Initial Emergency Response to High-Rise Fire Alarm RoomsInitial Emergency Response 8 The Bellevue Fire Department was created in 1965 and for many years its firefighters fought fires

Initial Emergency Response 1

Running head: INITIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO HIGH-RISE FIRE ALARM

Initial Emergency Response to High-Rise Fire Alarm Rooms

Bruce Kroon

Bellevue Fire Department

Bellevue, Washington

Appendix G Not Included. Please visit the Learning Resource Center on the Web at http://www.lrc.dhs.gov/ to learn how to obtain this report in its entirety through Interlibrary Loan.


CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own project, that where the language of others is

set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and the appropriate credit is given where I have used the

language, ideas, expressions, or writing of another.

Signed: _____________________________________


Abstract

From 1996 to 2008 the Bellevue Fire Department had seen a significant increase in the number

of high-rise buildings in its response area and had also witnessed a substantial increase in the

number of firefighters within its ranks. Bellevue Fire Department personnel were experiencing

difficulty in the rapid assessment of high-rise building systems features upon arrival and in the

early phases of incident assessment. This Applied Research Project created a job aid for use in

the early phases of high-rise incident assessment by firefighters and command officers. Action

research, combined with a literature review, personal interviews, a questionnaire and field-test of

a job aid were used to answer the following questions: What high-rise building information is

immediately the most useful to first-responding firefighters once at the scene? What type of

high-rise building systems identification methods are employed by other selected fire

departments? What are the duties of first-responding units to high-rise buildings in other selected

fire departments? What high-rise building systems identification process can be employed in the

City of Bellevue? The recommendations from this research project include: incorporating high-

rise walk-throughs as part of the Monthly Drill Check Sheet issued by the Training Division,

insure that all building systems are labeled per IFC and IBC guidelines, creating elevator job aids

for all high-rise elevators in the City of Bellevue, creating a job aid for other building systems

such as alarm panel or fire pumps.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

Certification Statement……………………………………………………………………..……. 2

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………….……….. 3

Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………….....…4

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………...…. 6

Background and Significance……………………………………………………………….…….7

Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………...…10

Procedures………………………………………………………………………………….…….19

Results……………………………………………………………………………………….…...24

Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………..……29

Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………..…36

References……………………………………………………………………………………..…38

Appendix A: IFSTA High-Rise Committee Members Receiving Questionnaire…………….….41

Appendix B: High-Rise Questionnaire…………………………………………...…………..….42

Appendix C: City Center II Elevator Operations Job Aid…………………………….………....44

Appendix D: Job Aid Randomization Schedule……………………………………………...….45

Appendix E: Job Aid Participant Instructions…………………...…………………………...….46

Appendix F: Questionnaire Responses…………………………………………………...……...47

Appendix G: Job Aid Test Evaluation Sheet……………………………………………....….…48

Appendix H: Job Aid Test Results………………………………………………………………51


LIST OF TABLES

PAGE

Table 1……………………………………………………………………………………….…33

Table 2………………………………………………………………………………………….34


Initial Emergency Response to High-Rise Fire Alarm Rooms

INTRODUCTION

Within the past 12 years the Bellevue Fire Department (BFD) has seen a significant

increase in the number of high-rise buildings in its response area and has also witnessed a

substantial increase in the number of firefighters within its ranks. In 1996, when this author

joined the BFD, there were 22 high-rise buildings in Bellevue. By 2008 there were 36 high-rises

built and occupied, a 64% increase, with an additional 14 high-rises to be occupied by 2010 (K.

Carlson, personal communication, January 8, 2009). During this same time, the number of

Bellevue firefighters has increased from 180 in 1996 to 217 in 2008. Eighty-one Bellevue

firefighters, or 37% of the work force, were hired after January, 1999 and have ten, or less, years

experience on the job. Twelve years ago, with fewer high-rise buildings and less firefighters to

train, it was possible to expect that most BFD firefighters would be familiar with the high-rises

they responded to in Bellevue. This is not the case today.

The problem is that the City of Bellevue Fire Department personnel are experiencing

difficulty in the rapid assessment of high-rise building systems features upon arrival and in the

early phases of incident assessment. The purpose of this Applied Research Project (ARP) is to

create a job aid for use in the early phases of high-rise incident assessment by firefighters and

command officers.

Action research, combined with a literature review, personal interviews, feedback from

the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) High-Rise Committee and a field-

test of a job aid for elevator operations will be employed to answer the following questions:

What high-rise building information is immediately the most useful to first-responding

firefighters once at the scene? What type of high-rise building systems identification methods are


employed by other selected fire departments? What are the duties of first-responding units to

high-rise buildings in other selected fire departments? What high-rise building systems

identification process can be employed in the City of Bellevue?

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFCANCE

The City of Bellevue was incorporated in 1953 with an initial population of 5,950 and by

2008 the population had grown to over 120,000. After World War II, Bellevue began to grow as

people moved east, from Seattle, into what was a once-sleepy suburb. In just 55 years, Bellevue

has become the fifth largest city in the State of Washington and is the metropolitan hub for

business and transportation in the area (City of Bellevue, 2009). Bellevue is a relatively young

city, and with the exception of some residential neighborhoods, a majority of the structures,

including most commercial, are less than 30 years old (K. Carlson, personal communication,

October 12, 2008). The BFD Fire Prevention Division has been very proactive in making sure

that all applicable fire codes have been met in new construction, making Bellevue a very fire-

safe city.

This background is important because although the buildings are newer and safer, the

expansive growth of all structures, and especially high-rise buildings, has made it difficult for

firefighters to be as familiar with their buildings as they once were, making it difficult to assess

the situation in the event of a fire or other emergency. In addition to the sheer number of

buildings, the complexity of the buildings systems such as heating, ventilation and air

conditioning (HVAC), elevators and fire protection and detection systems have also increased,

making it even more difficult for firefighters to know their buildings. What was once a simple

fire alarm panel in the lobby of a building is now an entire fire command center (FCC) (McGrail,

2007, p. 27).


The Bellevue Fire Department was created in 1965 and for many years its firefighters

fought fires mainly in wood frame residences, three-story apartment homes and in commercial

businesses of two-stories or less (J. Franco, personal communication, January 10, 2009). As the

population of Bellevue grew, so did its fire department. Beginning with a force of 16 personnel

in 1965, the department had grown to 217 sworn members in 2008. In 2008 the BFD responded

to 17,021 calls for service of which 12,936 (76%) were emergency medical service (EMS)

related and 4,085 (24%) were fire related (W. Lie, personal communication, January 6, 2009).

The BFD Training Division produces a comprehensive training program, delivered to firefighters

through the Monthly Training Bulletin. Yet with all the training received, the number of actual

emergency fire responses is relatively few making it difficult for newer members to get a lot of

on-the-job experience with fires. The number of high-rise incidents firefighters respond to is

even fewer.

The BFD responded to approximately 250 high-rise alarms in 2008 most of which (240)

were false alarms (W. Lie, personal communication, January 6, 2009). Of the ten fires reported

in high-rise buildings all but one was the result of burnt food in a stove or microwave and all

were confined to the source of origin. The rapid growth of the department coupled with the

retirement of many seasoned members has created a gap in the level of firefighting skills and

knowledge within the institution. A program designed to help aid first-arriving companies at

high-rises would significantly improve the effectiveness and safety of both firefighters and

citizens.

As compared to other cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or

Seattle, the construction of high-rise buildings in Bellevue is a relatively recent development.

The oldest high-rise building in Bellevue was built in 1968 (K. Carlson, personal


communication, October 12, 2008). The high-rise buildings in Bellevue are of the lightweight,

core construction type which creates a number of additional problems not necessarily associated

with older, pre-World War II high-rise buildings (McGrail, 2007).

