentagon
opening in its head that fits most standard fire hydrant opening nuts.

4. Hose Strap

It is a 36 inch length of cloth strap with a handle on one end and a hook on the other. It is used for
removing hose layouts, usually up ladders or staircases.

5. Rope

It is a safety line used for hoisting tools for various floors of a structure and used for anchoring to
stationary objects, ladders, charged hose lines and other accessories (consists of 100 foot lengths of
¾ Manila hemp rope with one eye splice in one end.

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6. Hose Bridge (Hose Ramp)

A hose tool used to prevent damage to the hose when vehicles cross a street, or where the traffic
cannot be diverted.

7. Chafing Blocks

Tools used to prevent damage to the hose where the hose is subjected to rubbing from vibrations.

8. Rubber Mallet

A hose tool used to strike the lugs of coupling to tighten or loosen the coupling without damaging the
lugs. It is used to make a coupling completely airtight.

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9. Hose Roller (Hose hoist)

These are hose tools used to prevent damage to hose lines when it is being dragged over sharp
objects such as roof edges and window sills.

The Hose Appliances

1, valves – it controls the flow of water in a hose lines, hydrants and at pumpers.

Types

Ball valves – these are valves used in pumper discharges, gated wyes and fire piping systems.

Gate valves – used in a fire hydrant

Butterfly valves – it is used on large pump intakes.

Clapper valves – it is used in Siamese appliances that allow only one intake hose to be connected and
charge before adding more hoses.

2. Valves Devices – these are hose appliances that increase or decrease the number of hose lines
being used during the fire fighting operations.

Types

Granted wyes – these are used to divide a line of hose into two or more lines. The most common
types used are the following:

Siamese – appliances that have two (2) or more female inlet connections and one male discharge
connection.

Fitting – these are appliances used to close off, change water flow direction, or to connect hoses of
different sizes and thread types.

Intakes devices – these are appliances attached to the drafting end of a suction hose to keep foreign
objects which would pass through the pump.

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