They “pop up” nearly overnight, both as new construction and refurbished “Main Street” occupancies. When they burn—and they do—they can be a challenge due to their stock. This month’s memo highlights what are commonly termed “Dollar Stores,” a ubiquitous presence in communities across the U.S.
A fire’s effects in one of these occupancies depends on its construction. New stores will likely be Type II, Non-Combustible with some type of modern roof supports that fail in a relatively short time when exposed to fire. On a refurbished “Main Street,” these modern convenience stores can have all their stock of plastics and paper products piled high on the main showroom floor and also in a basement.
On Sunday, August 27, 2006, a fire in one of these stores claimed the lives of two FDNY members and injured several others when the floor collapsed in a “V-shape.” Noted in the report, which can be found by scanning the QR code on the memo, was that the debris trapping the firefighters were typical items found in these economy stores: containers of soaps leaking their products, bottles of miscellaneous products, and product shelving. All of this created a major hurdle for crews trying to rescue the members in the collapse.
Please take a moment and take a look at these structures and always consider the highlights of this month’s memo:
- Fire load
- Storage (is there a basement?)
- Construction
- Stream penetration
One of the biggest things that needs checked upon entering an occupancy such as this is to check the area above the drop ceiling (if one exists) immediately upon entry at the front door. It is vital to know if you have fire above you prior to moving any further into the store. A fire may start in the back storeroom, which often does not have a drop ceiling, and move up and through the space above the store area, which does have a drop ceiling.
Lastly, another safety issue can be attributed to a specific chain (Family Dollar), whose newly constructed stores, will have “fake” windows around the structure. These windows on the exterior may give the illusion of a way out of one of these stores, or else a stream access point during a fire. Recognize these are for aesthetic purposes only; behind them are walls. An example is show in the memo.
Be safe, and make it a point to check out these types of occupancies.
Download the memo here (PDF, 586KB).
JOSEPH PRONESTI is the chief of the Elyria (OH) Fire Department. He is a graduate of the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Executive Officer program and a lead instructor at the Cuyahoga (OH) County Community College Fire Academy. He is a frequent contributor to fire service publications and sites, including Fire Engineering and FirefigherNation.com.
CHRISTOPHER TOBIN is a firefighter assigned to St. Louis (MO) Fire Department Rescue 2.
ALEXIS SHADY is a firefighter/paramedic with the University City (MO) Fire Department.
