Introduction
This lesson is intended to prepare personnel to inspect vacant or abandoned
properties and identify conditions that could lead to injury or death
in the event of a fire in the property. The data collected as part of
the inspection can then be used as part of a pre-plan for the structure
and in the decision-making process of the community regarding the allocation
of resources for the mitigation of the most hazardous properties. The
evaluation form developed by the IAAI/USFA Abandoned Building Project
is used as the basis for the program (Attachment A). Communities that
choose modify the form to meet their specific needs should make adjustments
to the program to reflect the modifications. A PowerPoint presentation
designed to support this lesson is also available from the IAAI and USFA.
Objectives
At the completion of this program, participants will be able to
1. Describe the
potential hazards that vacant properties pose to fire fighters
2. Perform an evaluation of a vacant property safely
3. Evaluate the potential for a fire in a vacant property to extend
to an adjacent building
4. Evaluate the potential for a multi-room fire upon the arrival of
the fire department
5. Evaluate the potential for abnormal fire development within a vacant
property
6. Evaluate the potential for structural collapse early in the development
of a fire in a vacant property
7. Evaluate the potential for fire fighters to become trapped or lost
during fire fighting operations in a vacant property
Background
Vacant or abandoned structures are unsightly, attract criminal activity,
and are a threat to public safety where ever they exist. The National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that there are more than
12,000 fires in these properties every year . 1
Of these fires, nearly 72% are of incendiary or suspicious origin and
more that 5% are caused by children playing with matches. 2
Annually, these fires result in over 6000 firefighter injuries
3. NFPA statistics indicate that more fire fighters
are injured while operating at fires involving vacant or abandoned properties
that in any other property classification. The loss of six fire fighters
operating in a vacant property in Worcester, Massachusetts, in December
of 1999 was a tragic example of the hazards these buildings pose to communities.
The terms "vacant"
and "abandoned" are often used interchangeably when talking
about these buildings. There is, however, a subtle difference in the terms.
Black's Law Dictionary defines vacant as "empty; unoccupied".
The word abandon is defined as "to desert, surrender, forsake
or cede. To relinquish or give up with intent of never again resuming
one's right or interest." For buildings, the difference between vacant
and abandoned is primarily related to the availability of an owner. Unoccupied
buildings where there is a viable owner, i.e. one that is interested in
the property and easily contacted, are considered vacant. Where there
is no viable owner or an absentee landlord, the property is generally
considered abandoned. Unoccupied properties that are secure and well maintained
do not pose the same threat to public safety as those that are unoccupied
and open to unauthorized access.
While no census data
is available on vacant or abandoned buildings, researchers at Ohio's Miami
University and the University of South Carolina conducted a survey of
100 cities and estimate that more than 18 percent of urban structures
are unused. This estimate equates to thousands of building nationwide
in communities both large and small. Another source, the Insurance Services
Office, estimates there are 21,000 idle properties of 15,000 square feet
or more in the United States.4 After the Worcester
fire, many communities began exploring just how many buildings were vacant
in their jurisdiction. The results are startling: Philadelphia reported
more than 27,000 at-risk structures; in Worcester over 250 vacant structures
were identified; smaller cities like Lewiston, Maine, identified nearly
60 vacant structures. An important finding of the Miami University survey
was that approximately one third of the communities surveyed could not
provide an accurate count of the vacant or abandoned properties in their
jurisdiction.
Uninhabited buildings
that are not secure - open to unauthorized entry - have a very high probability
of intentionally set fires. When fires occur in these buildings, they
present a host of unusual problems to fire fighters. Since the buildings
are uninhabited, fires may develop for significant periods of time before
they are detected and reported. The buildings may contain unprotected
hazardous materials and fuel packages that would not be found in occupied
buildings. The removal of equipment or structural components and deterioration
due to age or weather can weaken the structure causing rapid failure early
in a fire. Fire fighters may encounter open shafts, stairways, pits or
holes in floors that would not be found in occupied structures. All of
the factors that could contribute to dangerous conditions in vacant or
abandoned structures and should be identified during the evaluation process.
The evaluation form is designed to assist the evaluator in gathering information
that can be used in the final evaluation of the hazard posed by a particular
property.
Two of the thirteen
recommendations of the NIOSH report on the 1999 cold storage building
fire in Worcester, Massachusetts 5 related to the
evaluation and marking of vacant and abandoned buildings.
