EVACUATE OR DEFEND IN PLACE: MAKING THE CALL

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EVACUATE OR DEFEND IN PLACEMAKING THE CALL
PRESENTERS TONY VAN BUSKIRK ARRIEL GRAY JR.

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TODAYS OUTLINE

• Understanding the factors that are critical for
  keeping hi-rise building occupants safe during
  emergencies.
• Two perspectives
• Emergency responders
• Civilian management

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THE EMERGENCY RESPONDER

• You are rapidly receiving information from all
  different directions.
• The clock is ticking.
• What are you going to do?
• What choices are you going to make?
• Do you have a plan?

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OVER 1500 HIGHRISE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF
CHICAGO
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WHAT DOES EVACUATE MEAN?

• To withdraw inhabitants from a threatened area or
  place.
• To make empty or vacate.

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DEFEND IN PLACE

• Utilizing the building itself as a means of
  protection.
• KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THEM
• KNOW WHEN TO FOLD THEM

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PRIMARY GOAL OF THE CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT

• The safe removal and rescue of the building
  occupants.

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HIGHRISE BUILDINGS HAVE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS

• Each characteristic will have an effect on
  evacuation.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A HI-RISE

• F Floors beyond the reach of Fire Dept. aerial
  
• equipment (80 feet or above).
• P Potential for stack effect and
  stratification.
• U Unreasonable evacuation time.
• E Extended reflex time.
• D Dependency on internal fire protection
• Systems.
• E Extreme heat conditions.

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HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH OUR PRIMARY GOAL?

• We must develop and implement Standard Operating
  Procedures. Why?
• Standard Operating Procedures set forth the
  guidelines by which we operate on emergency
  scenes.
• Without them we have CHAOS.
• With them we have ORGANIZED CHAOS.
• CHICAGO FIRE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER 04-002,
  HI-RISE INCIDENT COMMAND, SETS THE STANDARD BY
  WHICH WE OPERATE THE PLAN

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ESTABLISH A CONTINOUS TRAINING PROGRAM

• All members must know and perform their assigned
  or pre-assigned duties.
• The pre-assigned duties of initial responding
  companies must be performed correctly.
• The swift and correct performance of duties can
  effect the evacuation of building occupants.

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THE SET UP

• The first 5 minutes can dictate the next 5 hours.
• The first arriving Engine and Truck.
• The first arriving Battalion Chief.

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THE FIRST ARRIVING TRUCK OFFICER

• Leader of the fire investigation team (FIT).
• Assigned responsibilities
• Secure building pre-fire plan.
• Determine if any announcements have been made.
• Ensure stairwell doors are unlocked.
• Obtain keys for necessary access.
• Obtain lobby phone number.
• Determine presence of smoke-proof tower.

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TH FIRST ARRIVING TRUCK OFFICER

• - Locate and operate fire/communications command
  panel.

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THE FIRST ARRIVING TRUCK OFFICER

• Determine if fire/communications command panel
  contains a public address system. Make
  informational or evacuation announcements as
  necessary.

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THE FIRST ARRIVING TRUCK OFFICER

• Ensure members have fire gear.
• Ensure members have tools and equipment.
• Recall 1 bank of elevators.
• Report findings to Incident Commander.
• Initiate primary search.
• Initiate forcible entry and ventilation.
• Designate fire attack and evacuation stairwells.

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THE 1ST BATTALION CHIEF

• PAS-CPC-DDSP-SAY
• CONFIRM-PRIOR-PLANS-before you-SUPERVISE-the-ASSIG
  NMENT-of-COMMUNICATIONS
• DESIGNATE-and-DOCUMENT-the-PROGRESS-of the-STILL
  BOX-and-SAY

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11 RESPONSIBILITIES OF I.C.

• P PLANS (BLDG) ENGR.OR FSD
• A ASSIGN OR RE-ASSIGN DUTIES
• S SUPERVISE OPERATION OF COMMAND PANEL
• C CONFIRM FIRE FLOOR, LOCATION AND SIZE
• P PRIOR EVACUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
• C COMMUNICATE WITH FIT TEAM AND FFC
• D DESIGNATE FIRE ATTACK AND EVAC STAIRWELL
• D DOCUMENT ON FD 980
• S STILL BOX ON LEAD OUT
• P PROGRESS REPORTS
• S SET STAGING AREA
• A ASSIGN DUTIES TO COS IN STAGING AREA
• Y YOU STAY IN THE LOBBY

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3rd ENGINE

• Lobby control.
• Assigned responsibilities
• Control Command Panel.
• Make announcements regarding evacuation.
• Recall all elevators and shut down escalators.
• Control movement of building occupants.
• Ensure stairwell unlocking device is activated.
• Secure master keys.
• Secure floor plans and locate stairwells.
• Communicate with fire companies using stairwell
  phones.