High-rise buildings are becoming a fact for firefighters all over the United States and

indeed around the world (Norman, 2005, p. 325). Their design, internal systems, height, large

area, water supply issues and high occupant load make fighting fires in high-rise buildings one of

the most unique and greatest challenges for today’s fire service (Terpak, 2002). A high-rise fire

has the potential to be a significant event for any fire department. In 1972 a fire in the Andraus

Building in Sao Paulo, Brazil engulfed the entire 31 story building and killed 16 people

(O’Hagan, 1974). Three firefighters were killed fighting fire on eight floors of the 38-story One

Meridian Plaza building fire in Philadelphia in 1991 (Norman, p. 330). In 2003, a fire on the

twelfth floor of the 37-story Cook County Administration Building in Chicago, Illinois, killed six

people and seriously injured several others (Lakamp, 2007, p. 7).

In 2005 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a series of

recommendations on the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers (Quiter, 2008). The report

included 30 recommendations in 8 general groups. This is significant to this ARP in that the last

three groups (VI, VII and VIII) focus on improving emergency response, procedures, practices,

education and training (Quiter). This ARP is intended to help the Bellevue Fire Department

respond more effectively to the significant challenges presented by a high-rise fire.

This research project directly relates to the Strategies for Community Risk Reduction

(SCRR) curriculum by addressing the role of the executive fire officer in community risk

reduction, assessing community risk, and designing a draft plan for a local risk reduction

initiative as discussed in units 1, 2 and 3 of the SCRR student manual.


This project will identify improvements that can be made to the City of Bellevue Fire

Department response procedure to high-rise incidents. The investigation will use the action

research method to develop job aids to supplement existing standard operating procedures used

at high-rise responses.

The possibility that firefighters may lack detailed knowledge of building systems for

every high-rise in the City of Bellevue has the potential to lead to firefighter and/or civilian

injuries or deaths in the event of a significant high-rise incident. The topic of this ARP directly

correlates to the third and fifth organizational objectives of the United States Fire

Administration’s (USFA) five-year operational objectives to “reduce the loss of life from fire of

firefighters” and “respond appropriately in a timely manner to emerging issues” (National Fire

Academy [NFA], 2005, chap. II-2).

LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review for this ARP began at the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at the

National Fire Academy (NFA) in Emmitsburg, Maryland in August 2008. Literature on high-

rise fire strategy and tactics as well as high-rise building systems management was collected

from existing ARPs, periodicals and text books found by the researcher and staff of the LRC.

Interviews were conducted with personnel from the Bellevue Fire Department to gather historical

data related to the fire department. Information was also gathered by the researcher from several

internet sites.

There are many definitions currently in use to define what constitutes a high-rise

building. The author found that a large number of entities, including the BFD, consider a

building to be a high-rise if it is in excess of 75 feet in height measured from the lowest level of

fire department access to the floor of the highest occupiable story (McGrail, 2007, p. 18;


Staskey, 2004, p. 107; Quiter, 2008, ¶ 5; BFD, 2003, p. 2). Clark (1991) defines a high-rise as a

building whose roof is above the reach of a 100-foot aerial ladder and its topmost windows are

too high for effective penetration of outside streams (p. 333). Yet another definition of a high-

rise is “Any fire-resistive building exceeding the length of the available ladders – or buildings in

which all firefighting must be done from the interior because of lack of windows” (Norman,

2005, p. 326).

Over the years, as technology has improved, high-rise construction techniques have

changed. These changes have led to the classification of different “eras” of high-rises. Norman

(1991) and Terpak (2002) classify high-rises into two distinct eras: pre-World War II and those

built after World War II. McGrail (2007) states there are three and potentially four eras of high-

rise construction: late nineteenth and early twentieth century, pre-World War II, post-World War

II, and post-9/11. High-rises built before World War II are commonly referred to has

“heavyweight” buildings, often having 20-23 pounds per cubic foot of construction material,

while those built after World War II are known as “lightweight” high-rises with and average of

8-10 pounds per cubic foot of construction material (Terpak, 2002, p. 310).

There are at least four significant differences found between heavyweight and lightweight

high-rise buildings: core construction, curtain walls, HVAC systems and compartmentalization

(Terpak, 2002). Core construction, found in lightweight high-rises, is the concept of containing

all the building services, utilities, elevators, and stairs within a designated core area. This core is

often in the middle of the building, but can be at either end as well. Lightweight high-rises use

steel frame construction with an exterior skin of walls and windows mounted to the structural

steel of each floor. Heavyweight high-rises were often made of steel I-beams encased in

concrete making them much less prone to fire damage than lightweight high-rises, which tend to


have a fire retardant sprayed on the steel members (Norman, 2005, p. 331). Heavyweight high-

rises typically do not have the HVAC systems found in today’s high-rises. HVAC systems create

self-enclosed environments and do not have windows that open directly to the outside.

Lightweight high-rises lack the compartmentalization found in older heavyweight high-

rises. Due to construction limitations, heavyweight high-rises relied on using natural light and

natural ventilation. The large, open areas found in newer lightweight high-rises are, for the most

part, nonexistent in heavyweight high-rises (McGrail, 2007, p. 25). Pre-World War II high-rises

are, from a firefighting perspective, considered to be excellent buildings because of their

relatively small floor areas and use of noncombustible materials. The compartmentalization,

available natural ventilation and lack of void spaces can make fighting fires in heavy-weight

buildings less of a challenge than in light-weight high-rises (K. Witt, personal communication,

November 10, 2008). The curtain walls in post-World War II buildings are often fastened to the

frame in such a way that gaps are found between the structural frame and curtain wall. If fire

stopping is not placed in this gap correctly, vertical fire extension will occur (p. 26).

Building systems information

Visible labeling is necessary in order to help responding firefighters locate critical

building systems (Reardon, 2005; S. Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009). The

International Fire Code (IFC) and International Building Code (IBC) require that a graphic

display annunciator panel be installed as part of a FCC in high-rise buildings (Reardon, p. 37).

Fire department connections (FDC) should be clearly marked with signs or painted a distinct

color and FCC doors should be clearly marked to allow easy access to the main building.

Adequate signage should be provided for standpipe hose connections and corridor and stairs

should be labeled with numbers to assist firefighters should they become disoriented (Reardon).


There are numerous high-rises in Bellevue that lack adequate labeling on building

systems equipment (S. Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009). Sometimes the lack

of labeling is because signage was removed for painting or renovation and never re-installed.

Changing building codes have also had an impact on signage. What is now required to be

labeled may not have been required when the building was built. Building owners are sometimes

slow to make improvements to building systems, especially if there is a cost associated with the

required change.

The Henderson Fire Department (HFD), Nevada, utilizes a firefighter access plan (FAP),

developed by firefighters, to enable them to quickly familiarize themselves with each floor in a

complex structure (Lockwood, 2004). In order to avoid having multiple engine companies

looking at preplan books in the command center, HFD has placed FAPs in each stairwell for

responding firefighters to reference before they make access to each floor. The FAPs contain

valuable information such as standpipe locations and distances between them, room numbers,

elevators, places of refuge for firefighters, and a “you are here” feature (Lockwood). The FAP

ensures that firefighters have important building layout information they need before beginning

combat operations. An FAP posted on the stairwell walls relieves firefighters of having to carry,

and potentially lose, pre-fire maps.

Realizing that its high-rise standard operating procedure (SOP) had not kept pace with

the changing technology of high-rise building systems, the Charlotte Fire Department (CFD),

North Carolina, revised its high-rise procedure (Anderson, 1984). Although a dated article, the

CFD faced high-rise problems such as building design, HVAC, and elevator issues that are still

problematic today. It is interesting to note that responding CFD firefighters rely on information


provided by building personnel for technical features of the building and the status of smoke

detector and sprinkler systems (Anderson).

