BY PETER F. KERTZIE
If all the great minds in today’s firefighting forces were polled relative to which task should be done at a fire and were told they could choose only one, they would probably give a response similar to the following: “Laying in a handline to the seat of the fire. If you get water on the fire, most other problems will eventually disappear. If there was no fire, no one would have to be rescued, exposures would not have to be covered, and property would not have to be protected.”
I have many recollections of being on the nozzle of a 13⁄4-inch line in a dark, hot attic of a large 11⁄2-story balloon-frame home taking a real beating. There was nowhere to hide from the water-fed steamed heat as we hugged the floor. Keeping the nozzle open and flowing water was almost the only action that the first-in engine crew could take to make conditions better.
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For what seemed like an eternity, we would await the familiar actions of the “truckies,” which could only be sensed by the sounds they made. The sounds of smashing windows and the echoes of an extension ladder’s being raised sent us the message that horizontal and vertical ventilation were commencing. A rapid series of clicks from the ladder’s dogs could be heard as the correct height was attained, and then there were the sounds of the ladder’s rails hitting the eaves of the house, the thud of a roof ladder’s being put into place, and then the gritty scraping of boots against the shingled roof as the truckies moved into position high up and over the heat. And then came the welcomed sounds of tools blasting through the heat-retaining roof. Magically, and within seconds, the unbearable heat would start to lift, and we could more comfortably and more safely continue our attack on the fire.
If the first priority at the scene is to get water on the fire, a close second would be ventilation, horizontally and then vertically as needed. And, it must be aggressive and timely. In the majority of wood-frame structures, too early is almost a nonissue as charged lines are usually quickly deployed. Too late is dangerous and irresponsible. Why make inside crews (and maybe occupants) suffer and then ventilate after the fire is knocked down? All that accomplishes is the release of trapped smoke. If taking out the windows and opening the roof are justified, then get them done at a time when they can do the most good.
The random breaking of windows and the pecking of scattered holes in a roof are not what is being suggested here. What is being advocated is the systematic ventilation of a hostile fire environment based on the following: sound firefighting essentials, fire and weather conditions, standard operating procedures, and the use of trained and experienced firefighters. A good but quick size-up should be completed before venting. If there is a small fire on the first floor of a multistoried home, simply opening a patio door or breaking a single window may be all that is required, sparing the removal of many windows and the unnecessary commitment of personnel to the roof. If vertical venting is called for, skylights, ridge vents, and other built-in means of ventilation should be used first as long as they are in the proper location.
Many times, we confuse “smoke removal” with “ventilation.” Windows are broken and holes are put in roofs actually after the fire is out or, in some cases, for the sole purpose of removing cold or old smoke. Remember, “smoke removal” and “ventilation” are very different terms, although the fire service does not always differentiate between the two.
Of course, life safety is number one, and giving ventilation a high priority does not contradict this. A report that civilians are trapped or are possibly still inside a structure most certainly will change the way things are done at any fire. Even without the report of someone trapped, most fire departments act under the presumption that all buildings are occupied until proven otherwise. This being understood, in the routine fire, the clearing of the heat and smoke improves conditions for efficiently and safely carrying out our mission of “Locate, Confine, and Extinguish.” In this age of multitasking, nothing says that interior searches and ventilation cannot be done concurrently. In fact, they should be.
The goal of ventilation is to poke a big enough hole in the structure to let out as much heat, smoke, and steam as possible. Consider a bag of freshly popped microwave popcorn. After removing it from the microwave, you grab the top of the bag and notice a warning to use caution because the “bag and contents are hot.” You grab the bag’s upper corners to open it as you feel the discomfort of heat on your fingertips. You pull the bag apart, and a big burst of hot air escapes. As the plume of heat goes by, you can feel it on your face.
Seconds after doing this, you can safely place your hand into what was a superheated atmosphere moments before. The intense heat has risen. Does this sound familiar? Would you want to be inside that popcorn bag before it was ventilated? We must carry out ventilation simultaneously with the advancement of charged hoselines if we want to quickly and efficiently put out structure fires and save lives and property.
If the popcorn bag example does not help to convey the need for ventilation, consider the following actual incident. A fire is reported in a 11⁄2-story, wood-frame building. The caller says a resident who is confined to a wheelchair may be trapped. A full assignment consisting of three engines, two trucks, a rescue, and a battalion chief is dispatched. The battalion chief orders an extra truck to help cover for the first-in truck, which he anticipates will be occupied solely with a primary search for the man in the wheelchair. The first-in unit, an engine, reports a working fire. The fire has a good hold of the entire second floor. The second-in truck is doing horizontal ventilation from the outside as the first 13⁄4-inch attack line is advanced up the interior stairs. The extra truck arrives and heads to the roof.
This fire was brought under control through a quick attack on the fire by the truck crews, who used handlines and simultaneous horizontal and vertical ventilation. This demonstrates the true purpose of ventilation in the fire service.
If it is your job to ventilate, arrive at the scene ready to go. Know your tools, ladders, and other equipment. Know that your saw will start if needed because you started it before the emergency arose. Bring your tools and equipment with you to the fire building. Assume that the building will require ventilation until the person in command tells you otherwise, not vice versa. Learn to deploy ladders with little effort, and strive to work as an efficient well-orchestrated team. There should be a limited amount of wasted movements. Remember that time is of the essence and that someone is on the inside listening to your every move, taking a beating, and counting the seconds until that fire building has some holes poked in it. ■
Endnote
1. For more on horizontal ventilation, see “When to Break Windows,” by John T. Carlin, Training Notebook, Fire Egineering, September 2001, or go to fireegineering.com and search for “Carlin.”
■ PETER F. KERTZIE is captain of Truck 14 in the Buffalo (NY) Fire Department, where he has served for the past 16 years. He has an associate’s degree in fire protection technology and a B.S. in business. He is a New York State-certified municipal fire training officer and has been a H.O.T. instructor for FDIC and FDIC West and is presenting the class “Chain Saw Use and Maintenance” at FDIC 2005.
