KentIslandVolunteers Conduct “Back to Basic’s” Training

Saturday September 22nd, 2007

Have you ever wondered why when the fire department comes to a house on fire, they cut a big hole in the roof?

Ventilation Training

Every residential structure fire is essentially the same; flame, heat and the products that support combustion rise. They fill every space imaginable in the structure. While the temperature rises, visibility and conditions inside the structure decrease rapidly. In order to improve conditions for the firefighters inside the structure, it is sometimes necessary for the fire department to open the roof or ventilate the structure. Therefore it is important for the fire department to “open” a structure to allow these materials to leave the structure. Sometimes this is as simple as opening windows. However, sometimes, it is necessary for firefighters to operate on the roof and open the roof.

This past weekend, Lt. Winn instructed us on the proper ways to ventilate a residential roof.

FF Cory Walters demonstrates vertical ventilation with the K-12 saw.

Lt. Winn helps Ryan learn to ventilate. Good Job Ryan.

Building Construction Training

We also learned about some of the new residential building techniques being employed locally and regionally. Civilians and firefighters are at an increased risk of death or serious injury due to a new type of truss that is now commercially available.

Below is information regarding these joists from:

Floor system with standard TGI floor I joists
STRONGER. Advanced design utilizes high-grade wood fiber, environmentally safe adhesives and a manufacturing process that uses heat and pressure to create virtually defect-free engineered lumber capable of supporting heavy loads over long spans. Wide Wood I Beam™ joists can accommodate the open spaces and high ceilings today's market demands while allowing the use of wider on center spacing saving material and time.
EASIER TO WORK WITH. Every piece is consistently true to size. Even though it's extremely strong, Engineered Lumber is light weight and is easy to cut on site. Utilities, like wire and plumbing, can pass through the web of Wood I Beam™ joists for more clearance and higher ceilings.
ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND. Engineered lumber is produced from 50% less timber and can be made from young, rapid growth trees, using efficient processes to gain the most from every tree.
ALWAYS TOP QUALITY. Engineered Lumber resists shrinking, crowning, twisting and warping, which means quieter floors and fewer callbacks.

While these types of floor joist systems seem like a good idea for your home, they are very dangerous. These joists are made from leftover scraps of wood that are then glued and pressed together to create the I portion of the truss. This is then glued into a ¼ inch groove in the top and bottom portion of the joist. While these joists have all the qualities mentioned above, during a residential structure fire they can kill homeowners and firefighters responding to these fires.

When a fire starts in your house and impinges on these joists, you have SIX MINUTES to exit the structure. Given that the average fire department response time is six minutes, firefighters are arriving when these trusses are failing. This puts both our community and firefighters in a dangerous position. It is important to understand building construction so we can educate the community and ourselves of the dangers of these materials.

The only material we used for this demonstration was a few 2 x 4’s and some cardboard. Residential structures have a much larger fire load. Within three minutes the prop was heavily involved in fire, was putting off a high amount of heat and already beginning to so signs of weakening. The glue and truss material were supporting their own combustion.

Look at the left side of the prop, the TGI truss is weakening and getting ready to buckle. This will result in a catastrophic failure of the floor joist and a collapse.

Firefighter Survival/Wall Breach Training

Lt. Winn also taught us how to exit a residential room quickly if we have become lost disoriented and can not find our way out. The wall breach technique is a “last ditch” effort for the firefighter to exit a hazardous environment to the relative safety of another interior room. The firefighter initiates a MAYDAY, advises the incident commander of his or her difficulty, their name, location, unit what resources they have and what actions they are taking to help themselves.

In this case, the firefighter sounds an interior wall, positions him or herself as low as possible, kicking the sheet rock out with their feet. Punching it with your hands is not recommended. The firefighter then quickly assesses the conditions on the other side of the wall, clears and wires and possible entanglements and goes through. Lt. Winn showed us several methods.

The firefighter can go through head first, backwards with the SCBA going through first or in a last ditch effort, the firefighter can remove the SCBA, push it through the wall. However, we do not recommend this technique. Firefighters should always try to keep their SCBA on; this will keep it from becoming further entangled or falling through a compromised floor.

FF Walters clears his egress hole.

This training was excellent. Thanks to Lt. Winn for his hard work building the props so we could learn, train and have fun. If you are interested in this type of training experience you can go to or Additionally, Lt. Winn plans to have more firefighter survival training in the future.