Oklahoma City Fire Department

1. Oklahoma City Fire Department Suppression Emergency Operations Operations/003 HIGH_RISE

2. Introduction • To be used by all OCFD personnel during fire operations at High-Rise incidents • Not intended to limit the decision making abilities of the Incident Commander • Let the situation dictate the tactics used.

3. High-Rise Overview • Modern high rises are as much as 75% lighter in mass than earlier constructed buildings • 2 ½ times the B.T.U’s from which the codes were developed • Capable of reaching flashover in less than 10 minutes • Typical response time of 20 minutes • Vertical Exposures as well as lateral • Ventilation will be difficult at best

4. Resource Demand • History has shown 200-300 personnel have been needed to mitigate high-rise fires. • A high-rise is defined as: • Any incident that occurs or has the potential to progress to a level at or above the fifth (5) floors above ground level. • Houston MAYDAY video

5. Initial Investigative Response • 1st Arriving officer will operate in the Fast-Attack Mode • If a working fire is confirmed • Call for a “High-Rise Assignment.” • Equivalent to 5-Alarm • 66-85 OCFD personnel • Initial Radio Transmission: • Arrival on scene • Address and what side of the structure the company is located • Approximate number of floors and what type of structure • Residential or Commercial • If smoke or fire is showing

6. Investigation Response • 2- Engine Companies • 1- Rescue Ladder • 1- District Officer • 1st arriving officer is “Command” • 1st Ladder officer is in charge of the Investigation Group

7. Investigation Group Leader • Rescue ladder officer: • Attempt to get a copy of the building’s pre-plan • Determine if any notifications or evacuation announcements have been made. • If no announcements have been made, inform command. • Determine whether the stairwell doors are auto-unlocking • If they do not unlock, obtain keys to unlock doors if possible • Get the main desk phone number • The location of the fire/communications command panel and confirm the location of the emergency

8. Investigation Group Leader • Ensure all Ladder personnel are outfitted with proper PPE • Ensure Ladder personnel have the right equipment: • Sledge hammer • Halligan • Hydra-Ram • Thermal Imager (If available) • If the fire is reported to be above the 7th floor, call one bank of elevators and take control to ascend, if it is deemed safe to use.

9. The Ascent • Report which stairwell or elevator is being used for ascent • Where are they located in the building • What is the building’s designation for the stairs/elevator • Report when you have made it to the floor desired. • Report what crews are ascending and how many of personnel are in the group • Wait for entire Investigation Group to arrive before ascent.

10. Investigation Group Leader • Report the findings (Conditions) • Extent and nature of the fire • Heat and smoke encountered • Extent of the evacuation (Actions) • If a fire is confirmed: • The Investigation Group will then evolve into their respective assignments (Needs) • Fire Attack • Search • Ventilation • ETC.

11. Investigation Group Leader • Assign Fire-Attack Stairwell and Evacuation Stairwell • Consider ventilation path and proximity of standpipe connections when determining which stairwell is going to be used for a particular purpose. • Advise command when primary search has commenced • And what degree of challenge forcible entry is presenting.

12. 1st Engine Officer • All Engine personnel properly outfitted • Appropriate equipment is carried to location • 200 ft. of 2 ½” hose • 1 ¼” smoothbore nozzle • High-Rise kit • 18” pipe wrench • Couplings • In-Line Pressure Gauge • Door Wedges

13. 1st Engine Officer • Have crew stand-by one (1) floor below the reported fire floor until the I.G leader designates the Fire-Attack Stairwell. • Recon. Floor layout of the floor below the fire floor • Make appropriate connections to the standpipe and prepare hose for deployment • Clear Fire-Attack Stairwell of occupants for a minimum of five (5) floors and direct them to the Evacuation Stairwell or other suitable safe haven.

14. 2nd Engine • Assist the 1st Engine

15. High-Rise Response Approx. 66-85 Total Ladders: Ladder 1 Ladder 2 Ladder 3 Ladder 4 Ladder 5 Other Apparatus: Rescue-8 Haz-Mat-5 Brush-Pumpers Air-1 Mobile Command Unit Chief Officers: Chief-1 Chief-2 Chief-3 Chief-4 Chief-5 607 608 609 Total Engines: Engine 1 Engine 2 Engine 3 Engine 4 Engine 5 Engine 6 Engine 7 Engine 8 Engine 9 Engine 10

16. 3rd Engine • Report to Command in the main floor lobby with appropriate tools • If fire is reported: • Coordinate with the 1st and 2nd Engine and act as relief for them when needed.

