Lieutenant Kenneth Pagurek from Philadelphia Squad 47/B sent in these pictures of a structure that would require some great truck work. The crew of Squad 47 came across this mess while checking out their area. Photo credit goes out to Firefighter Terry Lorson and the rest of the 47’s gang. The structure has store fronts and residential units, with all sorts of surprises: billboards mounted to the facade and the roof, roll up doors, fence, razor wire and the list goes on… We know this may not be in your area, but it’s a great time to review with the crews about prioritizing your truck work. Use this one a company drill around the dinner table. There is a lot that needs to be done and overcome on this structure. What needs to be done first? Who’s going to accomplish the task? What tools are needed?
Click here to see more pictures of the structure.
All I can say is holy CRAP !!!!! Good catch guy’s
I can vent that roof using only my balls.
Hmmm….that’s a bit of a challenge now isn’t it.
So, saws for the rollup doors, donkey kick the billboards off the roof, jet axe for the razor wire..or do those require bangalore torpedo’s…gah….I don’t remember now.
But seriously, this is going to be a hell of a job that could kill a brother easily. Lots of ‘kill you quick’ issues here. I can honestly say I don’t envy the brothers in Philly that have to respond to that fire. All I can say is, unless an obvious rescue is apparent, defensive ops might be the way to roll on that from the get-go.
That building is a freak show!!
Brothers;
The first thing I ever learned and years later the first thing I teach and constantly refer back to is Size-Up. This building offers many opportunities for the operating membership to lose their lives. My question when we pull up to these buildings is, What are we saving here and who is the life hazard? We are saving NOTHING and WE are the life hazard. I emplore all of you to evaluate on every run, what the benefit is in beign overly aggressive in these death traps.
Buildings are disposable and contrary to every City Hall in the country…we are not.
Stay vigilant and sharp.
Everyone Goes Home.
RSFDNY
RSFDNY, All love here brother..your comments are spot on. I would never think about going into that. And, seeing all of the other issues on that building, it’s probably a super low-rent area..therefore..I bed the “living” space above is probably sub-divided further that what was intended, and illegally.
I’m grad I have no structures like this in my first due, nor will ever work in area that does. Thankfully, a building like that will probably be ripping on arrival.
This should be one for the Brannigan book.
Additionally. Many Taxpayers such as pictured here have converted the spaces above the sales area into storage. Evidence of such is painted window panes, plywood covered window openings, and tin covered as well. Performing building inspections (although unpopular amongst the men as it takes away from couch time) will undoubtedly alert the first arriving units to hazards…and all PRIOR to arrival if your department does as mine does utilizing a CIDS Critical Information Dispatch System that the alarm dispatcher can read off to the units as well as having it incorporated into the response tickets. i.e. “123 ABC Street. 2 sty Comm. Class 3 Const. 75′ x 75’…NO sprinkler system. Roof hazards, Storage area on 2flr. Basement access in rear only…..etc. etc.
Arm us with information PRIOR to the fire and operate accordingly.
Ryan, I hope you get the opportunity to work in many different areas. Ghetto, Commercial, Multiple Dwelling, Private Dwelling, hi-rise. I have seen a multitude of income and response areas. Something new every day and it made for quite a career. Cheers.
Ghetto-Faboulous!! I like the statement “Buildings are disposable” These pics just re-enforce getting out and getting to know your “Office”.
I wish I could work in other areas. My part of the country is all suburbanites and their McMansion/Garden style apartments, and massive office complexes/industrial buildings with Sq footage in excess of 350k for most. I’ve worked EMS in the ghetto and have gotten to see stuff there, but no fire duty.
The positive to this is that the fellas are out in the their still distict and finding these in the day time opposed to smoke all over the intersection at 02:00.
If this allowed on the exterior of the structure,just imagine the interior.This just goes to show we have to look up every once in while . Thanks for sharing .
You need to have a good preplan for a structure like this….my plan would have to elements. first have the chauffeur take the long way there. second drive slow..
Good find guys….it just goes to show….we need to get out and know our areas
> Many Taxpayers such as pictured here have converted the spaces above the sales area into storage.
Especially in my youth, I worked at a few places like this, and had to store or clean in the upstairs. Found all sorts of stuff you don’t want to cross. Bottles of DDT, decades after it was banned. 30 gal drums of ???… unlabeled, but volatile. And half of this is behind innocuous boxes, or in closets, where you’d never find it in a cursory search.
This thing is one Big cluster F@#K. The second I found out no one was in the building I would let that bastard burn to the ground.
Dont cut through that big wire going across the window sill. Looks like it may power the lights for the sign. You’d be shocked at what might happen if you ran a saw or something like that through it.
Craig
This is the textbook “Born Loser”. Nothing good is coming out of a fire in this building except it being torn down to make way for “Urban Renewal”.
Looks like something from “Pimp My Dollar Store”-Pre fire plan is definitely the way to go on this one,that and crew accountability.Hopefully you can quickly determine no civilian life hazard and then go defensive out of the box.
mfdroof, love the comment…”pimp my dollar store” I have a feeling that the “civilian life hazard” would be slim to nil. I’m guessing that the fire load is pretty ridiculous in there.
This might be off topic, but:
http://www.fireengineering.com/index/articles/display/3816684085/articles/fire-engineering/construction-concerns/2010/09/cc-electrical-service.html
Possible scene report:
On-scene, two-story taxpayer, fire showing from behind the billboards, and Checker burgers are 2 for $3. Get some on the way in, cause this’ll be defensive.
“One and One in service.” Good heads up fellas
As the Buffalo NY fire chief would say.. “the only difference between this and a dumpter, is this has windows. And at the end of the day, the dumpster is probably worth more.” – as being interviewed on tv.
Well sometimes the truth hurts. Aint worth getting killed over.
Squad 47, you guys got your hands full with this one. I can only think of what Brannigan would say…WTF would probably some it up. Its structures like this that put us to the ultimate test, god forbbid you ever have to make entry on it. Thanks for sharing.
I just now noticed, but was that “we know it’s not in your area” a shot at me?
Naaa…well…aaaah…hmmmm…
Wow! Good catch and thanks for sharing.
Ali Jahanfard
Kenneth,
Great pics! Thanks for sharing this one with all of us.
I can honestly say, that’s the largest number of life safety code violations I have seen on one structure. I am glad to hear so many of you guys saying you wouldn’t go in. That is the only clear strategy here.
Take care Brother!
Agreed 100% with RSFDNY.
There is NO need what so ever to go inside if there is no reported victims trapped.
that place is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
the problem in philadelphia is most of these store fronts are tax payers. this building isnt but what if it was? Alot of work needs to be done to accomplish any task on this building its on a 3 way intersection (52nd street, baltimore ave, and broomall st)which helps with truck placement even though they they run a 1&1. i dont even know where to begin with tools besides partner saw, irons, hooks, and ladders. i mean to really know we would need to be there when it goes off. everything depends on how this building burns how fast the fires spreading etc. what needs to be done first is size up and repeated 360s. should just let it burn.
theres another problem everyones over looking look how close all the buildings are theres a gap between this one and the pizza place but its only about 6 inches besides that gap all these buildings are connected so expoures gonna be another big problem. this is why large citys suck to bad i look out my window and see this across the river lol.
be safe guys
Yeah as said before, its a death trap. If there’s an all clear that’s way too much risk for no reward. My vote is defense.