FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU
BY E.J. HENNINGER
THE STEPS YOU TAKE to operate efficiently on the fireground start long before the tones drop. In addition to training, preplanning is necessary for incidents on the fireground. This is particularly important with the construction of a structure that will introduce a new occupancy, hazard, or building system to your first due.
Not only am I a volunteer firefighter, but I also work for an engineering firm where I develop and review fire protection drawings used for the construction and permitting process. I get to experience the process from a unique vantage point. I need to make sure the system works. And I also may be the person who depends on the system to work.
These suggestions may not apply to all departments or municipalities. A lot depends on the size of the department or the type of construction in the municipality. Even so, it’s always important to plan the review process, be involved in construction and inspections, and build the relationships required to gather information.
The Plan Review Process
An early introduction to learning about projects that will bring about new occupancies, hazards, or building systems that will require new tactics is critical to successful fireground operations. With that in mind, one of your first opportunities to learn about new construction is with the plan review process (photo 1).
What is your department’s (or your own) level of involvement in the plan review process? Many departments are not large enough in personnel or budget to have a person or division dedicated to plan reviews. For this reason, many municipalities use outside resources to handle this process. A fire marshal’s duties are often restricted to fire investigations and limited plan reviews. When that’s the case, the municipality hires an engineering firm to review plans. This is more common in rural areas.
During this process, you can gather a good amount of information. You’ll receive copies of technical data for the equipment you’re having installed. This may be helpful when the plan is to install something unique or hazardous. You’ll find out the name of the engineer of record, which may be beneficial later if you have questions about the “why” variable of a system you are dealing with.
You can also use building plans as a reference during the construction process. Although it will be early in the process, you may need to add or modify standard operating procedures (SOPs) or standard operating guidelines (SOGs), based on the occupancy or special hazards. Your ability to review this information early in the process will allow adequate time to develop and implement those changes. As a result, you’ll be prepared once construction is completed.
Conversely, this is also the fire department’s opportunity to make sure the installation complies with any tactics you do not want to change. This is the best time to make sure that the system will be engineered to meet your operational and safety requirements with minimal impact to construction documentation, timing, and cost.
Firefighters are not usually engineers, and engineers are not usually firefighters. An engineer understands the “why” variable and may design a building with a fire department connection (FDC) and indicate a 2 1/2- x 2 1/2- x 4-inch Siamese connection be provided to meet code. A firefighter understands the “how” variable, and according to the local fire department, the SOPs/SOGs will connect to the FDC using a five-inch supply line that has a Storz connection, a 30° elbow, and an audio or visual device. This is an obvious disconnect.
Issues like the ones above demonstrate why it is important for firefighters to be involved in the plan review either by taking part in the process or by having a strong working relationship with the person handling the review process. It is helpful to have whoever reviews the drawings also attend training sessions so they can see firsthand how you work.
Regardless of who is reviewing the plans, the person handing this process needs to have strong knowledge of how you operate and why you operate in that way. Consider reviewing plans as a group with the engineer, plan reviewer, and firefighters all present. This will help form a strong working relationship and facilitate a healthy dialogue. Reading each other’s comments on the drawings is not enough to make this work. You need to discuss one another’s perspective and decide what is best for the department and community.
Construct a New Perspective
The next opportunity for success you’ll see will be during the construction process. This is the step where you will be introduced to the people you will work with: the construction manager and contractor. Make regular site visits, as progress can happen quickly (photo 2). While these visits may happen in a career department, many volunteer organizations do not have staff to routinely visit a site during the construction process.
Changes in design or construction at this point can be expensive. And late-in-the- process requests for changes could damage a relationship with the building owner if they involve additional costs. This is also why I recommend being actively involved in the plan review process. This setup gives you the ability to request and approve what you want or need for your operations early in the process.
Seeing the site with your own eyes is critical. Looking at drawings will not reveal every consideration you need to make. The nuances of a site might not be apparent when you’re simply looking at the fire protection drawings rather than going in person. Maybe that space labeled “compressor room” does not house air compressors but refrigeration compressors. A leak in the system could present an oxygen-deficient environment. Is there a warning placard or a monitoring system with alarms available?
Situations may arise where items or structures you haven’t seen in person seem larger or smaller than they actually are. Elevation is another condition that you could easily misunderstand. Having the elevation wrong could impact vehicle approach, hose stretches, and many other factors. Even when you’ve been on site, the plan will inevitably change, at least a little. But everyone will be ready for it.
The best time to see everything before the installations get concealed is during the construction period. The locations of major equipment and associated control panels are easier to identify at this point. You can see piping installation and shutoff valves for isolating utilities. You can document this information as part of your preplan.