Neither Orange County Fire Rescue nor North Las Vegas employs any type of building

system identification (J. Gaut, personal communication, January 6, 2009; B. Evans, personal

communication, January 6, 2009). Instead Orange County Fire relies on quarterly drills with

building representatives and fire personnel to familiarize themselves with building systems while

North Las Vegas does a walk-through of their high-rises once a month.

Of all the numerous building systems firefighters must have knowledge and expertise in

at a high-rise fire; elevators present the biggest danger to first-arriving firefighters (Terpak,

2002). Norman (2005), states that “Firefighters must recognize the use of elevators as a

necessary evil; something to be avoided where possible but used when necessary” (p. 341).

Elevators can be an extremely valuable tool for firefighters but they can quickly become a very

dangerous and potential deadly trap (McGrail, 2007, p. 81). In order to avoid the risk of injury or

death from fire while using elevators at a high-rise fire Lakamp (2007) states that 25 of 33

departments surveyed reported that, if they use high-rise elevators, they exit two floors below the

reported fire floor (p. 41). The BFD high-rise SOP does not encourage elevator use in high-rise

response prior to the establishment of Lobby Control (BFD, 2003). This SOP is currently under

review and may be revised to allow first-responding firefighters the ability to access elevators

sooner during high-rise responses (W. Merritt, personal communication, December 12, 2008).

The high-rise building systems identification process currently used by the BFD is

limited to pre-fire map books found on each responding unit and in a large binder, found in the

alarm room of most high-rise buildings. Pre-fire maps show very general locations of

standpipes, stairs, elevators and alarm panels, but have little, if any, information regarding the


use of building systems such as “access to tactical elevator from alarm room” or “how to use

building enunciator panel”. The binders found in alarm rooms have detailed information about

each building but it takes time to flip through to find, and then decipher, information specific to

that building. Article 700, Section 4 [High Rise Tactics] of the BFD SOP manual does not give

specific information regarding the building systems for any high-rise in Bellevue (BFD, 2003).

First-in duties

The author found that first-in duties for high-rise events vary from department to

department. The BFD sends the same number of units regardless of the type of high-rise alarm

(BFD, 2003). The Seattle Fire Department routinely sends one engine and one ladder company

to high-rise alarms, where no secondary call or confirmation of fire has been reported (C.

Cordova, personal communications October 21, 2008). The Nashville Fire Department

differentiates response assignments depending if the high-rise call is an “alarm response” or a

“reported fire response” (NFD, 2007).

Lakamp (2007) concluded that there is no single protocol for either apparatus deployment

or initial assignment for a high-rise response in the United States. The type and number of

resources sent on a high-rise alarm varied greatly. The author found that of the 34 departments

responding to his survey, 19 sent four engines, 25 sent two trucks/ladders, 18 sent one heavy

rescue, 14 sent two chief officers, 17 sent one advanced life support (ALS) unit and no

department sent a basic life support (BLS) unit for a report of fire in a high-rise (p. 26). Of the

surveys returned Lakamp noted that 24 of the 34 fire departments automatically assigned the

first-arriving engine company to fire attack, while seven of the departments surveyed had the

first-arriving engine company assigned to a non-combat detail (p.29). The company responsible

assigned to Lobby Control varied greatly with six departments assigning the second-arriving


engine company as Lobby Control (p. 30). The Bellevue Fire Department initially sends three

engines one ladder, one battalion chief and one Medical Services Officer – 17 personnel total –

on any high-rise alarm (BFD, 2003, p. 3).

In addition to determining the specific fire floor and location of the fire, gaining control

of the building’s systems such as: elevators, HVAC systems, public address systems and fire

pumps should be a top priority of any good high-rise strategic plan (Norman, 2005, p. 327).

Terpak (2002) states that the lobby command post should be established by one of the

first-arriving units. He also asserts that it’s important for first-in companies to determine and

verify the fire floor and to gain control of the building systems such as HVAC, elevators, fire

pumps and communications (p. 348).

Flagstaff, Arizona assigns the first-in company to obtain whatever information is

available in the lobby and proceed to the fire floor to initiate a fire attack (Staskey, 2004, p. 108).

The second-in engine company is assigned to water supply and rapid intervention company with

the third-in engine company assigned to fire attack with the first engine. The first-arriving truck

company is assigned to establish Lobby Control and Base (Staskey).

Philadelphia Fire Department (PHD) assigns the first-arriving engine company to proceed

to the fire and initiate suppression activities and leave the driver with the engine in order to take

a hydrant and prepare to supply the sprinkler and standpipe system (PFD, 2004). The second-

arriving engine company takes a hydrant and proceeds to assist the first-arriving engine

company. The third-arriving ladder company is assigned to establish Lobby Control.

Terpak (2002) suggests a protocol similar to Philadelphia’s by having the first-arriving

engine company wait for the first-arriving ladder company to accompany them to the fire floor

and initiate fire attack. The second-arriving engine and second-arriving ladder report to Lobby


Command Post, if set up by a chief officer, and then assist the first-arriving companies with fire

attack.

The author acknowledges that staffing levels may also affect how fire departments assign

first-in duties but this variance was not researched as part of this ARP due to time constraints.

Job Aids

Job aids are convenient reference tools that provide information when people need it

(Frank, 1996, p. 99). Job aids are not new. People have relied on job aids since prehistoric times

when details of fire tending, skinning and cooking adorned cave walls (Rossett & Gautier-

Downes, 1991, p. 15). The use of job aids in the military is well established (p. 15). Job aids

can be developed in three to five times less than it takes to develop equivalent training programs

and jobs aids can diminish the need for training (p. 16). In fact, sometimes a job aid can be a

substitute for training (Frank, p. 99).

The difference between instruction and a job aid is that the purpose of instruction is for

the material to become part of the learner’s long term memory, to be called upon later for

instantaneous results (San Diego State University [SDSU], n.d.). Job aids are designed to help

you make decisions in an instant, when you need to make a sound decision as it happens. Job

aids can provide immediate information for the task at hand, while instruction involves

presentation, practice, and feedback pertaining to the information to be mastered (SDSU).

Job aids in high-rise alarm rooms can provide firefighters information in an easily

accessible format that they can look at when they need it. Pulling the key information out of a

thick manual just frustrates users whereas turning it into a job aid, for example, often solves this

problem and makes a task easier (Frank, 1996). This sentiment was clearly stated in an article by


Ward (2003) “You don’t have time to review a 60-page high-rise manual at 0300 hours with fire

showing on the seventh floor” (p. 116).

Rossett & Gautier-Downes (1991) give the following criteria for when it is appropriate to

use a job aid:

1. When the performance is infrequent;

2. When the situation is complex, has multiple steps or has multiple attributes;

3. When the consequences of errors are high;

4. When performance depends on a large body of information

5. When there is little time or few resources to devote to training (p. 31)

Connelly (2007) suggests 15 tips for creating effective job aids. Some of these tips are to:

Perform a needs analysis, don’t reinvent the wheel, less is more, pictures and symbols are worth

a thousand words, create templates or standard forms, and keep them up to date. All of these

suggestions help to make a job aid both useful and easy to interpret.

Frank (1996) offers several recommendations regarding design and typeface. The design

basics include: Contrast; Repetition; Proximity; and Alignment (p. 3). Contrast is using large

and small, black and white, wide and narrow elements on the page. Repetition is repeating

illustrations and noticeable clues on different pages of a job aid. Proximity is visually grouping

related pieces so the page looks organized and the readers can see the relationship between

elements at a glance. Alignment is to line up the edges of the elements on a page so that,

whenever possible, everything on the page aligns with something else on the page (p. 9).

