Lower the Risk to Your Fire Services

Both paid and volunteer fire services provide invaluable protection to their communities. By using non-combustible concrete and masonry construction, which resists fire and provides fire containment, communities can in return lessen the risks to these life-saving service providers.

Multi-family occupancies constructed with minimum two-hour fire-resistance rated concrete and masonry floors and walls may be able to contain fire to the level, the dwelling unit or even the room of origin. In some instances fire in a multi-story building may spread from a unit on a lower floor to a unit on the floor above through windows or other openings. With minimum two-hour fire resistance rating for floors and walls between units and corridors, a fire is easily contained to a limited vertical section of the building. Even if a fire jumps to an upper floor, fire services may still enter the structure and extinguish a fire contained to a relatively limited area.

The superior structural integrity of concrete and masonry buildings allows the fire services to set up staging areas and identify areas of refuge. Such construction will not ignite and burn or lose its structural integrity, providing fire services extra time to safely respond to fires often contained to the room of origin.

Fire services and other emergency responders will be able to more safely access a burning building without fear of collapse, to efficiently and effectively assist in evacuation and fire control activities. Non-combustible building exteriors also reduce and may even prevent the spread of fire from one building to another. First, they can help contain the fire to the building of origin. In addition, non-combustible exteriors for buildings adjacent to a burning building will resist the spread of the fire, permitting the firefighters to focus their attention on the burning building and not divert a large portion of their limited resources to preventing the ignition of adjacent structures.

Most states and local jurisdictions adopt building codes based on the minimum requirements published as model building codes. Communities that adopt a code based on a model code should consider amendments for all multi-family occupancies to be constructed of non-combustible materials such as concrete and masonry, with minimum two-hour fire ratings for all floors and walls between units and between units and public spaces. This will reduce the risks for emergency responders entering the building to perform their duties. (The minimum fire-resistance rating for walls and floors may be higher for multi-family occupancies over four stories or due to the specific needs and abilities of the local community and their fire services.)

The September 2005 issue of Firehouse includes an article by Vincent Dunn, retired deputy chief and 42-year veteran of the New York Fire Department, entitled “The 10 Most-Often-Asked Firefighting Strategy Questions.” Decisions on placing hose lines and ladders, venting, and searching can directly relate to building construction, and several questions are summarized here.

Where does the first hose line go? The article notes that the first hose line should be placed at a doorway of the burning room, as most victims are found inside the door or in the hallway leading to the door. With non-combustible concrete and masonry construction, the potential for survival is increased by both the protection offered for victims and by providing fire resistant corridors as safe passageways for firefighters to gain access to victims and to run needed hose lines.

Where does the second hose line go? Chief Dunn advises: “If there is an exposure problem, such as flame spreading to a nearby structure, the second hose goes there.” With non-combustible concrete and masonry exteriors, the exposure to adjacent and nearby buildings is reduced, allowing the second hose line to be used instead as backup to the first hose line. A backup hose line can provide important safety benefits to protect firefighters, especially if the first hose has a burst length or broken nozzle or there is too much fire for a one hose line attack, or it may be used in adjacent areas within the building to cut off spreading fire. Non-combustible concrete and masonry construction will typically allow the second hose line to provide this added level of safety.

Where do I vent the fire? Non-combustible concrete and masonry construction simplifies and provides safety for venting fires. Non-combustible exterior walls will support ladders, allowing windows to be broken, and concrete roof systems allow safe access to skylights and scuttle covers to vent smoke though the roof.

Where could the fire spread inside the building? Fire spreading concerns typically center on the concealed spaces above ceilings and cavities of frame wall construction. Chief Dunn reminds readers: “An incident commander must realize that he or she cannot cut off a fire that spreads to floor or ceiling concealed spaces of a building with lightweight wood truss construction.” He further notes that “Fire spread in floor or ceiling spaces of a building constructed with lightweight wood construction is 100% faster than conventional solid beam construction.” Concrete floors and ceilings eliminate this as a concern for the fire services.

Where is my exposure problem? The article addresses the proximity of adjacent structures, offering that buildings over thirty feet away are usually relatively safe, but that wind-blown burning embers could land on roofs up to a half-mile away and radiant heat may spread fire to a structure 90 feet away. Non-combustible concrete and masonry exteriors reduce or may even eliminate exposure problems, allowing more effective, efficient, and concentrated use of manpower and resources to extinguish the fire in the burning building, and thereby minimizing the risk exposure to the firefighting team.

What is the danger of collapse? The last of the items addresses the worst catastrophe. Non-combustible minimum two-hour fire-resistant rated concrete and masonry construction provides superior structural integrity, virtually eliminating the threat of building collapse during a fire, though caution is still required when lateral support for concrete or masonry walls is jeopardized by steel floor or roof failure due to excessive deflections or by burning wood floors or roofs.

The article addresses quenching, venting, and not venting to prevent flashover, with an emphasis on keeping firefighters away from collapse zones. For most fires, the collapse zone of buildings constructed with concrete and masonry construction will be zero, and thus the danger of collapse will not impede or distract the firefighters.

When it comes to building construction and firefighter safety, there is no comparison to non-combustible concrete and masonry construction. For more information about combining smoke detectors, fire sprinklers, and passive fire protection visit the Fire Safety Construction Advisory Council.

 
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