The construction period is also the best time to consider fire suppression and response methods. As the site evolves, you’ll need to maintain apparatus access. Make site visits with your apparatus so the construction manager understands its dimensions and ensures that you have adequate space and suitable driving surfaces.
You will need to be aware of any access changes as construction progresses. And make a point to monitor temporary fire protection measures so you know the full extent of the protected and unprotected areas. Also, coordinate a predetermined command post. Overall, be sure that you have the appropriate parties from the construction group to support you.
The commissioning process usually happens as the end of construction approaches. This is when you’ll see systems and equipment run to ensure that they operate as specified. It’s likely that all parties involved will be there. This includes the engineer, the installation contractor, and the owner.
This is the perfect time to do all the following:
- See the system in operation.
- Learn why it was installed.
- Get an understanding of how it works.
- Find out what the owner will expect from you during a response.
For example, let’s say a new data center is installed and protected with a clean agent suppression system. It is important for you to understand how the system is designed to operate, where the critical components are, and what tactics you will be required to perform if an incident initiates a discharge.
Developing and maintaining a strong working relationship with the construction manager and the contractor is the best way to keep this process smooth. Make regular site visits and show genuine interest in how everything is coming together. Remember, each side will have its own perspective. Communication is key for understanding the big picture.
Adapt to Change
Once the building’s construction is complete, the key to staying successful is in your relationship with the building owner. Be sure to keep up with the annual inspections. This is your opportunity to identify what changes over time.
Changes may not be in the building itself but may be in the form of important personnel. If the owner’s personnel or your department personnel are new, be sure to do introductions and meet-and-greet sessions.
Maybe the building has changed. Did the owner perform renovations without permits? Did the occupancy change? Here’s a scenario: Perhaps the site is now a mall with a smoke evacuation system installed and the system was designed based on a fire load of some furniture in seating areas scatteredthroughout. But you show up for a walkthrough and find out they are getting advertising dollars for letting a local auto dealer display cars and SUVs inside. Was the smoke evacuation system, the sprinkler system, or your response procedure designed to handle an interior vehicle fire? An engineer should be part of the conversation to determine if the system can accommodate such significant changes in combustible loading.
Life safety systems must be inspected on an annual basis. Your attendance at these inspections is the ideal time to refresh yourself on the commissioning process. If you have new personnel, this is the time to introduce them to these systems and buildings. Show up for tests on major systems and equipment, fire alarms, and fire pumps. This can be critical to successful operations in both major incidents and false-alarm calls (photo 3).
Build Relationships
Another aspect of having a working relationship with a building owner could be working with an on-site fire brigade. If the facility has a fire brigade, it is most likely because there’s a unique, expensive, or high- hazard environment to be dealt with.
This group will be your subject matter experts for dealing with the hazard. But the group may not have the overall knowledge, equipment, and training that you do. Both groups will have to work together to ensure a successful operation. Train together to preplan the response procedures, as you will have to be involved and operate with a unified command.
Regular contact with an owner is required, so make the best of it. Do not only visit the site for inspections so the owner dreads your arrival for fear of being reprimanded for violations. Having a strong relationship will benefit both sides, but it will be more beneficial for you. If you are approachable, the owner will be more likely to reach out to you about renovations or changes to gather your input before getting too far into a process that you will disagree with. The owner may also have resources available to share with you, including training facilities and financial support. For example, one of the local businesses that my department has a good working relationship with once offered to make accountability tags with its employee badge equipment and software.
Replace Inexperience with Knowledge
The best way you can compensate for a lack of experience is by having reliable information. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Prefire plan info.
- Building plans.
- Satellite images.
- Equipment details.
- Contacts.
Understanding and knowing what to do with that information are critical. With the technology available today, this information can be stored electronically and accessed quickly. You do not need to carry around volumes of paperwork in the chief’s buggy. And the reasons for doing this do not necessarily apply to multi-milliondollar, high-tech facilities.
Sometimes you may need someone to help you understand the information at hand. That’s OK! Part of what makes a crew successful is when each person can benefit from everyone’s individual strengths. Solid working relationships are key. This same model for success applies to preplanning. Being involved in the review, construction, and inspection process will provide you with that initial information. Forming relationships with engineers, contractors, and owners will provide you with a deeper understanding of that information.
E.J. HENNINGER is the mission leader for Building Firefighter Development, which educates firefighters about building systems from an engineering perspective. He is also a firefighter with a rural volunteer fire and rescue company and a senior engineering operations manager with a large commercial engineering firm in southeastern Pennsylvania.