According to Frank (1996), there are three broad categories of type: serif, sans serif, and

script (p. 14). Most people find serif type easier to read because we have grown up reading it.

This ARP is written in Times New Roman, a serif-type font. Serifs are like small feet on the


bottom of letters. Sans serif type does not have the small feet on the bottom of the letters. Script

type looks like it is handwritten. The serifs at the bottom of each letter help to guide the eye

horizontally across the page (p. 15). Frank warns against using more than two types of typefaces

on any one page and suggests that the only effective combination is the use of a serif and sans

serif, using one for the main text and one for the titles and headings (p. 16).

PROCEDURES

Research Methodology

This ARP employs action research to help address the problem of rapid assessment of

high-rise building systems by first-arriving firefighters in the Bellevue Fire Department. The

procedures used in this research proposal included information gathered from the Internet,

interviews conducted with Bellevue Department personnel and a brief questionnaire that was

sent to selected members of the IFSTA high-rise committee. A job aid, to assist firefighters in

quickly processing information on the elevator panel in the alarm room of a high-rise, was

created and field-tested on 39 Bellevue firefighters.

Literature Review

The research for this ARP began at the LRC at the NFA in Emmitsburg, Maryland in

August of 2008. Information for this ARP was found in periodicals, text books, existing ARPs,

Internet sites, and personal interviews. The focus of the literature review was to find sources of

information on how others identify the use of high-rise building systems, discover how other fire

departments respond to high-rise alarms, and find out what type, if any, of job aid is currently

employed by other fire departments.

Interviews


Ken Carlson, Fire Marshal, Bellevue Fire Department, gave important historical

background information on the development of high-rises in general as well as detailed

information on the development and construction of high-rises in the City of Bellevue (K.

Carlson, personal communication, October 12, 2008; January 8, 2009).

William Lie, EMS Data Analyst provided this researcher with detailed information

regarding data for run totals and information on high-rise responses for the BFD (W. Lie,

personal communication, January 6, 2009).

An interview with Steve Sexton, Lead Fire Prevention Officer provided background and

insight into the building systems of City Center II, a new 27-story high-rise scheduled for

occupancy in 2009 (S. Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009). The interview with

Sexton gave this researcher valuable information as to how the IFC and IBC impact the

construction of high-rise buildings and specifically on the building systems that firefighters may

interface with.

Questionnaire Population

A brief, three-question questionnaire was sent to 15 of the 21 members of the IFSTA

high-rise committee. The author believes that IFSTA is a well-known, and generally

acknowledged, authority on firefighting practices. The author further believes that the members

of the IFSTA high-rise committee have knowledge and expertise in the area of high-rises. The

names of committee members were provided to this researcher by Ed Kirtley, IFSTA Projects

Coordinator, Fire Protection Publications, Oklahoma State University. A list of IFSTA high-rise

committee members is contained in Appendix A. The 15 high-rise committee members chosen to

receive the questionnaire were done so based on the fact that they were directly involved in

either the operations or training of their fire department. Members of the IFSTA high-rise


committee, not selected to receive the questionnaire, were typically employed with professional

organizations not directly affiliated with a specific fire department. The author wished to solicit

information from officials working directly with firefighters responding to high-rise incidents.

Of the 15 questionnaires sent, the author received information or made telephone contact with 13

members. The questionnaire was sent by U.S. mail to the 15 committee members, along with a

self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The questionnaire, as exhibited in Appendix B, consisted of three questions designed to

ascertain how the fire departments, of IFSTA high-rise committee members, approach the first

five minutes of a high-rise response. The author was trying to discover what these departments

did in the first 1-5 minutes at the scene and compare these answers to the way in which the BFD

responds to high-rise incidents. The author was confident that these professionals would be

likely to respond to the questionnaire because they had already demonstrated an interest in the

development of better high-rise tactics by committing themselves to the IFSTA high-rise

committee.

Job Aid

A job aid, exhibited in Appendix C, was created for use on the elevator panel of the City

Center II building, a new high-rise in Bellevue scheduled for occupancy 2009. The top portion

of the job aid contains a line drawing that shows the FCC, location and orientation of the elevator

panel, and elevator banks. Below the drawing is information about the buildings elevators that

may be of use to responding firefighters. Two fonts were used in the job aid. The major

headings used Times New Roman, a serif font. The body of job aid used Arial, a non-serif font.

Various sizes of the fonts, from 8 to 14, were used depending on their placement within the job

aid. The job aid was created on a Microsoft Word program.


The job aid was field-tested by 39 Bellevue firefighters on January 20, 21 and 22, 2009.

Participants were randomly selected based on the apparatus they were assigned to the day of the

test. Appendix D contains the randomization schedule. The author pre-assigned those

participants that would have use of the job aid and those that would not. The use of a job aid for

each participant was randomized and no preference was given to a participant based on length of

employment with the BFD, regular station assignment or previous knowledge of the building.

All participants were given the same information prior to the event. The test instructions are

contained in Appendix E. Participants were told not to discuss the test with other participants

until after all members had completed the test. The evaluation was timed for all participants from

the time they entered the FCC until the time they finished their last objective which was to

successfully locate an elevator they had selected at the elevator panel. The test was conducted

between 10 a.m. and noon on all three test days.

Assumptions and Limitations

All published research information used in this ARP is assumed to be authoritative and

unbiased in nature. It is assumed that the responses to personal interviews and to the

questionnaire are factual and reflect the current polices of the respondents’ department.

Although the respondents to the questionnaire represented fire departments from a wide

geographic range, the author acknowledges that the small size of the questionnaire population is

not representative of all fire departments. The author considers the respondents to the

questionnaire to be experts in the area of high-rise strategy and tactics because of their position

on the IFSTA high-rise committee.

The job aid was tested on 39 of 217 sworn members of the BFD. This sample size, while

limited, was assumed to be representative of the firefighters in the BFD. The author attempted to


enlist the help from as many on-duty fire units as was possible. For this test Engine 1, Ladder 1,

Aid 1, Engine 5, Engine 7 and Battalion 1 were chosen because of their close proximity to the

City Center II building. All three platoons: A, B, and C, were represented in this test. Any one

of the apparatus participating in the field test may respond to an emergency to the City Center II,

or any other building in downtown Bellevue.

A limiting factor to the questionnaire was that not all respondents chose to answer the

three questions directly. For example, District Chief Travis Ford of the Nashville Fire

Department, and Chief Alan Berkowsky of Evanston Fire & Life Safety Services sent the author

a copy of their current SOP but did not directly answer the questions. Most of the information

the author was looking for could be found by doing a careful reading of the department’s high-

rise SOP. The author received high-rise SOPs from Phoenix (PFD, 1999), Evanston

(Berkowsky, 2008), Orange County (Plaugher, 2008), Fairfax County (Coffman, 2002) and Los

Angeles (LAFD), n.d.).

The research was further limited because of terminology and resource availability within

the fire service. There is no consistent, standard definition for a high-rise building. Each

jurisdiction defines a high-rise either by height, number or stories, length of a department’s aerial

apparatus or a combination of the three. There is no consistency in the number and type of

resources available to respond to a high-rise emergency. The resources within a department or

jurisdiction dictate the number of units to be sent on a high-rise alarm and the actions taken by

those crews. Questionnaires not returned by IFSTA high-rise committee members also limited

the information available to this researcher.


RESULTS

The research for this ARP was done through a literature review, personal interviews, a

questionnaire sent to 15 of the members on the IFSTA high-rise committee and a field-test of a

job aid for elevator operations. Of the 15 questionnaires sent out, 13 were returned through e-

mail, the U.S. mail or by telephone contact. The results of the job aid field-test were recorded

directly onto a job aid test evaluation sheet shown in Appendix F.