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TRAINING

• 1st truck, part of (FIT) team.
• 2nd truck, assist 1st truck.
• 3rd truck, rapid ascent team (RAT) in fire attack
  stairwell.
• 4th truck, (RAT) evacuation stairwell.

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TRAINING

• Know your assigned responsibilities
• 1st engine part of fire investigation team (FIT).
• 2nd engine assist 1st engine with lead-out.
• 3rd engine, lobby control.
• 4th engine, duties assigned by Incident Commander
  (I.C.).

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THE RAPID ASCENT TEAM(RAT)

• 3rd and 4 truck companies.

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RAT

• Developed from lessons learned in recent Chicago
  high-rise fires.
• RAT teams created to
• Roam stairwells from top to bottom.
• Ensure building occupants are removed from
  harmful environments.
• Provide reports of conditions encountered in
  stairwells and at each floor level.
• REMEMBER, stairwells are our primary means of
  egress from a high-rise building during an
  emergency.
• The integrity of the stairwells must be
  maintained for the duration of any incident.

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RAT

• The size, height, and number of stairwells of a
  building will dictate manpower needs.

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MAKING THE CALL

• The Incident Commander will make the call.
• Defend in place or evacuate?

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MAKING THE CALL

• Factors to consider
• Type of Incident
• Building Occupancy
• Time of Day
• Communications
• Manpower
• Pre-Fire Planning

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TYPE OF INCIDENT

• Fire scene
• Power outage
• Bomb incident or suspicious material
• Act of terrorism

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BUILDING OCCUPANCY

• Residential
• Commercial
• Mixed occupancy
• Residential buildings may contain senior citizens
  or people with special needs.
• Residential buildings often have similar floor
  plans.
• The floor plans of commercial buildings often
  differ from floor to floor.
• Building core usually remains consistent.

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TIME OF DAY

• Residential buildings occupancy rate goes down
  during daytime.
• Commercial buildings occupancy rate goes up
  during daytime.

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COMMUNICATIONS

• Vital to any successful operation.
• Use of radios by both fire department and
  building management.
• Firemans phones in stairwell.
• Direct phone call to lobby.
• Face to face.
• Triangular radio communication.
• From upper floor, to external command post, to
  internal command post.

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COMMUNICATIONS

• There are inherent problems with communications.
• High volume of radio traffic.
• Poor signal due to structure of building.

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MANPOWER

• Manpower will vary.
• Larger cities may have 4 or 5 members per fire
  company.
• Smaller cities may have 2 or 3 members per fire
  company.

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PRE-FIRE PLANNING

• Best method of defense.
• Emergency responders must become familiar with
  the buildings in their area.
• Familiarity helps you to perform at a higher
  level.

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MAKING THE CALL

• Whether you defend in place or evacuate, you must
  dedicate personnel to ensure the safety of all
  occupants in a given structure.
• Any decision to evacuate a large number of people
  from i.e., stadiums, factories, schools, trains,
  high rise buildings, or entire cities, will
  require that we have a plan and dedicate
  emergency responders to ensure the safety of our
  Citizens.

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SIZE-UP From an Occupants Point of View

• Whats wrong?
• Where am I in relation to the problem?
• What do I know about?
• The buildings protection features.
• The Emergency Plan in place.
• The amount of help I may get.
• What am I going to do NOW?

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CHOICES

• Stay where Im at and wait for help?
• Move to a safer location within the building?
• Leave the building?

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SCENARIO 1Total Evacuation

• Possible Comments Heard From Persons Leaving The
  Building?
• Security personnel announced via the PA that the
  building was being evacuated.
• No one said anything, but Im worried and I
  guess I will just head down.
• I dont care what they say Im leaving!

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SCENARIO 2 Partial Evacuation

• Emergency Evacuation Teams respond to their
  assignments.
• Occupants proceed via a pre-determined protocol
  to an area of refuge.
• Building protection features shield them.
• Automatic sprinkler systems
• Impervious floor decks
• Smoke control systems

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SCENARIO 3Stay In Place

• Implies evacuation is impossible.
• Defend in Place actions
• Call 911.
• Survey the most suitable location to defend.
• Increase separation from danger by utilizing as
  many doors and/or partitions as possible.
• Stay low, cover nose mouth etc..
• Call 911 again at regular intervals if help has
  not arrived or stay on the line.

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SCENARIO 2 3 Both Examples ofDefend in Place

• Partial evacuation allows occupants to use
  building systems to Defend in Place. its just
  defending from a different place from where you
  started.
• Scenario 3 (Staying put) is more commonly
  referred to as Defending in Place.

