By Joe Pronesti, Chris Tobin, and Alexis Shady
Cracks in a brick wall are all important to watch, but not all cracks are created equal. The ability to rapidly triage cracks on a fireground is a skill every firefighter must have. We can help this process by using the “Three L’s”: Location, length, and lean.
Location: Where is the crack located? Cracks are typically found near existing openings (think windows and doors) as they are the weakest points in a wall. So right away seeing a crack that isn’t near an opening should be a red flag. Localized cracks around the floor or ceiling may indicate the floor or ceiling joists moving behind the bricks. Is the crack on a corner? We know corners are the strongest parts of a building, so again a crack here should be watched carefully. Finally, does the crack follow the mortar line, or actually break a brick? A crack through a brick itself is significantly more movement than busting mortar lines and needs to be watched.
Length: Is the crack short, just a few bricks or between windows? Or does it follow the length of the wall? Is it growing since the last time you saw it?
Lean: Is the crack resulting in a lean in the wall or parapet?
Download this training bulletin as a PDF here (5 MB).
JOSEPH PRONESTI is the chief of the Elyria (OH) Fire Department. He is a graduate of the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Executive Officer program and a lead instructor at the Cuyahoga (OH) County Community College Fire Academy. He is a frequent contributor to fire service publications and sites, including Fire Engineering, FireEngineering.com, and FirefigherNation.com.
CHRISTOPHER TOBIN is a firefighter assigned to St. Louis (MO) Fire Department Rescue 2.
ALEXIS SHADY is a firefighter/paramedic with the Richmond Heights (MO) Fire Department.
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