Questionnaire Results

Not all respondents who sent back information in the mail answered the three questions

directly as requested, however, if the respondent did not directly answer the questions they did

send a copy of their current high-rise SOP, from which the author was able to extract valuable

information. While telephone contact was made with Fire Chief Tim Stemple with Lockheed

Martin, information regarding the Lockheed Martin Fire Department was not used since there are

no high-rise buildings served by the department. Appendix G shows questionnaire answers.

Question one asked the respondents what high-rise building information was immediately

the most useful to first-responding firefighters once at the scene. The purpose of this question

was to find out what information, in addition to existing pre-fires and information from dispatch,

was the most helpful to firefighters when they arrived at the alarm room. In other words: What

are firefighters looking for in order to help them decide what to do when they walk into a FCC?

All 12 of the respondents said that the number one priority is to locate the alarm panel, verify

what floor is in alarm, what type of alarm has been tripped and how many alarms have been

tripped.


The 12 respondents all reported that capturing or finding the status of building elevators

is also a priority for first-responding crews. Nine of the respondents reported that identifying

firefighting stairwells was an expected job for the first-responding company.

The second question sought to find out if any other fire departments used special or

unique identification methods to mark building systems equipment. This question was asked

because although the IFC and IBC currently requires that high-rise buildings be equipped with

graphic display annunciator panels this has not always been the case (Reardon, 2005). There are

multiple high-rises in Bellevue that were built under various editions of the IFC and IBC. These

buildings all have different building systems and are labeled differently, if they are labeled at all

(S. Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009).

None of the 12 respondents to the questionnaire stated that their department currently

used any type of unique building system identification method. All 12 respondents said they

relied solely on the graphic annunciator panel for building systems information. Their fire

departments did not mark the fire alarm panel, elevator panel, enunciator panel or HVAC panel.

Orange County Fire Rescue, FL holds quarterly drills with high-rise building representatives and

local fire department companies in order to familiarize themselves with building systems (J.

Gaut, personal communication, January 6, 2009). North Las Vegas fire personnel do a walk-

through of their high-rises once a month (B. Evans, personal communication, January 6, 2009).

The third question asked was: What were the responsibilities of the first-arriving

companies for each department? This is different from the first question in that the author was

trying to differentiate between the collection of information by first-responding companies and

what responding companies actually do, once on scene. It was difficult for the author to

determine the exact duties for each arriving company at every high-rise event from a review of


SOPs or even telephone interviews. Nashville (NFD, 2007) has different first-in duties

depending on whether or not the initial call is an “alarm dispatch” or a “reported fire dispatch”,

making it difficult to say for certain what the first engine or truck’s assignment may be. It

appears that each jurisdiction defines an “alarm” differently and consequently the responsibilities

of first-in units cannot be generalized to any degree of certainty.

All 12 respondents reported that the first-in engine company is responsible to find and

report on the fire alarm panel. Eleven of 12 respondents reported that the first-in engine

company is assigned to make initial fire attack on the reported fire floor. Orange County was the

only department that reported that their first-responding engine company is assigned to staging

on the main floor, the FCC and Lobby Control, unless the second-in engine is delayed. Seven

respondents reported that the first-arriving truck or ladder reports to the fire floor to assist the

first engine with fire attack. Some respondents reported that the first engine waits for a second

engine or ladder company to join them before they make a fire attack. Three respondents

reported that the first-in ladder is responsible for Lobby Control and two respondents reported

the first-in ladder is responsible for search and rescue or ventilation. All 12 departments that

responded to the questionnaire reported that it was the first-responding engine company that was

responsible for the capture or status check of building elevators. The BFD high-rise SOP states

that the first-arriving engine makes the initial fire attack, the second-arriving engine company

established lobby control and the first-arriving ladder company assists the first engine with fire

attack (BFD, 2003).

Job Aid Results

Results of the job aid field test can be found in Appendix H. Twenty-one of 39

firefighters participating in the job aid test had use of the job aid while the remaining 18


firefighters had only the elevator panel itself. None of the 39 participants reported that they were

familiar or had a working knowledge of the City Center II building or its building systems prior

to the job aid test. All but 6 of the 39 participants were regularly assigned to the apparatus they

were assigned to the day of the test. The firefighters participating had anywhere from 6 months

to 40 years experience with the BFD.

The participants for this test were given a scenario that a smoke alarm had been reported

on the 22nd floor of the City Center II building at 3 a.m. They were told that no other

information was given to them from dispatch. On arrival participants were told that the first-

arriving company found strobes on the top floors of the building, but did not see smoke or

flames. Participants were instructed that the test related only to elevator systems and that they

were not expected to follow existing BFD high-rise tactics.

The first task was to find the elevator panel itself. All 39 participants were able to locate

the elevator panel. The City Center II elevator panel is located on a remote wall in the FCC, and

is not in close proximity to the alarm panel or the Fire Service Control Panel (FSCP), which

presented a challenge for some firefighters.

The second task was to identify the freight elevator and determine its location in the

building. All 21 of the participants using the job aid were able to identify the freight elevator

and gave the correct position in the building. In the group without the job aid, only one

participant was able to find the freight elevator. The firefighter without the job aid was able to

find the freight elevator by gathering information off of the FSCP.

The third task was to identify an elevator that would take the firefighters to a floor at least

five floors below the reported alarm on floor 22. Most participants said they would like to go

directly to floor 17. Those firefighters using the job aid were able to correctly identify the high


bank elevators, which service the 17th floor 100% of the time. Only two firefighters without the

job aid were able to correctly identify the high bank elevators.

The participants were then asked to identify the Recall/Phase I firefighter switch for the

high bank elevator. These switches were located at the bottom of the elevator panel. All 21 of

the firefighters who had the job aid found the elevator recall switches on the panel. Twenty of

the 21 were able to correctly identify the two high bank elevator Recall/Phase I switches. Fifteen

of the 18 firefighters without the job aid were able to find the Recall/Phase I switches but only

one of them could identify which were the two high bank switches.

The average time it took the firefighters using the job aid to complete all tasks and find

their chosen elevator was 146 seconds (2:26). It took the firefighters without a job aid 171

seconds (2:51) to do the same. Participants were not allowed to use stairs to access the elevators.

Any participant who tried to gain access to the Lobby level of the building via the stairway was

told they could not use the stairs as part of the test. About half of all participants tried to use the

stairs and were told to access the elevators from the same level they were on. If participants

without the job aid told the evaluator they could not accomplish a task, such as locating the

freight elevator, they were instructed to proceed to the next task.

Respondents were asked to give feedback regarding the use of the job aid. Of those that

gave feedback, 16 reported that the job aid was very useful. Suggestions given to improve the

job aid are to have larger print, more use of color and more graphics or symbols. Twelve

participants said that the use of the job aid would likely reduce their anxiety level or give them

more confidence in the event of an actual emergency response.


DISCUSSION

The author found that fire departments do not agree on a common definition of what

constitutes a high-rise building. The BFD defines a high-rise as a building that is more than 75

feet in height from the lowest fire department access (BFD, 2003). This definition of a high-rise

is shared by many (McGrail, 2007; Quiter, 2008; Staskey, 2004) but also leaves room for other

definitions of a high-rise building such as large, windowless buildings (Norman, 2005) and

buildings with a roof that a 100 foot aerial ladder can’t reach (Clark, 1991).

