DIVISION 7TRAINING AND SAFETY NEWSLETTER

January 2015

TIP OF THE HELMET TO: Fr. Gene Lynch D-7 for organizing the memorial mass for Fr. Christian Engledrum, and to E-89 and L-50 for hosting the breakfast. Thanks also go out to Lt. Joe Lapointe of the Ceremonial Unit who did a terrific job. Also, a big thank you goes out to the Emerald Society Pipes and Drums who always make us proud.

190 WADSWORTH AVE., MANHATTAN: On February 22, 1979, Manhattan Box 1756 was transmitted for a fire on the top floor of 190 Wadsworth Ave. (corner of W. 183 St.) in Washington Heights. The building was a 5-story, 50’x 85’, occupied New Law Tenement. Exposure 2 was a similar building and it was attached. The exposure 4 side of the building is W. 183 St. The entire length of the exposure 4 side at the roof level was a cornice, not a parapet. It had a sloping roof void from the cornice to the roof. There were four apartments per floor with a small public hallway.

The box was transmitted around noon time. Heavy fire consumed the top floor rear and cockloft of this building indicating a delayed alarm. A Second Alarm was transmitted for the fire. Ladder Co. 34 was commanded by a Post Coverage Captain. The regularly assigned Captain was designated to be the Acting Battalion Chief in the 13th Battalion.

Ladder Co. 34 was the 2nd due Truck on the 1st alarm. L-45 was 1st due and they positioned their Tower Ladder in front of the building. L-34 positioned their Aerial Ladder on the W. 183 St. side of the building. The fire was advanced enough for the Deputy Chief of the 5th Division, D.C. Alford, to order the Chauffeur of L-34 to start setting up his ladder pipe.

Seasons

Greetings

The Roof Firefighter of L-34 ascended to the roof of Exposure 2 and crossed over to the fire building’s roof. He began to assist the Roof Firefighter from L-45 when he heard someone calling for help from the rear. The OV from L-45 was on the rear fire escape and there was a woman hanging out of the window off the fire escape and she was trapped. Fire started to show out the top of her window. The Roof Firefighter from L-34 climbed down the gooseneck ladder and entered the fire apartment. He grabbed the trapped woman. He and the OV Firefighter from L-45 carried the woman down the rear fire escape. The Roof Firefighter from L-34 sustained burns on his wrists in affecting this rescue.

The Forcible Entry Team of L-34 ascended to the top floor of the fire building to perform a primary search of the non-fire apartments on that floor. The top floor was heavily charged with smoke. The Forcible Entry team was comprised of the previously mentioned PCOT Captain, a knowledgeable and highly respected Firefighter was the F.E. Firefighter, and Fr. John T. McKenna was the Can Firefighter.

The Forcible Entry Team from L-34 completed their primary search of the top floor. The fire was still expanding and the first due Engine and Ladder were heavily engaged. However, the Officer from L-34 was missing. The two Firefighters from L-34 did another search and they could not find him. They thought that he might have gone to the roof. So, they climbed up the stairway to the bulkhead and exited to the roof. (Historical Note: The F.E. Firefighter and the Can Firefighter were not given handi-talkies until after 9/11/2001.)

Unbeknownst to the two Firefighters from L-34 who just climbed to the roof, there was an order given to evacuate the roof before they got there. The roof was blanketed with heavy smoke and the roof deck was starting to soften. They started heading toward the rear of the building staying close to the exposure 2 parapet wall in a search for the missing Captain. They turned the corner and stayed close to the parapet on the exposure 3 wall. They were alerted by other Firefighters to get off the roof. The F.E. Firefighter told Fr. McKenna to follow him. For an unknown reason, Fr. McKenna went back towards the rear gooseneck ladder. In the apartment below, a gas meter failed and a ball of fire came out the window and over

the roof level. This caused Fr. McKenna to move backwards. As he moved backwards, the roof beam failed and the roof deck folded in, swallowing Fr. McKenna. The roof beams were supported by a corbel shelf, that is, an unrestrained beam.

The beam rotated off its support under his weight. Those who saw it happen said it happened fast. He was there and then, he wasn’t.

Fr. McKenna was plunged into the fully involved apartment on the top floor. He was feet away from the rear fire escape when the roof failed. With tremendous fortitude, Fr. McKenna dove for the rear fire escape and made it to the balcony. The window he came out of was completely filled with fire. Fr. McKenna was on fire. He could not go past the window he came out of to go to the fire escape ladder because of the fire coming out of it. While flames engulfed his body, Fr. McKenna swung his leg over the fire

escape railing, held onto the fire escape, and swung his feet down and onto the 4th floor fire escape balcony. He used his body to break the window on the 4th floor and he entered the apartment on the floor below the fire.

