By Marc Aloan
On a seemingly normal afternoon, units are dispatched to a report of a structure fire. It has been a rather busy day, and this is just one of many active incidents in the jurisdiction. The first engine arrives at the dispatched address and observes three sides of the structure from the cab. The officer of the first engine relays its arrival to the dispatcher, “Nothing showing on a one-story, wood-frame structure,” and that he is establishing command. Based on his initial findings, the company officer cancels the rest of the assignment. After further investigation, the odor of smoke is noted near the structure, and soot-stained windows are found on the alpha side. Realizing there are signs of a working fire, the company officer is now forced to request that the cancelled companies be put back on the alarm and to play catch-up on a fire that already has a head start.
An important attribute of a capable fire officer is the ability to maintain a command presence regardless of incident type. One situation where this can be difficult is when operating on the “nothing showing” incident. In this article, I discuss the difference between an initial arrival report and an incident size-up, what equipment to carry when investigating a building with nothing showing, how to maintain readiness during these incidents, and two recent examples in which fire was found in buildings with nothing showing on arrival.
Initial Arrival Report vs. Continuous Size-Up
There is a significant difference between an initial arrival report and a true, continuous size-up of an incident that seems to have been lost in translation in recent years. This is especially true when we arrive at an incident and find nothing showing. The initial arrival report is used mainly to account for an arrival time and a statement of anything obvious observed at and around the incident address. The initial arrival report is based on a limited perspective of the building and, therefore, can provide only a piece of the larger picture. Smoke or fire showing and its location, obvious rescues, apparatus placement considerations, and exposure concerns are a few pieces of information that may be relayed in the initial arrival report.
Many tend to struggle when it comes to continuing to communicate size-up information after the initial arrival report. As most of us know, a true size-up includes the number of stories, building construction features, hydrant locations, staging locations, hazards located during the walk-around, the mode of operations, and so on. However, it is common for the size-up to stop as we commit ourselves to completing fireground tasks. The first-arriving company officer must be functional and competent enough to multitask, which includes adding to the size-up after the 360° walk-around (360°) is completed and crews have entered the building. This information aids other units in making tactical decisions on arrival. We must have a complete picture of the building to form the best possible incident action plan.
It should also be noted that depending on staffing, obvious rescues, or imminent exposure concerns, the first-arriving company officer may not be the person who completes the 360° of the building or the size-up. If the first-arriving company officer is unable to complete the 360°, he must communicate this information to all other responding units so they know that operations have begun with incomplete information. In situations when the first-arriving company officer must immediately go to work for an obvious life safety or property conservation operation, the next-due officer can complete the 360° and provide an updated size-up.
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| (1-2) Nothing showing does not definitively indicate that there is no fire condition in the building. (Photos 1-2 by Corey Logan.) |
Although most officers seem to do better when arriving at an incident that has obvious signs of fire, the quality of the size-up tends to drop dramatically when the initial company arrives to find nothing showing. Arriving at a building that has no obvious signs of fire will cause many to fall into a robotic comfort of vague, useless descriptions and certain signal words or phrases that tend to induce complacency for everyone on the run card.
Nothing showing isn’t really a significant tactical finding, especially when given from the limited perspective of your apparatus cab. Just as the term “vacant” does not mean a building is unoccupied, the phrase “nothing showing” does not tell us what may or may not be occurring inside the structure. Many feel additional size-up information is irrelevant if the initial arrival report does not find an obvious fire condition. This is not the case. If you are slowing the tempo of the response based on an initial finding of nothing showing, you are failing your company and your citizens.
Stating the type of occupancy and nothing showing is of little value if the company officer does not provide additional information on further investigation. Some agencies may even change the response mode or cancel additional units based on a nothing-showing report, which is usually given before anyone has even set foot inside the building! An initial arrival report of nothing showing should not reduce the urgency of the response and investigation. The appropriate action for arrival with nothing showing is to put your unit in the investigation mode and then relay information that can be useful to the other units on the assignment, just as you would on a working job.
Once you have completed the 360°, entered the building, and done an initial walk-through, you can provide a size-up that paints a proper picture. These findings could include staging locations, unit assignments, equipment requests, fire department connection or water supply locations, and unit cancellations.
Search the Building for Fire
There also seems to be an effect from nothing-showing incidents that results in crews not showing up in their complete protective ensemble, the incident tempo being slowed, and equipment being left on the rig. In reality, a nothing-showing incident should put us in a high state of readiness since we have no obvious findings to aid in our tactical decisions. The size and configuration of the building, construction features, contents, security measures, and fire behavior characteristics of modern fuels can all create situations where the building masks the signs of combustion. This is most often seen in large buildings or those in which fires are in the incipient or decay stages.
It is also important to consider the extreme growth rate of modern fuels and the energy-efficient building construction methods used today. These factors can combine to cause fires that become ventilation limited and enter the decay stage or burn themselves out before anyone knows the fire has occurred. Just as we search a building for victims before it is deemed clear, we must search the building for fire before we deem it clear.