The author discovered that there are at least two, and possibly more, types of high-rises

(McGrail, 2007; Norman, 2005; Terpak, 2002). Regardless of how many types of high-rises

there are, all the authorities agreed that there is a pre-World War II and post-World War II era of

high-rise construction. The City of Bellevue has no high-rise older than 1968 and therefore all

high-rises in Bellevue are of the lightweight, post-World War II type. The light-weight high-

rises found in Bellevue incorporate core construction techniques with exterior curtain walls, have

extensive HVAC systems, and have large open spaces, all of which create challenges for

firefighters in the event of a fire response. Firefighters in cities such as Chicago, that have

numerous heavy-weight high-rises, find that fighting fires in these type of buildings can be less

of a challenge than light-weight high-rises because of the compartmentalization, availability of

natural ventilation and lack of void spaces found in heavy-weight high-rises (K. Witt, personal

communication, November 10, 2008). The author agrees with McGrail (2007) that post-world

War II high-rises present challenges to firefighters not seen in early types of high-rise buildings,

making firefighting even more challenging.

The questionnaire revealed that one of the most important pieces of information a first-

responding company can find is the alarm panel. Once the panel is located companies need to


verify the floor in alarm, the number of alarms registered and the type of alarm registered. This

information lets the first-responding companies where to begin the fire attack the and guides in

other companies as well. Norman (2005) and Terpak (2002) also believe that first-arriving

companies must locate the alarm panel and verify the alarm. The author agrees with these

findings.

All but one of the respondents to the questionnaire reported that their department assigns

the first-arriving engine company to initial fire attack. Seven of the 12 questionnaire respondents

said that their department also sends the first-arriving truck company to assist with fire attack.

Lakamp (2007) reported that 24 of 34 fire departments surveyed automatically sent the first-

arriving engine company to fire attack. The Philadelphia Fire Department also sends the first-

arriving engine company to initiate fire attack (PFD, 2004). The BFD currently sends the first-

arriving engine company to initiate fire attack and the first-arriving ladder company is sent to

assist with fire attack (BFD, 2003).

The author discovered that any building systems firefighters may have reason to interface

with such as alarm panels, FCC rooms and elevator panels that are to be clearly marked

(Reardon, 2005; S. Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009). This is not always the

case in Bellevue. Changes in the IFC and IBC, changes in building ownership, renovations and

updates all can impact whether or not proper labeling is kept current in high-rises (S. Sexton,

personal communication, January 7, 2009).

The use of elevators by first-responding firefighters is well documented in the SOP’s

received by this author. High-rise elevator use protocols and instructions are prominent in

Evanston (Berkowsky, 2008), Fairfax County (Coffman, 2002), Orange County (Plaugher, 2008)


and Phoenix (PFD, 1999) high-rise SOPs. The BFD high-rise SOPs give specific, restrictive

guidelines about elevator use during a high-rise incident (BFD, 2003).

From the questionnaires sent back to the author it is clear that elevator use is both a

necessity and a great concern to all 12 respondents. All 12 questionnaire respondents reported

that the first-responding company, from their department, was responsible to recall or give the

status of elevators in a high-rise. These first-responding companies were allowed to use elevators

to gain access to upper floors for initial fire attack. The author is aware that the BFD places

great emphasis on the safe use of elevators and is in the process of re-evaluating its position on

elevator use during a high-rise event. The author is also aware that elevator panels in Bellevue

are not always correctly labeled (S, Sexton, personal communication, January 7, 2009) and

gathering information from an unmarked elevator panel is not easily done, especially on a fire

alarm, when time is very short.

The author was surprised to discover that no other fire departments employed a unique

identification method for high-rise building systems. None of the 12 IFSTA high-rise committee

members the author contacted said that their departments employed job aids to help firefighters

identify and use their high-rise building systems. Henderson Fire Department uses a job aid,

known to them as a FAP, to help firefighters identify specific floor plans in large buildings, but

does not employ any type of job aid in their FCC (Lockwood, 2004). Charlotte Fire Department

relies on high-rise building personnel to give responding firefighters information about the

building (Anderson, 1984). Orange County Fire Rescue relies on quarterly drills with building

representatives and fire personnel to familiarize themselves with building systems (J. Gaut,

personal communication, January 6, 2009). North Las Vegas does a walk-through of their high-


rises once a month to gain knowledge of their building systems (B. Evans, personal

communication, January 6, 2009).

Rossett & Gautier-Downes (1991) stated that job aids are not a new idea and have been

employed in the military for years. Job aids can be especially useful for situations where the

performance is infrequent, the situation has multiple steps, the consequence for errors are high

and when there is little time or few resources to devote to training (p. 31). The author believes

that the reasons to employ the use of a job aid, as sited by Rossett & Gautier-Downes, directly

apply to building systems in a high-rise and specifically to elevator operations. Using elevators

in an emergency is not something firefighters typically do on a day to day basis. Deciphering an

elevator panel can be very challenging and mistakes in elevator use can be devastating (McGrail,

2007, p. 88). It is also very difficult to find enough training time to make all firefighters

tactically proficient at elevator operations (p.82).

The job aid field-test conducted by the author showed that those firefighters who had use

of a job aid performed consistently better, and were far more accurate in their assessment of

information on the elevator panel, than were firefighters without the use of a job aid. Table 1

shows how accurate the firefighters with the job aid were compared to the firefighters who did

not have the use of a job aid.


Table 1

Test accuracy with and without use of job aid

Firefighters using the job aid were more accurate in identifying the freight elevator, correctly

choosing an elevator that would to take them to the floor they wanted to go to and correctly

identifying the bank of Phase I switches for the high bank elevators. Both groups were able to

identify the Phase I switches on the elevator panel. Each Phase I switch on the elevator panel

controlled two or three elevators and were marked with elevator numbers but if you did not know

what elevator belonged to each number you could not chose, with certainty, a specific bank of

elevators to put into Phase I operation.

Feedback from those who participated in the field test suggested the job aid could be

improved by the use of larger font, using more color and more graphics or symbols. Several

firefighters suggested that the job aid be standardized for use on all elevator panels in the city.

The firefighters said that if they had a standardized job aid what knew what information may be


contained on it, they would be able to make better use of the job aid. The author believes these

are good ideas and should be incorporated into the final version of this job aid.

Years of experience, station assignment or familiarity with the building did not appear to

play a factor in the results. A firefighter with 6 months experience on the job was able to

accurately complete the same tasks and in less time then a firefighter with 40 years on the job.

Table 2 shows that firefighters using the job aid had an average completion time of 146 seconds

(2:26) compared to an average time of 171 seconds (2:51) for those firefighters who did not have

the job aid.

Table 2

Completion time with and without job aid

The author believes that the times recorded for the field test do not truly indicate how

beneficial the elevator job aid proved for participants. The participants who used the job aid

were able to complete all of the objectives with almost 100% accuracy, with limited interaction

with the evaluator. All participants were told they were not to use the stairs if they tried to do so

during the evaluation period. The group of firefighters who did not have use of the job aid were

not able to complete several of the objectives on the field test. The evaluator had to allow all but


one of the non-job aid participants to continue on when they were unable to complete the

objectives. If the evaluator had not allowed non-job aid participants to continue, without

finishing their tasks, it is unknown how long their times would have been.

The author found through literature review and a questionnaire that gathering information

about high-rise elevator systems is very important for first-responding firefighters. A job aid

created for elevator operations and field tested on Bellevue firefighters appears to be of great

value to firefighters during the initial response period. The next step to validating the use of a

job aid for elevator operations would be an expansion of this test to include all elevator panels in

Bellevue high-rise buildings. An expanded test would help validate the effectiveness of a job aid

for first-responding firefighters on different types of elevator panels in many different high-rise

buildings. Indications are that the application of a job aid may be useful for other high-rise

building systems identification such as alarm panels, fire pumps and enunciator panels.

