 AP Photo/Mike Meadows Los Angeles firefighters work to ventilate the roof of a furniture manufacturing plant in 2003. |
The roof position or outside vent team is a vital one. It’s sometimes seen as a secondary consideration or not as glamorous as the inside positions, but a good amount of a fire operation’s success hinges on it — and I cannot overemphasize its importance.
Clear, concise information from this member to the incident commander and the members operating can assist them in all facets of the operation on the fireground. Many engine firefighters will attest to the importance of this member ventilating, allowing them to advance their line and extinguish the fire.
When I was designated as the roof firefighter in my earlier career, I would play out possible scenarios in my mind that I could encounter. My initial thoughts would hinge on the tools I would choose to carry depending on the situation and the type of structure that we would be responding to.
The halligan tool was always a favorite and my primary piece of hardware. Its strengths are its size and weight, the ease with which you can carry it when climbing ladders and all the different functions you can perform with it. The halligan tool can be used to perform ventilation or entry into areas for access or search. It can also be used to force your way into or out of an adjoining building to carry out your assigned duties. In addition, it can function as a step when leaned against a wall or set back and enable you to get to levels above if needed.
The halligan can also help ventilate windows below your position when you combine it with the 6 ft. hook/pike pole. You can achieve this by tying the halligan with a small piece of rope or attaching both tools together, with a welded eye on one tool and a small clip on the welded eye of the other. This marriage of tools immediately increases your reach to ventilate windows below the roof or floor above areas.
The 6 ft. hook or pike pole previously mentioned would be the second primary tool I would carry. It can be used for ventilation by removing skylights and venting windows from above, below or at the same level. For departments that have a building with fire escapes for egress, the 6 ft. hook or pike pole allows you to ventilate from an area of relative safety.
Absolute necessity
When choosing your tools to carry out your assignment, the hand-held radio or handi-talkie as I call it is an absolute necessity. It should always be carried by the roof firefighter at all types of operations. Critical information such as the life hazard and conditions on the roof area or perimeter of the building not visible from the street can be communicated to the incident commander, who can adjust his strategies accordingly when giving out assignments to incoming units.
Critical information such as exposure problems and the need for ladders and/or hose lines in the rear or inside of the exposed buildings can also be relayed. Radio transmissions relayed to the inside team concerning trapped victims will assist them in locating and removing them, while information from the roof firefighter to the IC concerning completion of roof ventilation or vent, entry and search can only enhance the overall outcome of the operation.
Tactics may have to be adjusted and/or additional resources requested on the information received from the roof firefighter.. Radio information such as missions not accomplished can sometimes be more valuable than routine information. Maybe the roof firefighter was hindered in getting to the roof or to the side or rear of the building? If so, the engine company may have to slow down or adjust its tactics pending vertical or horizontal ventilation. Remember that although the radio is good for communicating information yourself, it is also a good tool to use to listen to transmissions that may affect how you operate.
The life-saving rope or roof rope is another tool that should be considered when assigned to the roof firefighter position. Imagine the horror upon your arrival at the roof area, and during your survey of the rear and perimeter, if you see a victim trapped at a window below. If there is a delay getting a portable ladder to this person, the roof rope may be the only way for this victim to survive. Imagine also having a trapped firefighter show up at a window with no means of exiting — and you did not bring the rope. Always be pro-active and bring the rope; you may not need it initially but as operations progress or deteriorate it may be needed later to rescue one of the brothers.
Flat roof tool assignment
Tool assignment at these structures should initially include a hand light, halligan, 6 ft. hook/pike pole and possibly a portable ladder. Depending on the height of the building, life hazard and fire conditions, a portable ladder may be needed, either to remove a trapped civilian or to access and egress the roof area of the building depending on its height. A ventilation saw may also be required if the fire is on the top floor of the structure to provide ventilation for engine company advance.
Venting the top floor windows in conjunction with the roof opening will provide good ventilation to allow the engine company to operate under less punishing conditions. In tightly sealed-up buildings, this roof vent allows hot gases to exit the building vertically, lessening the chance of a backdraft in the cockloft area. The life-saving rope should also be considered and brought in during the initial stages of the operation. And don’t dismiss the good old ax, especially in the event that your company does not have a saw or it malfunctions. The ax can be a great Plan B. I’ve actually cut a hole in the roof using the ax, and it is actually safer when operating on peaked roofs where smaller openings suffice.
Peaked roof tool assignment
Tools carried will be dictated by the type of operation and will depend on the life hazard, the design of the building and what operation you will be carrying out (VES or portable laddering for life saving). The roof firefighter should carry the 6 ft. pike pole/hook, a halligan and a portable ladder if needed. At these operations, you can never go wrong by taking a portable ladder for VES since roof ventilation is usually not an initial concern in these types of dwellings. Venting windows, sky lights or vents should provide enough ventilation for engine company advance and remove smoke and hot gases from the structure. Portable ladders can also be placed at set-backs in the front or rear for access to these areas. Operating off a set-back allows the roof firefighter to operate from a stable platform if it is not exposed to fire from below.
Entering windows from ladders or from set-backs should always be done with caution. If the fire has not vented and you remove the window for access, you should access the conditions by reading the smoke and determining the amount of heat venting from the window. Black and hot, boiling smoke issuing under pressure could be a warning sign of flashover. If entering and commencing your search from a ladder or set-back, be careful that you are not cut off from the ladder where you entered as, depending on conditions, you may not be able to exit via the interior stairs.
The roof position requires a determined and experienced firefighter who is capable of making decisions on their own. Nothing should deter the them from carrying out their assignment and getting vital information back to the IC. The actions of the roof firefighter may be the deciding factor in the success and outcome of the operation. It is a difficult position, without being the most glamorous according to the brothers and sisters in the kitchen.
But I do realize there are not a lot of experienced 15-25-year members to assign to this position in most fire departments throughout the country. So, it’s incumbent upon the officer of the company to assign this position to one of their sharper, young firefighters, someone whose abilities they have confidence in.
There are many young firefighters who are determined and will do what they need to do to be successful firefighters. If you’re one of those or indeed an older firefighter, continue to train and strive to be the best in all facets of firefighting. Just remember I am still learning after 23 years.