
Fires in private dwellings can be challenging situations for firefighters, especially with reports of people trapped on the top floor of a peaked-roof structure. The area may be difficult to access via the interior; a small door on the second floor may hide a narrow stairway to the attic. Punishing conditions may exist in the attic, especially when operating in balloon-frame construction, due to knee walls hiding the fire’s location. Firefighters must resist opening the knee walls near the stairs so they don’t cut off this egress point. In addition, low ceilings and hidden voids can allow fire to travel unnoticed in finished attics, attacking the structural elements. Laddering the attic with an aerial or tower ladder may provide quick access for firefighters to perform a primary search of the area. After rescuing a civilian in Brooklyn, Fire Department of New York firefighters had to retreat from the structure due to fire conditions and a partial collapse of the roof at this stubborn four-alarm fire that extended to multiple exposures. The additional weight of solar panels located on the roof contributed to the collapse. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell.
FEATURES
PPE Supplement 2025: Changes Challenging PPE Choices and Care: New Changes Become Reality
A look at the newly consolidated NFPA 1970 standard and what will change in how the fire service selects, uses, cares for, and maintains PPE. JEFFREY O. STULL
Building Comprehension for the Fire Service: Understanding Garden Apartments
Learning these building types and quickly identifying them will give you an advantage during your size-up and tactical decision making. JEFF LATTZ
They Don’t Build Them Like They Used To: Why Sounding the Floor Is Unreliable
Changes in residential, wood-frame building construction have led to changes in how fires grow and spread, so tactics for size-up and fire attack must change as well. DANIEL MADRZYKOWSKI, KEITH STAKES, NICHOLAS DOW, AND HOLLI KNIGHT
Codes and Standards: A Matter of Firefighter Risk Reduction and Community Life Safety
By actively championing codes, firefighters can help prevent fires, mitigate their impact on taming the fire environment, and save lives. JACK J. MURPHY AND W. KEITH BROWER JR.
Designing a High-Rise Policy for Small to Mid-Sized Suburban Fire Departments
How one department revised its high-rise policy, making it up to date, realistic, and workable for new high-rise challenges. CHRISTOPHER L. RYMUT
Shelter in Place vs. Evacuate: Tactical Considerations
The incident commander must make this difficult decision, which can change the outcome for many people, affect the entire incident action plan, and have significant consequences. MATTHEW TRUDEAU
Implement ‘Smoke Skills‘ Before ‘Smoke Kills‘
The fire service must revisit its smoke skills and ventilation protocols—especially in tall buildings, which have the potential for a significant loss of life during a fire. GERALD TRACY
The Evolution of Smoke Alarms and Detectors and the New UL Standard: Are We Progressing?
Will the new standards be able to address nuisance alarms while activating faster based on the fuel package? BRITTANY BROWN
Departments
EDITOR’S OPINION: Life Lesson from Baseball: When Your Hero Lets You Down
TRAINING NOTEBOOK: A Firefighter’s Guide to the Fire Department Connection
VOLUNTEERS CORNER: Volitics: Popularity vs. Competence in Volunteer Fire Department Leadership
WHAT WE LEARNED: An Unusual Carbon Monoxide Call
FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU: Success Starts Early: Building Knowledge and Relationships for Effective Operations
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
APPARATUS DELIVERIES
PRODUCTS/SERVICES/MEDIA
ON FIRE: Passion, Purpose, Practice