The 15 Points of Size-Up

1. Excerpts from Fireground Size-Up by: Michael A. Terpak Battalion Chief, Jersey City, NJ The 15 Points of Size-Up

2. COAL TWAS WEALTHS Construction Weather Occupancy Exposures Apparatus & Staffing Area Life Hazard Location & Extent of Fire Time Terrain Height Water Supply Special Considerations Auxiliary Appliances & Aides Street Conditions

3. Construction: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS The Classes of Construction • Class 1: Fire Resistive Construction • Class 2: Noncombustible/Limited Combustible Construction • Class 3: Ordinary Construction/ Brick & Joist Construction • Class 4: Heavy Timber Construction • Class 5: Wood Frame Construction • Hybrid Construction

4. Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS Favorable Characteristics • Structural components do not add to fire load/spread • Compartmentalization

5. Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS Negative Characteristics • Heat • Forcible Entry • Large, open spaces • Ventilation

6. Class 1: Fire Resistive COAL TWAS WEALTHS Collapse Concerns • Spalling • Suspended Ceilings

7. Class 2: Noncombustible COAL TWAS WEALTHS Favorable Characteristics • Structural components do not add to fire load/spread Negative Characteristics • Everything else is negative…and you’ll see why • Most prone to collapse

8. Class 2: Noncombustible COAL TWAS WEALTHS Collapse Concerns • Unprotected Steel • Steel Deck Roofs

9. Class 3: Ordinary Construction COAL TWAS WEALTHS Favorable Characteristics • Exterior walls do not add to fire load • Normally smaller in avg. square footage than Class 1 or 2 buildings

10. Class 3: Ordinary Construction COAL TWAS WEALTHS Negative Characteristics • Alterations • Concealed spaces and voids Collapse Concerns • Parapet Wall • Hanging Ceiling Space/Multiple Ceilings

11. Class 4: Heavy Timber COAL TWAS WEALTHS Favorable Characteristics • Surface-to-mass ratio • Lack of void spaces Negative Characteristics • Heavy fire conditions will produce tremendous heat • Severe exposure problems

12. Class 4: Heavy Timber COAL TWAS WEALTHS Collapse Concerns • Collapse will generally encompass large areas • Structural debris thrown extended distances

13. Class 5: Wood Frame COAL TWAS WEALTHS Favorable Characteristics • Generally the smallest avg. square footage of construction types Negative Characteristics • Fire spread • Structural components add to fire load/spread • Interior stairways act as vertical artery

14. Class 5: Wood Frame COAL TWAS WEALTHS Collapse Concerns • Entire structure is combustible • Upper floors are often supported by small-diameter wood members • Lightweight wood truss construction

15. Occupancy: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Occupancy Classification • Occupancy Load & Status • Occupancy Content • Occupancy/Construction Associations

16. Occupancy Classification COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Residential • Commercial • Mixed (combo. of residential & commercial • Institutional • Educational • Health care • Manufacturing

17. Occupancy Load & Status COAL TWAS WEALTHS • How many people are in the building at this time? • Are they young or old? • Are they ambulatory or non-ambulatory? • Are they awake or asleep?

18. Occupancy Content COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Are there haz-mats in this building? • Reactivity; together or w/ water? • Flammability/combustibility? • Radioactivity? • Health concerns? • Specific hazards? • What is the building’s fire load? • Light, medium, or heavy?

19. Occupancy Content COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Are there any specific stock concerns within the building? Examples… • Plumbing supply warehouse • Carpet and rug store • Toy stores • Is there any water absorbent stock within the building? • Increased load concerns • Stock swelling could push out walls • What is the content value? • Jewelry shops • Computer stores • Museums

20. Apparatus & Staffing: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Staffing • Decreased volunteer response during the daytime hours • Decrease in number of active volunteers • Minimal number of career firefighters due to budget contraints

21. Apparatus & Staffing: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Response compliment & capabilities • Number & capability • How many apparatus are responding to your incident • What types of apparatus are responding to your incident • Resource typing • A “ladder company” can mean different things • Is it a tower ladder, a ladder tower, a snorkel, a quint?

22. Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Firefighters • Incident Command System • Accountability System • Training • Situational Awareness

23. Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Occupants • Areas of greatest danger in a building • The fire floor • The floor above the fire • The top floor • Floors in-between • Floors below the fire • Occupant life hazard concerns • The number • Their location • Their condition • Accessibility • Resources • Care

24. Life Hazard: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Bystanders • Anyone near the scene perimeter • Other emergency service personnel • EMS • Law Enforcement • Public Works • EMD

25. Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Topography and/or obstructions that might interfere, delay, or cause concern with our operations • Setbacks • Buildings built on a grad • General accessibility

26. Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Setbacks: Buildings set back from the street/road & buildings surrounded by and set back bay decorative landscaping • Concerns include • Apparatus placement • Hoseline selection, stretch, & placement • Water supply (long driveways, etc.) • Equipment needs (how do we get it all there?) • Can the building be reached by the aerial device?

27. Terrain: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Buildings built on a grade • Buildings that appear to be two stories from the street, may actually be three stories from the rear. • Could lead to misdirection in a rescue attempt • Could lead to unintentionally placing firefighters above the fire • General accessibility • Anything that gets in the way • On the ground: fences, cars, trees/shrubs, etc. • Overhead: tree limbs, electrical lines, cables, telephone wires, etc.

28. Water Supply: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Water Availability • Hydrant, dry hydrant, landing, lake, pond, etc. • Need to know where the closest water is located ahead of time • Water Needed • “Big fire = Big water” • “Big water = lots of people” • Water Delivery • Water Shuttle • Supply Hose • Nursing Operations

29. Auxiliary Appliances & Aides: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Detection Equipment • Smoke Detection • Heat Detection • Flame Detection • Suppression Equipment • Sprinkler Systems • Standpipe Systems • Special Extinguishing Systems • Aides/Assistants • People that can provide assistance and/or information at a specific incident

30. Street Conditions: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Street Width • Direction of approach • Apparatus positioning • Traffic Flow • Two-way or one-way? • Street Surface • Asphalt, concrete, dirt, stone, gavel • Stability for heavy apparatus • Water run-off or collection • Unusual • Know and anticipate difficult areas • Flood prone, etc.

31. Weather: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Wind • Gusting or sustained winds above 10 mph should be considered significant • Concerns include ventilation, hose stream reach and penetration, etc. • Temperature • Cold: temperatures below 40°F • Firefighters fatigue early; promotes conditions that cause slips and falls; long durations of exposure dull the senses • Considerations need to be given for evacuated occupants • Hot: temperatures above 85°F • Heat exhaustion and heat stroke • Require early and frequent reliefs & rehab • May require additional alarms to relieve firefighters

32. Weather: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Humidity • Reliefs: concerns of heat exhaustion & heat stroke • Fire spread: Low humidity increases fire spread concern • Ventilation: High humidity often leads to temperature inversion, which can decrease visibility; maybe even make it difficult to find which building is actually on fire • Precipitation • Heavy precipitation may increase FD’s response time • Heavy precipitation may make some roads impassible

33. Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Life Hazard • Buildings prioritized by “the most severely threatened exposure” vs. “the most severely threatened life exposure”…there’s a difference • Location & Extent of the Fire • Current fire involvement w/ its extension probability & possibility • Exposure Proximity • Attached or separated, & by how much?

34. Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Fire Building Construction & Features • Exterior sheathing, air shafts between the buildings, common attics/cocklofts, etc. • Exposure Building Construction & Features • Exterior sheathing, air shafts between the buildings, common attics/cocklofts, etc. • Wind • Consider its speed and direction

35. Exposures: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS Exposure Designation Exp. B1 Exp. B Fire Bldg. Exp. D Exp. D1

36. Area: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS Area: the square footage involved & the square footage threatened Concerns • Irregular shaped buildings • Irregular shaped areas • Interconnected buildings • Hidden areas • Overall square footage

37. Location & Extent of Fire: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS The most influencing factor of size-up Considerations for: • Below grade fires • Lower-level fires • Top-floor, attic, & cockloft fires • Upper-level fires

38. Time: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Time of day/day of the week • Occupants • Traffic • Time of the year • Fire/occupant loads • Burn time

39. Height: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • Height Accessibility • Can the ladders reach? • Can the hose streams reach? • Elevators? • Stairs? • Smoke Behavior • Stack effect • Reverse stack effect • Stratification

40. Special Considerations: Size-Up COAL TWAS WEALTHS • High rise buildings • Row houses/town houses • Vacant fire buildings • Manufacturing processes