17. 4th Engine • Driver will connect to FDC and prepare to pump into the system • Remainder of the crew will assume control of the Lobby • Place all tools in convenient location

18. Lobby Control (4th Engine) • Ensure repeated and/or modified announcements are provided to building occupants, as needed, with the status of the event and appropriate directives. • Ensure manual activation of the stairwell door unlocking devise is tripped (if equipped) • Locate the Building Engineer to take control of the HVAC or shut down the HVAC system. • Verify the operation of the fire pumps • Obtain master keys

19. Lobby Control (4th Engine) • Obtain a list of persons who are identified as needing special assistance, including their ordinary location in the building, or designated area of refuge. • Obtain building floor plans • Locate stairwells that have been designated • Secure additional elevators if possible • Direct incoming companies to correct stairwells • Shut down the escalators

20. 5th Engine • Driver will assist driver of 4th Engine by preparing for Series pump operation at FDC • Crew will carry extra SCBA cylinders to Staging, three-floors below the fire floor. • Will take appropriate equipment to establish a backup line or relief of 3rd Engine on backup lines as they move forward to fire attack.

21. 6th Engine • Ascend with the 5th Engine and assist in establishment of backup line. • Carry extra SCBA cylinders to Staging, three-floors below the fire floor

22. 7th Engine • Ascend to Staging • Carry extra SCBA cylinders • Acquire and carry any other tools requested

23. 8th Engine • If the building is equipped with secondary FDC • Driver will hook up to this FDC and prepare for pumping operations • Crew will carry additional High-Rise hose and extra SCBA cylinders to the lobby and standby.

24. 9th Engine • Will report to 8th Engine and prepare to perform Series Pumping operation. • Remainder of crew sill report to the lobby and wait for further orders.

25. 2nd Ladder • Coordinate primary search of the fire floor with 1st Ladder • Bring salvage covers to prevent water from entering elevator hoist way to prevent loss of power to elevators. • Initiate forcible entry and ventilation if not needed for search.

26. 3rd Ladder • Stairwell Search of the Fire-Attack Stairwell • Ascend to the top floor • Advise Command/Ops upon arrival to the top floor and inform them of possible ventilation needs • Initiate top-down stairwell search of stairwell. • Notify Command/Ops of additional resource needs • Direct occupants out of Fire-Attack Stairwell to safer location. • Advise Command/Ops if persons are encountered in Fire-Attack Stairwell.

27. 4th Ladder • Ascend to the top floor • Initiate top-down stairwell search of the Evacuation Stairwell • Request additional resources as needed • Do not open the door on the fire floor unless it necessitates rescue

28. Rescue-8 • Initiate primary search of the floor above the fire floor • Unless arrival is delayed by travel distance • Take necessary equipment: • RIT Bag • Rope Assisted Search Bag • Forcible Entry Tools • Thermal Imager

29. Haz-Mat 5 • RIT • Wearing 1-hour SCBA’s ascend to the floor below the fire • Take necessary equipment • RIT Bag • Rope Assisted Search Bag • Forcible Entry Tools • Thermal Imager

30. Span of Control Options Section 2

31. Incident Command • All arriving chiefs will notify command of their arrival. (Preferably face-to-face). • Incident Commander can designate but is not limited to the following positions as needed:

32. Operations • Designated “Ops.” • Answers to IC • The second arriving chief officer • The Ops. Chief will ascend to two (2) floors below the fire floor and establish the Operations Post. • Ops. Chief is responsible for all tactical operations.

33. Fire-Floor Division • Proceed to the fire floor and take control of all operations on the fire floor under the direction of Operations, including, but not limited to, the following: • Conduct size-up • Supervise extinguishment and check for fire extension and monitor smoke spread • Establish back-up lines • Supervise all searches and ventilation on the fire floor and floor above • Provide progress reports to Operations, in person if possible • Monitor the safety of all personnel operating on the fire floor and one (1) floor above the fire and assess ongoing conditions • Initiate salvage and overhaul operations.

