Fire on two floors of a three-story occupied multiple dwelling
Video below is of Brooklyn Box 1992 for 161 Hendrix Street on 12 December 2014. Comments on other sites regarding what is assumed in the video don’t take into account that this was a building with occupants on the fire escape (and one on a window ledge) as well as a cut up interior, including holes in the floors and portions of flooring missing. Combine that with members operating to position hoselines, opening up to cut off the extension as well as ventilate the roof, and the transition to a master stream from a tower ladder doesn’t happen in mere seconds. Throw in a member of Squad Company 252 becoming lost on the third floor, and operations will certainly be far from routine or ‘internet expected’.
The video, courtesy of Bill Bennett, is shot from the Exposure 1 and 2 corner. Additional videos at end of article.
The Fire Building
Exposure 1, Hendrix Street (a one-way street towards Fulton Street, the Exposure 4 side )
Note child window bars (Child Safety Bars, Fire Engineering)
Exposure 2, a garage (note the parapet) (Parapet Walls, Fire Engineering)
Exposure 3, two-story similar attached buildings
Exposure 4, Fulton Street (note fire escape and elevated railway)
Exposure 4, 1 corner (note the one-way streets and elevated railway; this will affect your ladder company positioning, correct?) Ladder Company 175 and Tower Ladder 120 were positioned and reaching from underneath the elevated railway. Note the bars on the ground floor.
During a point when the fire was at two-alarms and before the third alarm was transmitted, the Hook firefighter of Squad Company 252 on the third floor became lost and requested assistance getting out of the building. He was able to quickly make it out to the fire escape without injury. Handie-talkie reports of fire in the walls on all floors and missing sections of floors, as well as the fire’s extension, led the incident commander to pull all companies off the roof and out of the building. In the end seven people, including two police officers and one firefighter, were injured by the after midnight fire.
Declaring YOUR Mayday
Some of the proper, common teaching about mayday transmissions includes encouraging us to call out our own even if the situation may not seem dire to us. In this case the Squad 252 firefighter asked for help and was properly directed before the situation became worse.
Sq252 Hook to Command, I’m turned around on the third-floor. I need assistance getting out please. Command to Sq252 Hook activate your PASS. Command to 252 Hook where are you?
– He’s on the top floor toward the rear, can’t find his way out.
– I can see him in the window on the 1-side. Command to 252 Hook make some noise brother.
– Urgent get a line in there it looks like the front room is gonna go soon.
– to Command 252 Hook is out and on the fire escape. Repeat he is out and on the fire escape on the one-side. Command to Battalion 39 we’re giving up this top floor. We’re gonna pull everyone outta the building now.
We must remember that just as our attitude affects all we do, it affects our own potential mayday situation as well. Mike Dugan gives us 10 reasons why we need to call our own mayday here, “Your Attitude Could Save Your Life”, FireRescue Magazine/FirefighterNation.com.
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Bill Carey is the online public safety news and blog manager with PennWell Public Safety, or more specifically FireRescue Magazine/FirefighterNation.com, JEMS.com, LawOfficer.com and FireEMSBlogs.com. Bill started in the fire service, as a third generation firefighter in 1986, on the eastern shore of Maryland and then continued after moving to Prince George’s County. He served as a volunteer sergeant and lieutenant at Hyattsville. Bill’s writing has been on Firehouse.com, Fire Engineering, FireRescue Magazine, FirefighterNation.com, the Jones and Bartlett 2010 edition of “Fire Officer: Principles and Practiceâ€, The Secret List and Tinhelmet.com. His recent writing on firefighter behavioral health has been nominated for 2014 Neal Award for Best Subject-Related Series.