Recommendation #1:
Fire departments should
ensure that inspections of vacant buildings and pre-fire planning are
conducted which cover all
potential hazards, structural
building materials (type and age), and renovations that may be encountered
during a fire, so
that the Incident Commander
will have the necessary structural information to make informed decisions
and implement an
appropriate plan of attack.
Recommendation #10 :
Fire departments should
identify dangerous vacant buildings by affixing warning placards to entrance
doorways or other
openings where fire fighters
may enter.
The evaluation instrument
provided with this program (Attachment A) is intended to assist communities
in the inspection and evaluation of vacant and abandoned properties. The
data developed during the evaluation can easily be incorporated into pre-plans
for the buildings. Additional information regarding the Worcester Cold
Storage fire can be found in the NIOSH report listed as a reference to
this lesson.
1 "Structure
Fires in Vacant or Idle Properties, or Properties under Construction,
Demolition or Renovation", National Fire Protection Association,
May 2000
2 ibid
3 "Patterns of Firefighter Fireground Injuries", National Fire
Protection Association, February 2000
4 "Cities Begin Considering The Risk of Vacant Buildings", National
Center for Policy Analysis, www.ncpa.org/pd/state/pd032000e.html
5 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Fire Fighter
Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program. Six Career Fire Fighters
Killed in Cold-Storage and Warehouse Building Fire- Massachusetts. NIOSH,
September 27, 2000.
Lesson Plan
Time Required:
2 Hours (4 with optional activity - Attachment B)
Materials:
· Building Evaluation Form
· Support slides or slides of vacant/abandoned buildings in community
References:
· Building Construction for the Fire Service, Francis L. Brannigan
· Collapse of Burning Buildings, A Guide to Fireground Safety,
Vincent Dunn
· Building Construction Related to the Fire Service, Second Edition,
IFSTA
· Six Career Fire Fighters Killed in Cold-Storage and Warehouse
Building Fire- Massachusetts, NIOSH Investigative Report
#99F-47, September 2000
Overview:
· Introduction - Why evaluate vacant buildings?
· Safety during the evaluation process
· Building security and marking
· Evaluating Building Construction
· Evaluating the Contents
· Evaluating the Fire Potential
· Evaluating Exposures
· Identifying Hazards to Suppression Operations
Methodology
· Lecture/discussion
· Optional field activity
Program Outline
I. Introduction
- Why evaluate vacant buildings?
A. Vacant or abandoned
- What is the difference? - Discuss the difference between a vacant
and an abandoned property and the importance of early intervention in
the vacancy progression to deal with the properties while a viable property
owner is still available.
B. The magnitude of the problem - Discuss the statistics provided in
the background section above regarding the magnitude of the problem
in our cities and towns. Review the issues and statistics in your community.
C. Do you have the authority to inspect a vacant property? - Discuss
the codes and ordinances that provide the authority to inspect properties
the jurisdiction and the process that must be followed.
II. Safety During
the Evaluation
A. Potential hazards
in vacant or abandoned properties
1. Unstable structure
2. Fall and trip hazards
3. Standing water in
basements
4. Vermin
5. Hazardous materials
on property
6. Unauthorized occupants
7. Potential for criminal
activity on property
B. Personal protective
clothing and equipment
1. Hard hat
2. Gloves
3. Safety shoes or
boots
4. Flashlight
5. Radio
III. Building Security
and Marking
A. Why is security
important
B. What methods can be used to properly secure vacant or abandoned properties
- Discuss the requirements of the jurisdiction
C. Marking vacant and abandoned properties - Discuss the marking system
used by the jurisdiction
IV. Evaluating
the Building
A. The Objectives
of a building evaluation
1. Determine if the
building is secure
2. Identify hazards
that require immediate corrective action
3. Evaluate the fire
growth potential
a. Potential for exposure
fires
b. Identify available
fuel packages
c. Identify fire barriers
that have been compromised
d. Identify the location
and type of hazardous materials on the site
4. Evaluate the potential
for structural collapse
5. Identify conditions
that will be hazards to fire fighters in the event of a fire
B. Property Data
1. Owner information
2. Is the building
secure? - Evaluating the security of the building and determining if
there are signs of recent
entry
3. Does the building
have active utilities?
4. What was the original
use of building and has it been modified for other uses?
C. Building Construction
1. Number of floors
and basements
2. Structural members
3. Truss construction
- Roof or floors
4. Exposed structural
members - Are they exposed as part of the construction or as a result
of damage to the
property?
5. Construction of
the exterior walls - Are metal tie rods (stars) used as part of the
system?
