FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW:

• Engines and Ladder trucks do different things at a fire. The Engine provides the water power and the Ladder enables firefighters to access the upper floors of a building.
• A firehouse covers not only its immediate neighborhood, but adjacent ones as well. The firehouse response is a closely interwoven system that changes and adjusts to circumstances on any given day to make sure every neighborhood is always protected.Closing any firehouse is punching a hole in your safety net.
• Every minute counts- according to the American fire Company
  Fire spreads 1100% in the first 4 minutes
   Heat rises at 90 feet per second or approximately 60 mph.
• With threats of terrorism at an all time high in NYC, firehouses have additional responsibilities in countering and responding to threats. Personnel from Firehouses are often deployed around New York City as part of the its safety preparedness program.

The US Fire Administration says:

• Fire is FAST!
  There is little time!
  In less than 30 seconds a small flame can get completely out of control and turn into a major fire. It only takes minutes for thick black smoke to fill a house. In minutes, a house can be engulfed in flames. Most fires occur in the home when people are asleep. If you wake
  up to a fire, you won't have time to grab valuables because fire spreads too quickly and the smoke is too thick. There is only time to escape.
• Fire is HOT!
  Heat is more threatening than flames.
  A fire's heat alone can kill. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super hot air will scorch your lungs. This heat can melt clothes to your skin. In five minutes a room can get so hot that everything in it
  ignites at once: this is called flashover.
• Fire is DARK!
  Fire isn't bright, it's pitch black.
  Fire starts bright, but quickly produces black smoke and complete darkness. If you wake up to a fire you may be blinded, disoriented and unable to find your way around the home you've lived in for years.
• Fire is DEADLY!
  Smoke and toxic gases kill more people than flames do.
• In the event of a fire, remember time is the biggest enemy and every second counts!
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THE HOME FIREMAN.COM: answers the question:
Won't the fire department get there in time?

They do their best, but fire spreads with amazing speed. You only have 2 to 3 minutes to extinguish a fire before it grows out of control! It takes time to reach 911 and dispatch the fire department. Distance, traffic, rain, snow and ice are all factors which can slow the arrival of help.  It takes time.

• 3 to 4 minutes - a fire can totally involve a house
• 5 to 10 minutes - a mobile home can burn to the ground
• 4 to 20 minutes - range of 911 response times

FDNY chiefs share high-rise risk assessment and management tips

FDNY Asst. Chief Peter E. Hayden and Deputy Asst. Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer

Oct 9, 2002 12:00 PM

The following information was submitted by FDNY Chiefs Hayden and Pfeifer and originally published in WNYF.

 
When faced with a terrorist attack on a high-rise building involving a large amount of explosives or the use of an airliner as a weapon, the incident commander must assess the risk prior to implementing a rescue, evacuation or defensive plan. The IC must determine when to withdraw firefighters to a safe location.

The possibility of a progressive collapse of a high-rise building now is part of the incident commander’s risk assessment. In incidents involving severe damage to a building and fire spreading to multiple floors, an offensive extinguishment strategy is not an option. The lists below are intended to help the incident commander identify and then manage the hazards of a terrorist attack.

IC Risk Assessment

The IC identifies the hazard.
What is the life hazard?
* Are people self-evacuating?
* How many people need assistance below the damage area?
1. How long will it take?
* How many people are trapped above the damage area?
1. Can they be rescued?
2. How long will it take to perform the rescue?
Can Firefighters extinguish the fire?
* Where is the the fire located?
* How many floors are on fire?
1. Is the fire spreading from floor to floor?
* Are the building’s sprinkler and standpipe systems operable?
* Will the volume of fire overwhelm hand-lines and/or large-caliber streams?
* Can we depend upon the building?
* What type of construction is used?
1. Lightweight core construction vs. heavyweight construction?
2. Atrium and large, open spaces are more vulnerable to collapse.
3. Does the building have transfer beams or trusses? Where are they located?
4. Type of fireproofing used?
* How much damage?
1. Substantial damage to the floor area may affect the stability of that floor.
2. Multiple floors collapsing reduces the structural stability of the columns (Straw Principle).
3. Damage to the building’s corners is critical.
4. An uncontained fire will increase the damage to the building and its likelihood for collapse.


Assistant Chief of Operations Peter E. Hayden is a 34-year veteran of the FDNY, recently assigned as a City-Wide Tour Commander. He was the second Chief Officer to arrive at the WTC on 9-11. For the next six months, he was part of the WTC Incident Command Team as the Safety/Executive Officer and Incident Commander. He holds a BA degree in Management from Marist College.

Deputy Assistant Chief of Operations Joseph W. Pfeifer is a 21-year veteran of the FDNY. He was the first Chief Officer to arrive at the WTC on 9-11. For the next two months, he was part of the WTC Incident Command Team as the Planning Chief. He holds BA and MA degrees. He writes frequently for WNYF.
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