The Training Bulletin Page
Basement & Cellars
For this week's drill lets do a couple of different things related to basement and or cellar fires and incidents as it will relate to our NIOSH report drill for the next couple of weeks.
First make sure you know and are all speaking the same language when using these terms. There are many definitions in a variety of textbooks, but in generalities a basement has about 1/3 or that story above the ground. It might have full windows and probably has a full walk out door. A cellar on the other hand probably has less than 1/3 of that above ground and has small 12 x 24 windows that angle out. Don't make a huge deal of these crude definitions that I have provided but as part of this weeks drill go out, take the department digital camera ( OK, OK, I know they don't have one, but you do right?) and shoot some pictures particularly of structures that have full windows in the basement, tiny windows and no windows.
Shoot pictures of commercial occupancies that have basements and look at those windows.
Photograph all of the varieties of entrances and exits including walk outs, bulkhead doors that are steel, and or wood, and maybe even old sidewalk steel doors and ladders or sidewalk lifts and elevators if you are in a city environment.
Go back to the station and review all of the pictures you took with the troops. Particularly shoot those unsafe junky wooden rickety stairs that are found everywhere commercial and old residential.
Next have a drill in an acquired structure or even in the station if there is a stairway and teach members how to quickly descend into a basement fire keeping their head up, sliding with a leg extended down the stairs and bringing tools and equipment with them. Have every member do this while someone makes sure they have the lowest profile they can and they get to the bottom safely.
Now have members escape up the stairway almost laying flat on the stairs as if there was a heat condition.
After all members have tried this go out and review all of the practices and procedures you have (or don't have) on the use of a Bresnan nozzle, cellar pipe or any other nozzle used in fighting a cellar or basement fires.
Also when doing this drill and operating the devices make sure everyone reviews the basics of floor construction, because when using these devices you need to be directly over the fire.
Lightweight wood I beams, trusses, and metal bar joist floors will drop you in before you even can realize it.
Also discuss any and all ventilation options you would use to vent any of the pictures of buildings you have taken. Ventilation in basement fires is critical but probably one of the most difficult tasks we do.
That should keep you busy until next week!
