A presentation covering Firefighter LODDs that occur inside structures and the lessons to be learned.

1. What we need to know……
What we need to change……..

2. Capt. Zach Hickman
Iowa City Fire Department

3. What we need to know……
What we need to change……..

4.  A detailed look at death and injury rates
 Case Studies
 Changes in gear
 NIOSH findings
 Putting it all together with a brief “Strategy
and Tactics” Review

5.  Three groups
 Inside
 Outside
 Cardiac Related
 Inside deaths
 Rapid Fire Growth
 Collapse
 Ran out of AIR

9. What does this mean to us……….
 Late 1970’s 1.8 deaths /1000 structure fires, occurred
inside
 Late 1990’s 3.0 deaths /1000 structure fires,
occurred inside
 2000 through 2009, 138 firefighters died while
operating inside at structure fires
 2010 through 2013, 55 firefighter died while
operating inside at structure fire

10. Breaking down the 138 deaths from 2000-2009
 78 asphyxiation, 25 burns, 20 sudden cardiac event,
15 crushing or trauma.
 Of the 78 that died of asphyxiation
 27 died in structural collapse
 24 died in rapid fire progression
 18 died getting lost and running out of air
 5 died when they fell through holes burned in the floor
 4 others died through misc. reasons

12.  Colerain Township, Ohio
 160 career firefighters
 5 Stations
 EMS Transport service
 8,700 calls for service in 2007

13. Captain Robin M. Broxterman
April 16, 1970 – April 4, 2008
Firefighter Brian W. Schira
October 15, 1978 – April 4, 2008

15.  Friday, April 4th, 2008
 0611 hrs received 911 call
 0612 hrs FD was dispatched
 0613 hrs Homeowner reported the fire was in
the basement
 0623 hrs first unit arrived on scene
 Capt. Broxterman has face-to-face with
homeowner

16. Area of Fire
Origin
Side Alpha

17. Approximate area of
floor system collapse.

18. Side Alpha
Location of Both
Deceased Firefighters
Basement Level

22. January 19, 2011
NIOSH 2011-02

23.  Lutherville Volunteer Fire Company
 Baltimore County Fire Department
 This combination department consists of
1,050 career members and approximately
2,000 volunteers.

24. 1855 hrs

29.  Incident Management System
 Personnel Accountability System
 Rapid Intervention Crews
 Conducting a search without a means of egress protected by a hoseline
 Tactical consideration for coordinating advancing hoselines from
opposite directions
 Building safety features, e.g., no sprinkler systems, modifications
limiting automatic door closing
 Occupant behavior-leaving sliding glass door open
 Ineffective ventilation.

31.  Cincinnati, OH
 Around 800 members
 26 Stations / 26 Engine Companies

32. Firefighter Oscar Armstrong III

39.  Homewood, IL
 17 full time, 15 part-time firefighters
 Serves 20,000 residences
 2500 calls for service in 2011

40. Firefighter Brian Carey

52.  12 Stations
 237 Uniform Members
 83,000 Residents
 15,000 Call a year
 11 Engines
 4 Trucks
 1 Rescue
 1 Tender
NIOSH #2011-18

55.  Hard time getting water on the fire
> 48 minutes
 Lots of radio transmissions.
 Multiple Stairwells and FDC
 Mayday called 52 minutes into call.
 Fireground personnel instructed to change
radio channel

56. 5th Floor

58. • Ensure that the existing standard operating procedures for high-rise fire-
fighting operations are reviewed, implemented, and enforced.
• Ensure that a deployment strategy for low-frequency/high-risk incidents is
developed and implemented.
• Ensure that the incident commander develops an incident action plan,
which is communicated to all fire fighters on scene, and includes effective
strategy and tactics for high-rise operations, a timely coordinated fire attack,
and a coordinated search plan.
• Ensure that the incident commander utilizes division/group supervisors.

59. • Ensure that fire fighters are properly trained in air management and
SCBA emergency operations.
• Ensure that the incident commander is provided a chief's aide.
• Ensure that the incident commander establishes a stationary
command post.
•Ensure that fire fighters are properly trained in Mayday standard
operating procedures and survival techniques.

