Building Construction Hazards for Today’s Fire Service

1. Building Construction Hazards for Today’s Fire Service The Contemporary Fireground Michael O’Brian, Fire Marshal Brighton Area Fire Department (MI)

2. Overview • What is the Contemporary Fireground? • What does it Look Like? • What are the concerns to us? • How are Buildings Built this way? • Practical Component

3. The Contemporary Fireground • Built to meet demands of housing market • May be existing commercial structures • Lofts • Changes from old properties

4. Construction Techniques • Lightweight wood truss • Less Mass and more connections • Unique built systems to be “green”

5. Changes to Existing Structures • The Loft Design • Renovation and face lifts may lead to odd fires for the fire service

6. Big Buildings Result in: • Longer Travel distances • Increased need for air management • Standard hoselines will need to be extended • Possibility for lost or missing firefighters • Difficulty in searing under heavy smoke conditions

7. Monte Carlo Fire

8. What Does it Look Like?

9. Our Concerns • Lightweight Trusses • More Concealed Spaces • More Connections based on Engineering • More BTU’s due to materials and occupancy • Unique features such as green roofs

10. Truss • test

12. Higher BTU’s on a fire • More Plastic equals higher BTUs • More BTU’s require more GPM • Allows for connections to weaken faster

13. Fires When Under Construction • Lack of systems (standpipes, sprinklers, alarm) • Missing or incomplete fire walls and separation systems • Lack of fall protection • Missing or incomplete egress systems • Limited access or water supplies

14. Green Construction • Sealed buildings • Garden style or grass roofs • Unique roofing systems

15. Redundant Systems • Buildings may include • Back-up power from generators or battery supplies • Increased dependency on mechanical and electrical systems • Technologies for surveillance and suppression • Increase in computers and locking arrangements

16. Why Build This Way? • Reduced cost of construction • Demand by buyers for unique features • Engineered materials designed to reduce demand on resources • Open Spaces

17. Involvement in Code Process • NFPA or ICC • Firefighter view point is critical in changing codes • Provides perspective on buildings under fire conditions

19. Wrap up Review

20. Practical Component

21. Review NIOSH LODD Reports: (Included in CD-ROM under this segment) • Investigative Report #F2007-07 “Volunteer Fire Fighter Dies After Falling Through Floor Supported by Engineered Wooden-I Beams at Residential Structure Fire – Tennessee” • Investigative Report #F2007-08 “Career Fire Fighter Dies When Trapped by Collapsed Canopy during a Two Alarm Attached Garage Fire – Pennsylvania” • Investigative Report #F2008-06 “Volunteer Fire Fighter and Trapped Resident Die and a Volunteer Lieutenant is Injured following a Duplex Fire – Pennsylvania”

22. Additional Resources on Building Construction hazards (Included on CD-ROM under this segment) • NIOSH Alert - “Preventing Deaths and Injuries of Fire Fighters Working Above Fire-Damaged“ • NIOSH Alert - “Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters due to Structural Collapse” • NIOSH Alert - “Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Fire Fighters Due to Truss System Failures”