The author found that no other fire departments use job aids to help first-responding

firefighters decipher building systems. In the absence of a job aid or other identification method

for high-rise building systems, firefighters rely on building personnel (Anderson, 1984) or

physically walking through buildings to gain knowledge of these systems (B. Evans, personal

communication, January 6, 2009; J. Gaut, personal communication, January 6, 2009). The author

agrees that having building personnel, who have expertise of their building, report to responding

firefighters can be a very valuable tool but this is often not available to first-responding

companies. The author further agrees with Evans and Gaut in that physically walking buildings

or holding high-rise drills on a periodic basis is an excellent way to gain knowledge of a

building.


RECOMMENDATIONS

The BFD needs to pursue the following recommendations: 1) Incorporate high-rise walk-

throughs as part of the Monthly Drill Check Sheet issued by the Training Division; 2) Insure that

all building systems are labeled per IFC and IBC guidelines as required; 3) Create elevator job

aids for all high-rise elevators in the City of Bellevue; 4) Create a job aid for other building

systems such as alarm panel, enunciator, or fire pumps.

These recommendations will have little impact to the BFD budget but would certainly

have a big impact on the performance of firefighters on high-rise responses. Monthly walk-

throughs of high-rise buildings will require either additional drill time for firefighters or change

in drill priorities. The Training Division will have to find the best way to incorporate the high-

rise walk-throughs with crews. It will be difficult to find more time for mandatory high-rise

walk-throughs, but the benefits to the time cost can pay huge dividends in the event of a high-rise

fire.

There will likely be costs associated with these recommendations for the building

management companies of some high-rise buildings. It is essential that all high-rise building

systems be labeled appropriately to better serve firefighters responding to alarms. A discussion

between building representatives and the BFD Fire Prevention Division may be necessary to gain

support and compliance.

The current elevator job aid seems to be very useful to firefighters but additional

feedback from firefighters and command officers is necessary to insure that as much vital

information as possible is presented in the final elevator job aid. Standardizing the look of the

job aid, so that it has the same “look” regardless of the building will also help. The creation of


additional job aids can be done by on-duty personnel. There is a small office expense in

laminating and posting the finished job aids.

The number of high-rises in Bellevue is growing quickly, with each building having its

own unique building systems. Giving firefighters the ability to decipher complex building

systems equipment, such as elevator alarm panels, in an expedient fashion and under extreme

pressure will be a benefit to the BFD and those citizens working and residing in Bellevue high-

rises.


References

Anderson, B. (1984, September). Testing high-rise SOPs. Fire Engineering, 137(9), 57-60.

Berkowsky, A. J. (2008, August 18). High-rise operations. (Available from the Evanston Fire &

Life Safety Services, Evanston, IL)

BFD, (2003, August 19). Standard Operating Procedure. (Available from the Bellevue Fire

Department, 450 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004)

City of Bellevue (2009). City profile history. Retrieved January 5, 2009, from

http.//www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/history.htm

Clark, W. E. (1991). Firefighting principles and practices (Rev. ed.). Saddle Brook, NJ: Fire

Engineering Books and Videos.

Coffman, J. B. (2002, June). High rise building fires. (Available from the Fire and Rescue

Departments of Northern Virginia, Fairfax County, VA)

Connelly, J. (2007). Reduce tech-support requests with cheat sheets. Retrieved September 11,

2008, from http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/training/page6101.cfm

Edwards, J. D. High-Rise Firefighting an Analysis of Procedures for Operational Effectiveness.

(Available from the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, MD)

Frank, D. (1996). Terrific training materials high impact graphic designs for workbooks,

handouts, instructor guides, & job aids (1st ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Lakewood

Publications.

LAFD, (n.d.). High Rise Incident Command System. (Available from the Los Angeles Fire

Department, Los Angeles, CA)


Lakamp, T. C. (2007, June). Examining Fire Department Response and Occupant Actions With

High-rise Structures in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Available from the National Fire Academy,

Emmitsburg, MD)

Lockwood, R. (2004, April). Roadmap to response. Fire Rescue Magazine, 22(4), 80-87.

McGrail, D. M. (2007). Firefighting Operations in High-Rise and Standpipe-Equipped

Buildings. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell Corporation.

National Fire Academy. (2005). Applied Research Project Guidelines [Brochure]. Emmitsburg,

MD: Author.

NFD, (2007, July). High Rise Firefighting. (Available from the Nashville Fire Department,

Nashville, TN)

Norman, J. (2005). Fire Officer’s Handbook of Tactics (Rev. ed.). Tulsa, OK: PennWell

Corporation.

O’Hagan, J. T. (1974, July). Sao Paulo, Brazil, Adds to High-Rise Fire History. Fire

Engineering, 127(7), 18-25.

PFD, (1999, July). High-Rise Plans. (Available from the Phoenix Fire Department, Phoenix, AZ)

PFD, (2004, December). Operational Procedure #33. (Available from the Philadelphia Fire

Department, Philadelphia, PA)

Plaugher, C. L. (2008, March 1). High-Rise Structure Fire Incidents. (Available from the Orange

County Fire Rescue Department, Orange County, FL)

Quiter, J. R. (2008). High-rise buildings: what should we do about them? [Online exclusive].

Fire Protection Engineering. Retrieved September 5, 2008, from

http://www.fpemag.com/articles/article.asp?i=228

Reardon, M. (2005). Thinking inside the box. Building Safety Journal, III (5), 36-38.


Rossett, A., & Gautier-Downes, J. (1991). A handbook of job aids. San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer &

Company.

San Diego State University (n.d.). Job aids. Retrieved September 11, 2008, from

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/Courses/EDTEC540/540WWW/home.html

Staskey, P. (2004, August). Regional Training on Target Hazards. Fire Engineering, 107-111.

Terpak, M. A. (2002). Fireground Size-Up. Tulsa, Oklahoma: PennWell Corporation.

Ward, M. J. (2003, February). Dying with a great view. Fire Rescue Magazine, 21(2), 115-117.


Appendix A

IFSTA High Rise Committee Members Receiving Questionnaire

Roxanne Bercik, Assistant Chief, Los Angeles Fire Department, CA

Alan Berkowsky, Fire Chief, Evanston Fire & Life Safety Services, IL

Frank Cardinale, Division Chief, San Francisco Fire Department, CA

Bruce Evans, EMS Chief, North Las Vegas Fire Department, NV

Travis Ford, District Fire Chief, Nashville Fire Department, TN

Yves Gaumond, Program Coordinator, Quebec National Fire Academy, Canada*

James Gaut, Battalion Chief, Orange County Fire Rescue, FL

Anthony Luke, Captain, Cleveland Division of Fire, OH

Dan Melhase, Fire Captain, Clark County Fire Department, NV

Mark Pare, Chief of Department, Wrentham Fire Department, MA

Tim Stemple, Fire Chief, Lockheed Martin, TX

Brandon Wagoner, Fire Protection Engineer, Phoenix Fire Department, AZ

James Walsh, Battalion Chief, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, VA

Keith Witt, Battalion Chief, Chicago Fire Department, IL

Renaldo Works, Captain/Assistant Fire Marshal, Tulsa Fire Department, OK*

*No contact made


Appendix B

High-Rise Questionnaire

October XX, 2008 Chief XXXXX, My name is Bruce Kroon and I’m a Captain with the Bellevue (WA) Fire Department. I am currently working on a research paper for the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy (NFA). I recently had the pleasure of having Ed Kirtley as an instructor at the NFA and he was kind enough to provide me with the names of the members of the IFSTA High Rise Committee. As a member of this committee, your help will be invaluable to me regarding research for this paper. What I’m trying to find out is how other fire departments approach high rise responses, specifically the first 1-5 minutes on-scene. I am most concerned with what does the first-in engine company does and who reports to the fire alarm room (control center). The City of Bellevue has had tremendous growth in the past 5 years and it has become difficult for firefighters to know how every high-rise building system operates. I would be very grateful if you could please respond to the following questions: 1. What high-rise building information is immediately the most useful to first-responding firefighters once at the scene? Explanation: Most engine/ladder companies have some sort of pre-fire on their buildings, they have some sort of report from the alarm company, and some information relayed from dispatch. I am looking for information that firefighters could gather at the scene, in the first few minutes of the call. 2. What type of high-rise building systems identification methods are employed by your fire department? Explanation: Every high-rise has a unique building system. Alarm panels are different, elevator panels are different, building enunciator panels are different. What, if anything, does your department do to help responding crews to quickly sort out what is important and how to manage building systems? Do you rely solely on building engineers for immediate information? 3. What are the duties of first-responding units to high-rise buildings in your department? Explanation: Where does the first-responding company go? Are they Lobby Control? Do they go to the fire floor? A copy of your existing high-rise response policy would be very helpful.


