August/September 2006 Volume 15 Issue 4
Purpose:
To provide fire department personnel with the knowledge to apply skills to optimize firefighting efforts, while reducing the potential danger to firefighters and occupants.
Scope:
This guideline is intended to be used by all company officers or firefighters who may assume the role of incident commander at structure fires involving aggressive interior offensive attacks.
Responsibilities:
The Ontario Company Officer Standard requires that officers “Conduct ventilation operations so that a controlled release of heat, smoke and gases is achieved, the spread of fire is prevented and a safer environment in which to fight the fire is achieved.”(03.15)
Incident commanders are ultimately responsible for all aspects of fireground operations. It is their job to size-up the situation and to develop a strategy and incident action plan to remedy the emergency. Part of the incident action plan requires the incident commander to create a ventilation profile for the building that allows mitigation of the event in the safest manner. Sector officers and firefighters are responsible for implementing the ventilation plan designed by the incident commander.
Background:
Good ventilation practices support other fireground activities, and allow for the achievement of tactical objectives: rescue, fire extinguishment, and property conservation. More importantly, effective ventilation permits these evolutions to be conducted at a reduced level of risk to the firefighters.
Phenomena often labeled Hostile Fire Events become less likely if thoughtful ventilation is performed at the appropriate time. Flashover, smoke explosions, and backdrafts are example of events that can injure or kill firefighters, but can be avoided through ventilation.
Selecting a ventilation technique that takes too long to perform, ventilating in the wrong spot, ventilating too early or too late can all lead to worsening fire conditions.
An incorrectly located ventilation opening that draws the heat, smoke and toxic gases toward an occupant may take the life of an otherwise viable victim. It can delay rescue by the primary search crew, and endanger all firefighters in the building.
A ventilation hole that introduces oxygen in an unplanned, uncontrolled manner may cause the fire to burn more rapidly, spreading fire damage. It is important to have hoselines ready to combat the fire before the introduction of fresh air feeds it.
An argument can be made that poorly planned or unplanned ventilation is the most potentially disastrous action that an incident commander can undertake.
Learning Outcomes:
The firefighter will:
1. Students will be able to define ventilation as it applies to structural firefighting.
2. Students will be able to list the various ventilation techniques and strategies.
3. Given a simulated structure fire and necessary resources, students will be able to size up the situation and develop and implement an appropriate strategy, incident action plan, and ventilation profile.
4. Students will be able to initiate, coordinate, supervise, monitor and evaluate the ventilation efforts.
Expectations of the Participant:
Key Points
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Student Learning Activity |
References and Resources |
Trainer/Facilitator Activity |
| VENTILATION
Will avoid: Hostile fire events:
Fire Spread Smoke damage
| VENTILATION
Will promote:
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120 minutes
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Summary:
This training session relies on the participants being familiar with fire behaviour, the practical application of good ventilation practices, the equipment available in their department, forcible entry, principles of building construction, and department O.G.s. A subsequent training session should be planned that would incorporate the learning outcomes from this session into a full-scale simulation using crews of firefighters performing the ventilation evolutions ordered by Incident commanders. Use departmental I.M.S. for the exercise, and conduct a post incident analysis and review after each simulation.
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