LESSON 17

DEFINITIONS

Self-closing Fire Door: A self-closing fire door is a door that is normally kept in
closed position by some mechanical device.
Automatic Fire Door: An automatic fore door is one which is normally kept opened,
and is arranged to close when automatically released by the action of heat on a
fusible link or in some other approved manner.
Standpipe (Fire Line): An arrangement of vertical pipes with tanks, and hose
connections at each floor level, allowing a stream of water to flow at an outlet
when valve is turned on at that floor.
Risers: The vertical lines of pipe in a standpipe system, to which hose outlets are
attached on each floor.
QUESTIONS

1. (a) A fire occurs in the basement of a three-story brick building constructed with steel
trusses and having gable end walls, and stocked on the upper floors with machinery
and merchandise in crates and cases. What part of the building would be most
dangerous and require the special attention of the commanding officer?
(b) Fire has enveloped the entire basement and is spreading up the elevator wells,
mushrooming on the upper floors and roof. There is the danger of the floor beams and
roof trusses giving away. What precautions should be taken? Explain fully and give
your reasons therefore. The open elevator wells are on the center line of the building
and one near each end wall.

FALSE AND TRUE

(Is the statement False or true?)

2. T F—Back-draughts are usually encountered in cases where fires have been

smouldering and gases forming for some time.
3. T F—Fire which have consumed most of the air within a building frequently continue
to give off inflammable gases and thereby create conditions favorable to back-
draughts.
4. T F—Buildings are sometimes equipped with scuppers (floor drains to the outside of
the building) and it is important for the men to see that they are clear of
obstructions when overhauling
5. T F—Acid and chemical fumes are always heavier than air and require only floor
ventilation
6. T F—Nitric acid fumes, if inhaled for many lengths of time, may prove fatal.
7. T F—Pipes in the plumbing system of buildings are sometimes broken as a means of
getting rid of the water after fires.
8. T F—The removal of gases usually requires venting at both the top and bottom levels
of buildings.
9. T F—Steel shutters furnish positive protection against exposure fires
10. T F—Materials and buildings not involved are sometimes wet down as a means of
preventing fire through lessening the danger from exposure.
11. T F—The friction loss in a line of 3-inch hose with 2 ½-inch couplings is as great as
the loss in a line of 2 ½-inch hose of the same length with 2 ½-inch couplings
because in the former case couplings smaller than the hose break up the smoothly
flowing stream of water.
12. T F—The net water pressure of a fire engine at work is affected by the length of
hose and by the size of the hose and nozzle.
13. T F—A 700 gallon pumper can be made to deliver at least its full rated capacity at
120 pounds net pump pressure through two 100 foot 2 ½ inch hose lines siamesed
into a one and three-quarters-inch nozzle.
14. T F—The stream of water from a chemical tank is much more effective in putting
out a fire on a wooden roof than a stream of hydrant water of the same size and
velocity..
15. T F—If 2 ½ inch couplings are used with both 3-inch hose and with 2 ½ inch hose,
the advantages of using uniform couplings offsets the advantages of the greater
friction loss that results from the use of 2 ½ inch instead of 3-inch couplings in
the 3-inch hose
16. T F—A pressure of 60 to 70 pounds at a 2-inch nozzle will throw a stream of water
the maximum distance for that nozzle.
17. T F—Battered threads on the Siamese of a standpipe make it useless as soon as the
water that was in the tank has been used.
18. T F—Engine pressure is always equal to nozzle pressure plus friction loss in the loss
and at connections
19. T F—a fire engine standing on a street pavement 40 feet above the surface of a river
can draw water from the river, if engine has been kept in proper condition, and if
it is not more than 20 feet from the river.
20. T F—Automatic relief valves are absolutely necessary on pumpers of the centrifugal
type.

COMPLETION STATEMENTS

21. When backing a line out of a building, the first step usually taken is to …….. the
hose outside of the building
22. The pipe of the standpipe system which carries the water up to the various floors is
called a ………….
23. Where a standpipe is to be used for fighting a fire which is spreading, ……. Lines
are usually stretched by the fire department to supply it.
24. Radiant heat travels only in …….lines
 ANSWERS TO LESSON 17