60. - NIOSH Top 5 LODD Causes
1. Improper Risk Assessment / Poor size-up
2. Lack of Command
3. Lack of accountability
4. Inadequate communications
5. Lack of SOP / failure to follow SOPs

62.  Bunker Gear
(NFPA 1971)
 Thermal protection
 Requirements for
overlapping coverage

63.  SCBA (NFPA 1981)
 Greater capacity
 Better components
 Universal Connections
 Heads-Up display @ 50%
 Integrated PASS Device

64.  New changes to 1981 for 2013 include
changing the EOSTI (End of Service Time
Indicator)
 Change the EOSTI from 25% to 33%

65. NIOSH NFPA
 40 lit/min
 30 minute (1200L) bottle
= 31.8 minutes of work
 100 lit/min
 30 minute (1200L) bottle
= 12.8 minutes of work
Total
Volume
Work
Period
Work Time Exit
Reserve
Exit Time
45 min.
bottle
1800 L 1350 L 13.5 min. 450 L 4.5 min.
30 min
bottle
1200L 900L 9 min 300L 3 min

66. NFPA 100L/MIN
NEW Total
Volume
Work
Period
Work Time Exit
Reserve
Exit Time
45 min.
bottle
1800 L 1200 L 12 min. 600 L 6 min.
30 min
bottle
1200L 800L 8 min 400L 4 min

67. Changes in Gear
In 1980 lenses were
tested and found to fail
above 300°F
NIST data shows the
mask is the first
component to fail.
Melting at temps above
900ºF and seeing
degradation above 600ºF
Rollover along the
ceiling can be seen
between 900°F and
1300°F

68. Changes in Gear
2013 edition of NFPA
1981 changes the
recommendations for
face pieces.
600ºF is improved to
950ºF
900ºF is improved to
1800ºF
Rollover / Flashover
occurs between 900°F
and 1300°F

69.  Impact of Horizontal Ventilation on Fire
Behavior
 Modern furniture
 New fire growth curve
 Tenability
 Forcing the door
 Proper vent locations
 Coordination of fire attack
 Pushing Fire

70.  What does this mean………..
 Strategy is the overall goal
 Tactics are the objectives to reach that goal
 Don’t forget about the Tasks
 Functions preformed to reach the objectives

71.  Lacking sufficient manpower, rescue takes
precedence.
 Remove those in greatest danger first!
 With insufficient manpower to perform needed
tasks, perform those that protect the most first.
 When sufficient manpower is available
coordinate both rescue and fire attack.
 If there are no threats to occupants or no
occupants, Firefighters should not be unduly
endangered

72. What’s our goal?
What are the current fire conditions?
What is the expected outcome?
How are we going to get our information?

74.  How are we going to get it done?
 Which line do we pull?
 Are we going to knock it down form the outside
with a Transitional Attack?
 When should ventilation be started, and by who?
 Who is responsible for the Search vs. Fire Attack

90.  Know the limits of your gear
 Manage your reserve air
 Keep crew integrity
 Don’t delay a Call for Assistance
 Choose the right equipment
 Coordinate Ventilation efforts
 Complete the 360º
 Make sure your efforts are consistent with the
game plan.

91. ZACH-HICKMAN@IOWA-CITY.ORG
www.slideshare.net
Title - Dying Inside
Author - ZHICKMAN
User - zhickman

92.  NIOSH Report #F2010-10
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nt0DT0
nXq8
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKYW6u
K4vDI
 http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-
products/training-products/articles/1283235-
High-tech-video-explains-firefighter-death/

93.  http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fireservice/fatalities/statistics/history.shtm
 http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/fffstructure.pdf
 http://www.iaff.org/hs/LODD_Manual/LODD%20Reports/Colerain%
20Township,%20OH%20-
%20Preliminary%20Broxterman%20and%20Schira.pdf
 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face200312.pdf
 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/pdfs/face201010.pdf
 http://statter911.com/2010/03/31/illinois-firefighter-dead-another-
critical-elderly-resident-dead-in-house-fire-in-homewood/
 http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/offerings/industries/buildingm
aterials/fire/fireservice/ventilation/