Fire Engineering’s 140th Anniversary-may-2017

Preplanning, 1948: Dealing with the Situation as It Exists

BY GLENN CORBETT

Since its inception, Fire Engineering has been the venue for introducing new fire service techniques and innovations. With this article, we recognize the legendary Frank Brannigan (1918-2006) and his first article in Fire Engineering, which was also the first article on preplanning.

World War II and its aftermath were the springboards for many of the tools we take for granted today: self-contained breathing apparatus, 1½-inch hose, the modern fog nozzle, and portable radio equipment. After the war, modern management techniques for large-scale operations came into existence, among them preplanning.

Brannigan’s work on conducting building surveys before a fire was revolutionary. Studying a building’s construction features and related fire hazards hadn’t been done before. Later, Brannigan went on to write Building Construction for the Fire Service. In his Fire Engineering column “Preplanning Building Hazards,” he used photos of building structural elements to illustrate the dangers they posed if exposed to fire. As it does today, preplanning gives firefighters a significant heads-up for what to expect during a fire in a specific building type. Online documents have replaced the old paper survey forms and may be transmitted wirelessly to responding units.

Note in the article how Brannigan makes drilling on the building an equal partner with preparing the preplan. Conducting a drill always reinforces the information gathered in your building surveys.

To download a PDF of the original article, access it online at http://www.fireengineering.com/archives.html.

Fire Engineering, January 1948

Surveys Aid In Preparation For Handling Large Fires

… THE fire department of the Fifth Naval District, Norfolk, Va. … has instituted a highly effective method of preparing for fires … making surveys of buildings at the base, preparation of ground plans of the structures, indicating location of fire control equipment and then periodic reviews and discussions of the surveys and plans by the entire firefighting force. In these discussions, methods of operation … are set forth …. [C]ompanies should go to the building and run through an overall inspection, plus drill, on the action plan …. After the survey is reduced to final form, it should be reproduced and copies … made available to all personnel ….

Typical Fire Fighting Survey

The following presents a typical firefighting survey carried out by the Fire Department, Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.

Description: The building under consideration [A’-16] is a two-story, wood, ex-drill hall; no sprinklers, fire walls nor fire stops; storage of non-inflammable materials in wooden crates. Twenty-four hour guard service; standpipes and first aid fire extinguishers; water buckets and pails on roof for use if exposed by another fire (photos 1-3).

Box 2412 on Aylwin Street, center south side of building.

(1) Preplanned Firefighting Drill at Naval Supply Depot, Norfolk, Va. (Photos courtesy of U.S. Navy.)

Water Supply: Adequate on south side and fair on north side due to distance and railroad tracks; 8-inch main Aylwin Street (2 hydrants) cross-connected to 12-inch mains in Virginia Avenue and Maryland Avenue. The hydrants on the north side of Dillingham Boulevard are fed by a 200,000-gallon gravity tank. The mains are checked along Dillingham Boulevard to avoid feed-back to general base system, thus pumpers using hydrants on north side of Dillingham Boulevard are not taking water which would be available to pumpers south of Dillingham Boulevard until the tank is empty.

Exposures: Severe to and from two square blocks wood frame area to the south; moderate to and from the north.

Action Plan: First due Engine Company (#1) attacks fire, using hydrants on Aylwin Street as practical unless fire prevents. Second due Engine Company (#2) lays two 2½-inch lines into the center door, north side of building, with 100-ft. of working line inside the building. Best hydrant southeast corner of A’-134. The purpose of these two lines is to set up a barrier at the mid-section of building if they cannot be operated effectively on the fire, they will be charged and left. The Company will report to the Chief and expect orders to stretch handlines from the first-due Engine Company’s apparatus.

(2) Inflammable Contents and Construction of Typical Navy Structure Protected by Norfolk Naval District Fire Department.

First Due Truck Company (#1): ventilation-wire glass panels in numerous skylights can be removed by raising clips and sliding out if time permits; otherwise, break (men working on ground level be alert for falling glass). Removing doors of fan vent houses gives clear opening 3 × 4 ft. Removing entire vent house improves ventilation.

Forcible Entry: A guard should be available, with keys. Have him unlock (though not necessarily open) all doors. Doors secured by a bolt and padlock inside-red circles on outside walls indicate nearest windows to cross-aisles.

Second Alarm Engine Companies: Expect orders to set up deluge guns. Under certain wind conditions, one Company will be assigned to patrol for sparks and embers downwind of the fire (standpipes in secured buildings in Units X and A’ are cut off).

(3) Typical Diagram of Fire Risk, Based on Survey [detail].

Second Alarm Truck Company: Expect to assist in ventilation of A’-16 and open up Units A’ and X (cut locks and open all gates and force entry to all buildings so patrols may operate freely).

Salvage: Routine.

FE 140^th Anniversary Archive