Gathering analytical building data helps firefighters formulate a plan of action before an incident. It gives an incident commander (IC) and firefighters inside information about the building and its contents. This Firefighter Risk Reduction (FRR) proactive safety measure allows an IC and fire officers to mentally construct models they can use to understand and anticipate problems to determine the best use of resources.
This “Know Before You Go” (KbyG) photograph segment will help firefighters to identify risk and life safety measures by observing any potential FRR response threats. Scrutinizing a building with a different pair of “new eyes” can be the foundation to formulate a battle plan with tactical options for new construction and existing buildings.
New balcony construction: If a fire company is scheduled to do a building recon survey or driving by a construction site, ask yourself: “Is this a potential risk factor?” And if so, have a backstep discussion about it. (1)
When an elevator lobby area of refuge is identified (2), ask questions about the operations of the elevator car hoistway door.
These firefighter building intelligence observations are response solutions to taming our fire environment, help reduce risks for firefighters, and provide life safety awareness features. A fireground FRR solution transmitted to Command via a seamless ebuilding intelligence database via a mobile data terminal will support incident action plans as the incident is unfolding.
To learn more about FRR / KbyG reach out at: [email protected]
Book: High-Rise Buildings: Understanding the Vertical Challenges
JACK J. MURPHY, MA, is a retired fire marshal and a former deputy chief of the Leonia (NJ) Fire Department. He is the past chairman of the Fire/Life Safety Directors Association of Greater New York. He is a principal member on the NFPA High-Rise Building Safety Advisory and the 1660 Emergency, Continuity, and Crisis Management: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery committees and a representative on the ICC Fire Code Action Committee, and a representative on the NFFF Vision 20/20 Strategy-5 Codes and Standards Group. He is a co-author of High-Rise Buildings: Understanding the Vertical Challenges. He is a member of the Clarion Fire and Rescue Group Advisory Board and a presenter at FDIC International. He was the recipient of the 2012 Fire Engineering Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award.