The ECC of Engine 93 witnessed Fr. McKenna swinging down to the floor below the fire while he was on fire. He and other Firefighters raced to his

location and began dousing him with water. Fr. McKenna was conscious and was talking to the Firefighters who came to his aid. He was taken down the interior stairs on a Stokes Basket Stretcher and removed to the Burn Center by Rescue 3. See Photo above

Fr. John T. McKenna sustained burns over 74% of his body. He was treated at the NY Cornell Burn Center. He succumbed to his injuries on March 17, 1979. Fr. McKenna was 30 years old and had one and a half years on the FDNY. May he Rest in Peace. (Historical Note: The fire protection of the day was a turnout coat, boots, and helmet. The gloves were made of canvas and leather. There was no bunker gear, no hoods, no PASS alarms, no CIDS, no Thermal Imaging Cameras, no EFAS, no FAST Trucks, and no 4.5 SCBAs.)

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON FLAT ROOF OPERATIONS:

When operating on a roof, keep asking yourself: “How am I going to get off this roof?” Conditions on the roof can change rapidly. If the roof becomes heavily charged with smoke, get low. The smoke may shift and you will be able to see where you are.

If you have to cross over to another building, do it in the front of the building. The buildings usually line up with the sidewalk. If you try to cross to another building in the middle or the rear of the building, you run the risk of air shafts and/or staggered depths of the buildings.

Size-up your route to the roof. Report delays and alternate routes. Generally speaking, if the beams on a roof are burning through, work towards the

parapet wall. If the beam is supported by a brick cavity (a restrained support), it will provide support as a cantilever beam. If the beam has a “fire cut” at the brick cavity, it will not support you. It is an unrestrained beam. The “fire cut” beam is a designed

collapse. Most “H-type” multiple dwellings have unrestrained beam support. The beams are supported by a corbel shelf and/or a steel girder. “As the roof beams burn away at the center, any weight on the roof will cause the beam ends to rotate off the supports and slant downward toward the center of the collapse area.” Dunn, Vincent, “Collapse of Burning Buildings”, 1st Edition, 1988, Fire Engineering, pp. 125.

Before cutting operations start: 1) Get the bulkhead and skylight first. 2) Conduct reconnaissance of the sides and rear of the building. 3) Give a size-up report. (Report setbacks, absence of a rear fire escape, shafts, etc.)

After opening the bulkhead door, perform a quick sweep of the bulkhead landing for trapped occupants. With increased security in buildings, people may be trapped behind the bulkhead door.

While conducting your reconnaissance, identify life saving rope tie off points. When climbing the bulkhead to vent a skylight, climb down the same way you climbed

up. The other side of the bulkhead could be a shaft, throat, etc. Identify roof structures, where they are or where they were if they were removed.

Open dumbwaiters. This may help in venting cellar fires. Cut a large vent hole as close as possible over the fire. One big hole is better than

several smaller holes. The cuts for the holes however, must be segmented so they are manageable in size. Too large of a segment will be difficult to pull.

If there is more than one saw on the roof, work together to get that first hole cut and expand it if necessary.

If you are moving around with a running saw on the roof, keep the saw blade in contact with the roof surface. Firefighters have sustained serious injuries when a saw blade came in contact with them.

Do not cut holes within 6 feet of the parapet wall. Do not cut holes that will cut off your means of egress. Do not cut under the aerial

ladder. Have the aerial ladder moved if necessary. Factor the wind into your plan for a cutting sequence. When cutting a roof, leave the roof boards and tar covering near the hole after it is

pulled. The pulled roofing materials will serve as a warning to Firefighters who are operating on a poor visibility roof that a hole is nearby.

When removing a skylight or scuttle cover, invert the cover, and keep it near the opening it just covered. This will also serve as a warning to Firefighters who are operating on a poor visibility roof that a hole is nearby.

When given an order to evacuate the roof, the safest way off the roof may not be the shortest way off the roof. It may be best to go towards the parapet wall and then work your way towards the means of egress.

If you see a need to have an aerial ladder or a portable ladder placed at a roof, get on the handi-talkie and request it. Don’t wait until it is an emergency situation.

Upon starting your cutting operation and you identify the roof as a “Membrane Roof”, call for a hose line to the roof. Membrane roof fires can extend rapidly.

The use of the Thermal Imaging Cameral can greatly enhance the safety of operating members on the roof. The camera can see through the smoke and identify building characteristics, hazards, and the location of holes that have been cut on the roof.

The smoke condition on a roof can be acrid and debilitating. Do not jettison your SCBA on the roof. Use it.

Have a member monitor the handi-talkie when saws are operating. After cutting a hole in the roof, make sure you push down the ceiling. Failure to do so

may only vent the cockloft, and not the top floor. On a roof with snow on it, a shovel is required to clear the cutting area. Consider the

snow load as an additional live load.

WINTER OPERATIONS REMINDER: If you have a bad hydrant, transmit a 10-70. This will alert incoming Engine Companies that your pumper needs to be supplied. It will also alert Firefighters already operating that their water supply is finite and not to extend themselves too far. If you are operating during severely cold weather and you have a good hydrant, let the Incident Commander know that as well. This is a good practice regardless of weather.

D.C. Jay JonasDivision 7