1. (a) If fire has not extended up through building, but is still confined to the
basement, the point of greatest danger, insofar as the fire fighting forces are concerned, is
the ground floor. When fire has been burning for some time, the floor beams will have
become weakened and the floor may drop through due to the heavy weight of materials
stored thereon.
From a fire-fighting standpoint, the chief danger in connection with fire burning
in a basement is the possibility of its extending through vertical passageways, such as
elevator wells, stairwells, etc., to upper floors. These points are the ones which must be
first covered in fighting the fire.
On the other hand, where fire has extended up to the various floors, and is burning
vigorously thereon, then the point of greatest danger will be the roof with the exposed
metal trusses. These will weaken under the intense heat encountered at a fire in materials
such as stored on the top floor and in this weakened condition may collapse, permitting
the roof to fall in.
(b) Problem states there is danger of floor beams and roof trusses giving away.
This would indicate that the roof trusses were exposed, as well as floor beams, and that
roof trusses were not protected by ceiling on the top floor. Otherwise the fire, unless it
had been burning for quite a long period and had thoroughly involved the entire structure,
would not likely have entered above the ceiling of the top floor and gained such a hold as
to seriously endanger the roof trusses.
On this assumption, then, the department will have to give its first attention
toward saving the roof and thus preventing the possibility of collapse of roof and carrying
through of floors below.
Precautions to be taken would be as follows: Immediately ventilate by getting
ladder to the roof and having men go to the roof to open up over the two elevator wells.
This operation will draw a great deal of the heat away from the upper part of the building,
and will make possible operation at close range by fire streams. No men should be
permitted in on any of the floors until the building has been ventilated and steps taken to
prevent collapse of roof or any of the floors.
Just as soon as ventilation has been accomplished, one or two streams should be
directed into the attic (or from the windows of the top floor, if there is no ceiling present)
to cool off the beams. There is a possibility of heated beams warping when being struck
with streams, so that streams should be swept quickly back and forward so as not to chill
the beams too suddenly. When the room has been opened up over the elevator shafts, the
larger amount of heat will be drawn out and it will be merely a question of wetting down
the material burning on the top floor and thus protecting the roof. While ventilation is
being done ladders should be placed to the various floors so that lines may operate from
windows, and be ready to enter on the floors as soon as the situation beneath the roof has
been properly handled.
As soon as ventilation has been accomplished, the lines may enter in on the
various floors, provided the condition of the roof beams would indicate that there is no
danger of roof going through.
The gable end walls present a weakness in a building of this type, due to their
usual insecure construction, and likelihood of falling outward if the roof sags. Officers
should be on the alert to detect possibility of failure of these end walls, so that the walls
falling may not bury men.
In the above operations no definite assignment of apparatus is considered, in view
of the fact that problem gives neither size of building nor alarm on which officer is
operating.
This much may be said, however: If building is of large area, and if only a first
alarm has been turned in, additional help would be called at once. The highly
inflammable nature of the materials on the various floors, together with the excess weight
and unprotected floor beams and roof trusses, will mean fast spread of fire and early
collapse of floor and roof.

FALSE AND TRUE ANSWERS

3. T 9. F 15. T
4. T 10. T 16. F
5. F 11. F 17. F
6. T 12. T 18. F
7. T 13. T 19. F
8. T 14. F 20. F

ANSWERS TO COMPLETION STATEMENTS

21. …………uncouple……...
22 …………..riser…………..
23. …………two…………...
24. …………straight………..
LESSON 17

DEFINITIONS

Self-closing Fire Door: A self-closing fire door is a door that is normally kept in
closed position by some mechanical device.
Automatic Fire Door: An automatic fore door is one which is normally kept opened,
and is arranged to close when automatically released by the action of heat on a
fusible link or in some other approved manner.
Standpipe (Fire Line): An arrangement of vertical pipes with tanks, and hose
connections at each floor level, allowing a stream of water to flow at an outlet
when valve is turned on at that floor.
Risers: The vertical lines of pipe in a standpipe system, to which hose outlets are
attached on each floor.
QUESTIONS
1. (a) A fire occurs in the basement of a three-story brick building constructed with steel
trusses and having gable end walls, and stocked on the upper floors with machinery
and merchandise in crates and cases. What part of the building would be most
dangerous and require the special attention of the commanding officer?
(c) Fire has enveloped the entire basement and is spreading up the elevator wells,
mushrooming on the upper floors and roof. There is the danger of the floor beams and
roof trusses giving away. What precautions should be taken? Explain fully and give
your reasons therefore. The open elevator wells are on the center line of the building
and one near each end wall.

FALSE AND TRUE

(Is the statement False or true?)

2. T F—Back-draughts are usually encountered in cases where fires have been

smouldering and gases forming for some time.
3. T F—Fire which have consumed most of the air within a building frequently continue
to give off inflammable gases and thereby create conditions favorable to back-
draughts.
4. T F—Buildings are sometimes equipped with scuppers (floor drains to the outside of
the building) and it is important for the men to see that they are clear of
obstructions when overhauling
5. T F—Acid and chemical fumes are always heavier than air and require only floor
ventilation
6. T F—Nitric acid fumes, if inhaled for many lengths of time, may prove fatal.
7. T F—Pipes in the plumbing system of buildings are sometimes broken as a means of
getting rid of the water after fires.
8. T F—The removal of gases usually requires venting at both the top and bottom levels
of buildings.
9. T F—Steel shutters furnish positive protection against exposure fires

