Fire in "Cubicle Valley"

[JohnnyOV 2]

In the office where I work, there are numerous areas in each building with aisles and rows of cubicles with sometimes no rhyme or reason to the layout. The aisles range from about 100 to 200 feet long, with about 10-20 rows of 6 cubicles per row, 3 per side. So in any given area you have between 60-120 cubicles per area. Some of the aisles do not run completely through the floor space, and some run, make 90 degree turns to the right and left and continue their run.

In this scenario, your initial response is 3 engines (1 officer and 2 ff per engine) and 2 trucks (1 officer 2 ff per truck) for a fire in an office building. You are assigned to a truck co to search the 2nd floor of a 3 story office building, for persons confirmed trapped in the SD Aisle somewhere in the cubicle section. Fire is located on the adjacent SC aisle. The building in this area is NOT sprinklered, however there are standpipes throughout the entire building. The area you are searching is in the center of the building with no windows to vent. Conditions are blackout and the engine co's are still in the process of establishing their connection at the standpipe, no water has been placed on the fire as of yet.

What would you do to effectively and efficiently search the area? Which of your department's polices would come into play?

[Alpinerunner 61]

We have done training like this at an office building in our district and a rope and a thermal camera are certainly the tools of the trade. I don't think locating the SD isle is realistic due to the conditions, so it will be a blind search. I would not search every cubicle because it's just not possible given the number of them and the time you have. I would search the main isles with the rope and rely on the camera to home in on the trapped people.

[x635 4,066]

Great scenario! I have no idea what the best way to approach this would be, I'm stumped, but I'm sure some of our experienced fire service members do.

[FFBlaser 24]

Lemme tell ya, that place would be getting the S*** vented out of it thats for sure. The TIC would be perfect, but who knows what kind of other stuff gives off heat in an office...

[ohbdow1 6]

Manpower, and pre-incedent planning, and establishing relationships with the building stationary engineers. Sounds a little crazy but in this situation if there is water on the fire the HVAC system could be utilized. In older occupancies, the sail switch's in the ducts would shut down the systems. Depending on the year and the controls of the system, there is the possibility of using the building's engineering controls. This is manpowere intensive due to the fact that most personnel would be a assigned to search and suppression given a normal department response. Smoke evacuation would be critical not only for the search but for the life hazzard that presents for the smoke movement through out. If there are any openings in the plenum this may not work. There are many factors that a walk through would provide. Including but not limited to the presence of sprinklers (if they are able to contain the fire)and not breach the ceiling that is potentially used for return air. Depending on where the mechanical room is and the possibility of working with the engineering staff is one way.

[16fire5 693]

Fires in High Rise Office Buildings are different from other buildings and require different tactics. In NYC for instance it is the one type of building where the entire truck company stays together aside from the OV who staffs the fireman service elevator. This scenario would definatly require you to deploy the search rope but beware it is not an easy thing to do the turns and maze like conditions can easily tangle the rope. At a fire in this building is not the time to learn how to team search. Venting is not considered until the fire is under control. The same goes for the HVAC system which should be shut down to the fire floor if the fire alarms system did not do it automatically. The HVAC system is one of the main threats of spreading a fire and smoke from floor to floor in these large commercial buildings.

Good tactics

Deploy the search rope (even in light smoke)

Use the TIC

Make sure someone brings a hook and use it to check the plenum as you advance you don't want fire unknowingly above you.

Keep the men together this situation is ripe for someone to get lost. Especially when you are trying to locate the fire they want to all wander off on their own but be firm and keep them together.

Let the risk match the reward. Rarely in these type of fires are people trapped on the fire floor because they are offices. Think about how far you want to venture off before the engine moves up with the line.

Have your facepiece on. The smoke at these fires is brutal from the computers and other electronics.

[bad box 371]

1. First, you are behind the eight ball even before you leave quarters to respond because your companies are under staffed.
   
2. You will need to hold off on taking action on the fire floor until you have amassed a sufficient number of personnel to do all that needs to be done.
   
3. If the fire / heat condition is severe, it's unlikely that an effective search & rescue operation will be practical (due mainly to the fact that you indicate a lack of windows to ventilate).
   
4. At least one 2.5" hand line (Volume and reach required)is required to begin the fire attack. A second 2.5" line needs to be staffed and in place to back up the first.
   
5. A 'team search' will be needed. The team search requires an officer with a T.I.C. and two firefighters using a main search line in conjunction with tag lines (for firefighters to use as they fan off in order to keep in touch with the main line)as well as a firefighter stationed at the entry point to the search area (The F.F. at the entry point is needed to monitor for worsening conditions and to report such to search officer immediately) as well as to keep team in contact with their means of egress.
   
6. A F.A.S.T. or R.I.T. should be in position outside the I.D.L.H. ready to go if needed.
   

Edited September 30, 2010 by bad box