The information gathered from this research will be directly put into practice with the Bellevue Fire Department. It is my goal to create some kind of identification system to enable responding companies a “quick reference” to high-rise building systems, using some of the “best practices” I can find from professionals like you. You can respond to this request by using the self-addressed, stamped envelope enclosed, or by e-mail. I can be reached by e-mail at: [email protected]. My direct phone line is 425.452.2745 I truly appreciate your time in this matter and look forward to your responses. Yours, ____________________________ Bruce Kroon, Captain EMS Division Bellevue Fire Department


Appendix C

City Center II Elevator Operations Job Aid

City Center II ELEVATOR OPERATIONS 110th Ave NE

BANK NUMBER FROM TO BEST ACCESS Low Rise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Level A thru floor 14 Level A

High Rise 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 Level A & Lobby to floors 15 – 26 Level A

Freight 11 Loading dock level thru floor 26 ½ flight up Level A

Garage 12, 13, 14 Level D to Lobby Lobby

Handicap 15 110th Street entrance to Lobby Lobby

El Gaucho 16 Level D to El Gaucho Lobby El Gaucho

RECALL INFORMATION General Alarm Elevators DO NOT recall in General Alarm

Alarm in machine room or elevator lobby Elevators recall to Lobby

Firefighter Phase I Recall and Reset are here on the elevator panel not in elevator lobby

Garage (access on Lobby level)

Low

Rise

High

Rise

Handicap (Lobby level)

FCC Entrance on street to Level A

Freight (1/2 flight up from Level A)

You are here, on Level A

Stairs up to Lobby level

Door to elevators on Level A


Appendix D

Job Aid Randomization Schedule

1/20/09 1/21/09 1/22/09 C platoon B platoon A platoon

Job Aid Job Aid Job Aid E1 Officer Yes No Yes E1 Engineer No Yes No E1 FF Yes No Yes A1 Driver No Yes No A1 Officer Yes No Yes E5 Officer No Yes No E5 Engineer Yes No Yes E5 FF No Yes No E7 Officer Yes No Yes E7 Engineer No Yes No E7 FF Yes No Yes B1 No Yes No SA Yes No Yes L1 Officer No Yes No L1 Engineer Yes No Yes L1 Tiller No Yes No L1 FF Yes No Yes Strike through = were not able to participate due to scheduling or on emergency calls at time of test


Appendix E

Job Aid Participant Instructions

Scenario – Time: 0300 hours Dispatch: Report of smoke detector activation on 22nd floor of City Center II building (26 stories). No further information. Arrival: See strobes on top floors of City Center II building. No smoke or fire visible. Assignment –

1. Locate the elevator panel in Fire Command Center (FCC)

2. Select a floor you will initially respond to. (Does not matter what floor you select, but it

must be at least 5 floors below floor in alarm)

3. Identify the freight elevator and give its current position in building

4. Identify an elevator, by number, that will take you to your selected floor (Must be at

least 5 floors below floor in alarm)

5. Locate the Firefighter Phase I switch for high rise bank elevators

6. Physically locate the elevator that will take you to your desired floor

Note – You will be timed from when you enter the FCC until you have located the elevator you have selected. There are not “right” or “wrong” answers or “bad” times. This is event is for learning purposes only. You will not be expected to follow all Bellevue Fire Department high-rise procedures during this event. Elevators will not be used or recalled for this event. All elevators are to remain in service.


Appendix F Job Aid Test Evaluation Sheet

Date:___________ Pre Test: Apparatus assignment and position:_____________________ Regular Station Assignment:_________ Number of years in BFD:______________ Familiar with City Center II building: Yes/No Job Aid used: Yes/No

Objectives/Tasks: 1. Find elevator panel 2. Choose initial floor to respond to 3. Identify freight elevator and its position in building 4. Identify elevator for initial use 5. Locate high-rise elevator bank Phase I switch 6. Physically find chosen elevator

Test check list: Identify freight elevator on panel: Yes/No Identify elevator for initial use on panel: Yes/No Identify Phase I switches: Yes/No Correctly identified high-rise Phase I switches: Yes/No Time:_______ Post Test: (completed by participant) If Job Aid used was it helpful? What could be done to improve its effectiveness? (colors, graphics, etc) Did the job aid lower anxiety or make you feel more confident in abilities?


Appendix H Job Aid Results

Date Position Reg. Assign Exp. Familiar

Job Aid

Ident Freight

ID elev.

Phase I

Phase I correct Time

Job Aid

Useful Improve

20 E5 Eng 5 6 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:45 1 larger and darker print

20 E7 Off 7 25 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:05 1 arrows, larger font

20 E7 FF 7 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:40 1 colors, arrows

20 E5 Off 5 30 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:25

20 E5 FF 3 6 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:01

20 E7 Eng 7 19 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:15

20 SA 1 25 0 1 1 1 1 0 2:20 standardize

20 E1 Eng 1 25 0 0 0 0 1 0 1:25

20 A1 Off 3 4 0 1 1 1 1 1 1:59 1 larger print, symbols

20 E1 FF 1 6 0 1 1 1 1 0 2:30 1 standardize

20 E1 Off 1 6 0 1 1 1 1 1 1:43 1 colors

20 A1 Eng 7 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:01

21 L1 Tiller 1 20 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:21 1 none

21 E5 Off 5 14 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:21 1 removable for use

21 A1 Eng 1 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 2:10 1 removable for use

21 L1 Off 1 30 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:51 1 less info, important info

only

21 L1 FF 1 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 3:30

21 L1 Eng 1 17 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:00

21 A1 Off 1 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:01

21 E5 FF M1 18 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:56 1 standardize, colors

21 E5 Eng 5 35 0 0 0 0 0 0 2:39

21 E7 FF 7 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:25 1

21 E7 Eng 1 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:30

21 E1 FF 1 5 0 0 1 1 1 0 3:50

21 E1 Eng 1 20 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:45

21 E1 Off 1 17 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:02

22 E1 Off 8 40 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:30 larger font

22 E5 Off 5 20 0 0 0 0 1 0 3:10

22 E7 Eng 7 16 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:09

22 E5 FF M1 12 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:50

22 E5 Eng 4 25 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:17 1 larger font

22 E7 FF 7 12 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:07 building engineer 24/7

22 E7 Off 7 24 0 1 1 1 1 0 2:50 1 better graphics


22 L1 Off 1 19 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:44

22 L1 Tiller 1 9 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:52

22 L1 Eng 1 23 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:34 1 color, larger font,

graphics

22 L1 FF 1 7 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:40 1

22 E1 Eng 1 35 0 0 0 0 1 0 2:55

22 E1 FF 1 6 0 1 1 1 1 1 2:21

Documents

Initial Emergency Response to High-Rise Fire Alarm RoomsInitial Emergency Response 8 The Bellevue Fire Department was created in 1965 and for many years its firefighters fought fires