6. Number and size
of openings in the exterior walls - Discuss the implications of openings
to timely discovery of
the fire and the potential
for exposure fires.
7. Ceiling - Discuss
the hazards of different ceiling configurations and the impact on fire
development that the
removal of the ceiling
system could have.
D. Evaluating the
condition of the structure
1. What is the condition
of the interior walls -Discuss how penetrations can allow fire spread
from compartment to
compartment also impact
the integrity of the structure.
2. What is the condition
of the roof - Discuss the implications of a deteriorated roof for early
collapse and risks
involved for fire fighting
operations.
3. What is the overall
condition of the structure - Discuss the indicators of early collapse
in unstable buildings.
E. Fire Protection Systems
1. Is there an operational
fire alarm system - Discuss the importance of keeping detection and
alarm systems
operational if possible
2. Are there operational
sprinkler or standpipe systems in the building
3. Does the condition
of suppression systems to allow them to be used if supplied by the fire
department
connection
V. Fire Potential
A. Fuel Packages
1. What is a fuel package
2. The impact of the
quantity and arrangement of fuel packages on fire growth
3. The impact of interior
finish on fire development
4. Housekeeping
B. The configuration
of the buildings interior and fire development
1. Large rooms
2. Medium size rooms
3. Small rooms
4. Interior configurations
that could lead to fire fighters becoming lost under fire conditions
C. Potential for delay in fire department notification
1. Windowless building
2. Vacant properties
surrounding property being evaluated
3. Remote location
VI. The Potential
for Exposure Fires
A. Potential exposures
1. Location
2. Separation
3. Occupied or vacant
VII. Suppression
Operations in Vacant or Abandoned Structures
A. Hazards in the
building
1. Holes in floors
2. Missing stairs
3. Open shafts or pits
4. Potential for disorientation
under fire conditions
B. Fire Development
1. Rapid unexpected
fire development
2. Early collapse
C. Impediments to fire fighting operations
1. Delay in alarm
2. Lack of access
3. Poor water supply
VIII. Hazardous materials located on the site
A. Type
B. Quantity
IX. Conditions
that Require Immediate Correction
A. Security
B. Accumulations of trash or other fuels
C. Significant hazards to public safety
X. Analysis of
findings
A. Exposure potential
B. Potential for multi-room fire on arrival
C. Potential for early structural collapse
D. Hazards to fire fighting operations
XI. How is the
Information Used
A. Marking the building
B. Initiating the correction of hazardous conditions
C. Pre-Fire Planning
D. Allocation of mitigation resources
Attachment
A - Vacant/Abandoned Building Evaluation Form (pdf)
Building
Evaluation Activity
This activity is provided
as an optional element of the IAAI/USFA Vacant/Abandoned Building Evaluation
program. It is intended to provide participants with hands on experience
in evaluating vacant or abandoned structures using the IAAI/USFA Evaluation
form.
Materials and Equipment
· Personal protective clothing
· Flashlight
· Radio
· Evaluation forms
· Graph/grid paper
· Pen or pencil
· Ruler
Preparation and
Safety
Locate a vacant or abandoned building that is available for the activity.
Permission from the owner should be obtained prior to entry. The lead
instructor should inspect each property prior to assigning teams to a
building. Buildings with significant hazards should NOT be used for this
activity. An instructor equipped with a portable radio should act as safety
officer while participants are operating in the building.
Activity
· Divide the group into teams of 2 to 4 participants.
· Assign two or more teams to each of the properties identified
for the activity.
· Teams should be instructed to conduct an evaluation of the structure
independently. Each team should complete the evaluation form and develop
a sketch of the assigned building.
· Teams assigned to each building should present their findings
to the group individually. Any variations in evaluations of the building
should be discussed in detail and a consensus achieved.
· Continue with reports until all assigned buildings have been
discussed.
Using the PowerPoint Support Slides
The PowerPoint support
slides provided with this lesson plan are intended to provide a graphical
element to this presentation. While the talk can be delivered without
the slides, seeing examples of what is being discussed will make a lasting
impression on the audience.
The PowerPoint file
can be projected using a computer and projector or the slides can be printed
as transparencies. The presenter can use the features provided with PowerPoint
to provide handouts to the participants by printing the Handout view from
the file. Presenters should also review the Notes view of the file as
additional information regarding most of the slides is provided.
For those with the
capability, photos of buildings and issues from the local community can
be easily added to the program to customize the program.
Click
here to download the powerpoint presentation (Note:
over 20 Mg file)
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