10. T F—Materials and buildings not involved are sometimes wet down as a means of
preventing fire through lessening the danger from exposure.
11. T F—The friction loss in a line of 3-inch hose with 2 ½-inch couplings is as great as
the loss in a line of 2 ½-inch hose of the same length with 2 ½-inch couplings
because in the former case couplings smaller than the hose break up the smoothly
flowing stream of water.
12. T F—The net water pressure of a fire engine at work is affected by the length of
hose and by the size of the hose and nozzle.
13. T F—A 700 gallon pumper can be made to deliver at least its full rated capacity at
120 pounds net pump pressure through two 100 foot 2 ½ inch hose lines siamesed
into a one and three-quarters-inch nozzle.
14. T F—The stream of water from a chemical tank is much more effective in putting
out a fire on a wooden roof than a stream of hydrant water of the same size and
velocity..
15. T F—If 2 ½ inch couplings are used with both 3-inch hose and with 2 ½ inch hose,
 the advantages of using uniform couplings offsets the advantages of the greater
friction loss that results from the use of 2 ½ inch instead of 3-inch couplings in
the 3-inch hose
16. T F—A pressure of 60 to 70 pounds at a 2-inch nozzle will throw a stream of water
the maximum distance for that nozzle.
17. T F—Battered threads on the Siamese of a standpipe make it useless as soon as the
water that was in the tank has been used.
18. T F—Engine pressure is always equal to nozzle pressure plus friction loss in the loss
and at connections
19. T F—a fire engine standing on a street pavement 40 feet above the surface of a river
can draw water from the river, if engine has been kept in proper condition, and if
it is not more than 20 feet from the river.
20. T F—Automatic relief valves are absolutely necessary on pumpers of the centrifugal
type.

COMPLETION STATEMENTS

21. When backing a line out of a building, the first step usually taken is to …….. the
hose outside of the building
22. The pipe of the standpipe system which carries the water up to the various floors is
called a ………….
23. Where a standpipe is to be used for fighting a fire which is spreading, ……. Lines
are usually stretched by the fire department to supply it.
24. Radiant heat travels only in …….lines

ANSWERS TO LESSON 17

1. (a) If fire has not extended up through building, but is still confined to the
basement, the point of greatest danger, insofar as the fire fighting forces are concerned, is
the ground floor. When fire has been burning for some time, the floor beams will have
become weakened and the floor may drop through due to the heavy weight of materials
stored thereon.
From a fire-fighting standpoint, the chief danger in connection with fire burning
in a basement is the possibility of its extending through vertical passageways, such as
elevator wells, stairwells, etc., to upper floors. These points are the ones which must be
first covered in fighting the fire.
On the other hand, where fire has extended up to the various floors, and is burning
vigorously thereon, then the point of greatest danger will be the roof with the exposed
metal trusses. These will weaken under the intense heat encountered at a fire in materials
such as stored on the top floor and in this weakened condition may collapse, permitting
the roof to fall in.
(b) Problem states there is danger of floor beams and roof trusses giving away.
This would indicate that the roof trusses were exposed, as well as floor beams, and that
roof trusses were not protected by ceiling on the top floor. Otherwise the fire, unless it
had been burning for quite a long period and had thoroughly involved the entire structure,
would not likely have entered above the ceiling of the top floor and gained such a hold as
to seriously endanger the roof trusses.
On this assumption, then, the department will have to give its first attention
toward saving the roof and thus preventing the possibility of collapse of roof and carrying
through of floors below.
Precautions to be taken would be as follows: Immediately ventilate by getting
ladder to the roof and having men go to the roof to open up over the two elevator wells.
This operation will draw a great deal of the heat away from the upper part of the building,
and will make possible operation at close range by fire streams. No men should be
permitted in on any of the floors until the building has been ventilated and steps taken to
prevent collapse of roof or any of the floors.
Just as soon as ventilation has been accomplished, one or two streams should be
directed into the attic (or from the windows of the top floor, if there is no ceiling present)
to cool off the beams. There is a possibility of heated beams warping when being struck
with streams, so that streams should be swept quickly back and forward so as not to chill
the beams too suddenly. When the room has been opened up over the elevator shafts, the
larger amount of heat will be drawn out and it will be merely a question of wetting down
the material burning on the top floor and thus protecting the roof. While ventilation is
being done ladders should be placed to the various floors so that lines may operate from
windows, and be ready to enter on the floors as soon as the situation beneath the roof has
been properly handled.
As soon as ventilation has been accomplished, the lines may enter in on the
various floors, provided the condition of the roof beams would indicate that there is no
danger of roof going through.
The gable end walls present a weakness in a building of this type, due to their
usual insecure construction, and likelihood of falling outward if the roof sags. Officers
should be on the alert to detect possibility of failure of these end walls, so that the walls
falling may not bury men.
In the above operations no definite assignment of apparatus is considered, in view
of the fact that problem gives neither size of building nor alarm on which officer is
operating.
This much may be said, however: If building is of large area, and if only a first
alarm has been turned in, additional help would be called at once. The highly
inflammable nature of the materials on the various floors, together with the excess weight
and unprotected floor beams and roof trusses, will mean fast spread of fire and early
collapse of floor and roof.

FALSE AND TRUE ANSWERS

9. T 9. F 15. T
 10. T 10. T 16. F
11. F 11. F 17. F
12. T 12. T 18. F
13. T 13. T 19. F
14. T 14. F 20. F

ANSWERS TO COMPLETION STATEMENTS

21. …………uncouple……...
22 …………..riser…………..
23. …………two…………...
24. …………straight………..