34. Upper Search and Evacuation Officer (U.S.E) • Confer with Fire-Attack Officer on the status of the ongoing search and rescue operations and establish an initial Search and Rescue post two (2) floors below the fire floor, separate from the Operations Post. • responsible to coordinate search operations 3-floors above the fire floor and up. • Relocate to a floor above the fire as conditions improve. • Determine the resources necessary to complete search and rescue operations and advise Operations of those needs.

35. Upper Search and Evacuation Officer (U.S.E) • Assign specific companies to respond to reports of occupants in need of assistance. • Document assignments and verify the completion of each assignment. • Assign specific companies to conduct a thorough and systematic search of each floor, hallway, stairwell, elevator car, and elevator shaft.

36. R.I.T. • Assemble RIT team(s) and deploy them with all essential equipment including elevator rescue tools to designated areas as needed. • RIT teams will conduct size-up • Report to RIT Officer • Gather a copy of the floor plan for the fire floor and floor above. Also gather information that provides elevator and stairwell locations.

37. R.I.T. • Establish area of operations in appropriate areas, if multiple RITs are assigned. • Monitor radio communications at all times.

38. Staging Area Officer (Staging) • Proceed three (3) floors below the fire and establish the Staging Area and designate the following areas: • Designate an area for air cylinders and equipment. • Empty air cylinders should be segregated from full cylinders • A rehab area separate from supply area.

39. Staging Area Officer (Staging) • Give consideration to creating a secondary staging area that would place companies and equipment closer to the actual incident, if required. • This area can be on a separate floor from the primary Staging Area (3-floors below the fire floor). • This secondary staging area will minimize the time delay between taking companies out of the primary staging area, and actually putting them to work on the upper floors.

40. LOGISTICS • Lobby • Stairwell Support • Base • Air-1

41. Lobby Control • Requesting additional personnel as needed to complete lobby objectives from Command or Logistics (if assigned.) • Establish a method of tracking all companies entering or exiting the building. • Establishing a marshalling area for evacuating building occupants in a safe area away from the command post. (i.e. covered parking, sub-floors, etc.) • Recall all remaining elevators for fire department use and to prevent further use by occupants. • Determine elevator travel paths.

42. Stairwell Support • Report to Logistics and coordinate the transport of equipment via the stairwells from the lobby to Staging • One member per two floors. (e.g.) ground floor to floor #3, floor #3 to floor #5. • One Officer per four or five members

43. Base • Level II Staging • Primary location where logistical support begins • Equipment • Personnel

44. Planning • SitStat/ReStat • Victim Communication Specialist • Other Technical Specialists • Building Engineers • Structural Engineers • Elevator Technicians • Water Supply Specialist

45. SitStat/ReStat • Will confer with Lobby Control and will assume the responsibility of tracking the resources committed to the operation inside the building.

46. Victims Communication Specialist (VCS) • Operate on a separate TAC channel • Receive notifications about victims from Dispatch • Monitor the Lobby Telephone • Will speak directly to victims in the building

47. Technical Specialists • If the Technical Specialist is not an OCFD member, they will remain in the Command/Planning area unless accompanied by an OCFD member equipped with a radio

48. Fire-Attack Considerations Section3

49. Standpipe • Hook to the floor below • Check for PRV’s • If field adjustable, adjust to where connection can be opened all the way • Check gauge on Water-Thief • 75 psi For 150 ft. of 2 ½ with smoothbore= 250 gpm or more • 85 For 200 ft. of 2 ½ with smoothbore= 250 gpm or more • 85 Additional section of 1 ¾ with 15/16” nozzle= 150 gpm • Using Metro-Folds lay out hose as follows:

50. Metro-Fold Deployment • 1st section at the standpipe connection • Connect 1st section to 2nd section which is located on the ½ landing above the standpipe connection • Connect male end of 2nd section to 3rd section on the fire floor • 3rd section connects to the 4th section which is located on the ½ landing above the fire floor. • Nozzle is attached to the male end of the 4th section. • Maneuver nozzle below door opening before opening it.