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CHICAGO MUNICIPAL CODE Chapter 13-78

• Buildings categorized by height.
• Emergency plan required for all buildings over 80
  feet.
• Complexity of plan depends on size of the
  building.
• Minimum plan requirements vary for each category.
  
• Designate building personnel emergency positions.
  
• Personnel duties enumerated.
• Drills mandated.

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PARTIAL EVACUATION

• Procedure for the evacuation of five floors below
  and two floors above any fire emergency.

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TOTAL BUILDING EVACUATION

• Occupants will be instructed to proceed to the
  designated stairwells,down to the egress level
  and exit the building to their predetermined
  assembly points.
• Total building evacuation should be pre-planned
  and staged.
• Those immediately affected, then expanded.

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DEFENDING IN PLACEInterior Isolation

• Incident indicates that the movement of occupants
  may put them in greater danger.
• Compartmentation
• Residential units
• Adequate areas of refuge

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Chestnut Street Floor Plan
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Smoke or Fire in Your Apartment

• Call 911 from your apartment if conditions allow.
  Give the dispatcher your street address, floor,
  apartment number, and a brief description of the
  problem.
• Leave the apartment. Close the door, leaving it
  unlocked.
• Alert residents of adjacent apartments. Call 911
  from their apartment if not already done and call
  the appropriate building personal(management,
  security,doorman)to activate notification
  procedures.
• Proceed to the nearest exit stairwell, alerting
  residents of apartments between your own and the
  exit stairwell as you go.
• Descend 8 floors, then enter the hallway at that
  level.

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Smoke In The Hallway

• Feel the door (not the doorknob) for heat with
  the back of your hand. Do not open the door if
  heat is detected.
• If the door is cool, brace your shoulder against
  the door and open it slightly to check for
  conditions in the hall.
• Call 911 from your apartment. Give the dispatcher
  your street address, floor, apartment number, and
  a brief description of the problem.
• Call appropriate building personal
  (management,security, doorman) to activate
  notification procedures.
• If in your opinion the hallway is tenable,
  proceed to the nearest exit stairwell, alerting
  other residents as you go.
• Descend 8 floors and enter the hallway at that
  level.

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Heavy Smoke or Flames In The Hallway

• Close the door
• Call 911 to notify the Fire Department of your
  situation. Give the dispatcher your street
  address, floor and apartment number, and report
  conditions you observed.
• Call appropriate building personal,(management,
  security,doorman) to activate notification
  procedures.
• Seal the doorway cracks with wet towels.
• Turn on available vents.
• Open a window slightly, while removing flammable
  furnishings, drapes, etc. from the window area.
  Wave object to attract attention.

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UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL TANGIBLE FACTORS

• Building Features
• - construction
• - height
• - systems
• - occupancy
• residential, commercial, institutional

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CRITICAL INTANGIBLE FACTORS

• Staff
• - management, engineering, security
• Occupants
• Levels of training

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Making the intangible tangible

• Increase an awareness of the relationships
  between 5 important groups
• Building Management
• Building Staff
• Emergency Evacuation Teams / floor wardens
• General population employees / occupants
• Emergency responders (Chicago Fire Department,
  Chicago Police Department etc.)
• Develop an understanding of the role each staff
  member is to play in the event of an emergency

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MAKING THE CALL

• Discretionary time
• Non-discretionary time
• Ensure plans and protocols are in place for all
  affected individuals.

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Creation and maintenance of a safe
environment.Continual, credible training is the
key !

• Management - plan formulation, updating
  
• Staff seminars, table-tops
• Teams/Wardens seminars, drills
• Occupants/Residents literature,seminars,drills
• Emergency Responders pre-plans,site visits,
  live drills.

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Acronyms To Live By

• Call
• Alert
• Listen
• Move
• Chicago Fire Department

• React
• Evaluate
• Decide
• NFPA

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THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Evacuation of a hi-rise building can be a
  difficult task.
• What type of incident do I have?
• The scene will usually have a sense of chaos.
• Do we conduct full or partial evacuation?
• Do we defend in place?
• The individual scene will dictate the final
  decision.
• I THINK THEREFORE I AM

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Our fight/flight instincts can betray us in part
because we dont anticipate how dramatically an
emergency will challenge not just our bodies, but
our minds.The temptation is to rely on our
employer,security officer, or firefighters to
keep us safe. But in a city of tall
buildingseach of us needs to rely primarily on
ourselves and our own practice drills
especially the drills we conduct between our
ears.Chicago Tribune editorialMay 1, 2005