Carry Proper Equipment
For the individual company, it is imperative that the company officer ensure the proper tools and equipment are carried regardless of what the exterior of the building tells them. The following is a minimum complement of equipment each company should carry when entering a building with nothing showing:
- Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC): If the building has no exterior signs of fire, you will likely need the TIC to find hidden fires or sources of heat. This can include overheated or broken equipment, wiring, air handlers, and so on. Even if no smoke is visible from the exterior, you may encounter smoke conditions once you enter the building. The TIC can then aid in finding the seat of the fire, victims, or a means of egress should conditions rapidly deteriorate.
- Forcible Entry Tool: I prefer to take a minimum of a halligan bar, but a set of irons is ideal. This will enable your crew to force their way in or out of just about any opening they may encounter. Regardless of which tools you prefer, make sure you carry them in case you become trapped behind a locked door or encounter deteriorating conditions that require rapid egress. A roof hook or pike pole can also be extremely useful if you are searching for fire in a building with a drop ceiling or locate fire in an attic.
- Water Can: This is probably the most important item a company can carry while operating on a nothing-showing incident. I mandate that my company carry it on anything dispatched as a fire or fire alarm where we did not pull an attack line on arrival. If your investigation locates a fire, the water can will enable your company to keep the fire in check, if not completely extinguish it. This will be your only means of protection without a hoseline, especially in a multiple-story building. The water can is simple and mobile and will not cause additional damage to the building if the incident is unfounded. Adding a carrying strap makes it one of the best tactical tools for operating in investigation mode.
Any crew entering a structure with nothing showing should carry these items no matter what type of apparatus they are assigned to; the tools will be your only defense if you locate a fire during your investigation. One person can easily carry a TIC, tool, and water can with a little preplanning and modification. Just like anything else, you may need to adapt to make sure you are prepared.
Consider staging next-due units and using the minimum contingent of personnel to perform a rapid and thorough investigation of the interior, exterior, and roof of the building. Strategically staging companies not involved in the investigation will allow for rapid deployment of attack lines should a fire be located without having to send crews back to their apparatus. This also reserves additional companies for the possibility that the reported address is incorrect and companies need to be rerouted to a different location.
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| (3) Firefighters approach a nothing-showing incident carrying the appropriate tools and equipment to be prepared if they discover fire during their investigation. (Photo by Keith Conner.) |
Incident 1
Recently, my company was reassigned off a second-due fire alarm to a reported structure fire in our first-due area. We were operating with a minimum staffing of two personnel that evening. Being in the street when we received the run gave us a generous head start on the next-due units. We arrived at a two-story, wood-frame, single-family dwelling and observed no smoke or fire from the exterior. The 360° found only a light odor of smoke on the D side; it was so faint it easily could have been from a nearby bonfire.
On entering the structure, I found a moderate smoke condition on Division 1. As I proceeded to Division 2, the smoke became much thicker. I requested my operator to pull a 1¾-inch attack line to the front door while I continued to investigate. Using my TIC, I located significant heat above a ventilation fan in the bathroom at the A/D corner of Division 2. I made access to the attic and found an incipient-stage structural fire involving the ceiling joists surrounding the fan. I extinguished the fire with a 2½-gallon water can just as additional companies arrived. Ventilation along with minor salvage and overhaul were conducted; the residence suffered very little damage. This is a perfect example of why nothing showing doesn’t mean anything and a testament to the importance of carrying a water can on these types of incidents.
Incident 2
A few weeks later, another company on my shift was dispatched to an activated fire alarm in a duplex. Members arrived and found nothing showing. After a thorough investigation, they observed a smoke condition through the window of the adjacent unit and forced entry. On entering the building, they encountered a moderate smoke condition and located a candle that had ignited fabric on a table. The fabric was in the smoldering state, spreading toward an adjacent wall. Crews extinguished the smoldering fabric and ventilated the structure with very little damage to the residence.
These are just two examples of recent nothing-showing incidents that turned out to be fires. One was dispatched as a structure fire and the other as an activated fire alarm. Both fires were found in an early stage; they could have led to significant damage and possibly a life safety issue if the crews had downplayed the run based on the initial conditions observed on the exterior of the structure.
It is vital to arrive prepared and carrying the equipment necessary to deal with what you may find during your investigation. We must slow down and conduct methodical investigations of buildings that have nothing showing on arrival.
The citizens you protect deserve companies that show up expecting fire. Use your head, and give a size-up that contains useful information. Avoid creating an operational tempo that can cause others to let their guard down. Most importantly, take every run seriously regardless of initial exterior conditions. You may be surprised at what you find!
Marc Aloan, a 13-year veteran of the fire service, is a lieutenant with Columbia County (GA) Fire Rescue, where he is assigned as the Engine 1, Shift 1 officer. He has an associate degree in fire science from Augusta Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in fire protection administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He is also an instructor II and an advanced EMT.
Tactical Safety: Nothing Showing
Understanding “Nothing Showing”
Mayday Monday: Size-Up
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