[MFD594]

Parking Garage Pre-Planning....

Yup, sounds like another dumb thought outta MFD594's brain, but pre-planning saves....

They're popping up everywhere. "Free Standing" parking garages have standpipes- typically "Victaulic"... who is inspecting these standpipes?

"Free standing" parking garages arent the MAJOR problem. (but, shouldnt be out of sight, out of mind either)

Underground or "1st floor" parking garages are....

Parking on 1st floor with occupancies above.

A) Where's that smoke & fire gonna go- UP!
B) If it has a clearance height of 9' and your smallest rig is 10', get ready to stretch a little bit.

(Just examples, NOT any fd specific)... But here' some pics....

[Navy076996]

Where I used to volunteer in PA, we had a number of LARGE parking garages. When I say large, I'm talking 6 floors, well over 600 vehicles inside. Sitting on top was another six six floors or so of office building. Could easily get out of hand. We drilled regularly at these garages. Thank god no fires, but lots of good tips and tricks:

Even if you have enough clearance to fit the rig in, don't assume you will do so 100% of the time. If you are working with a mid-day car fire, there are bound to be other vehicles in there. This means that there is great potential for the fire to spread quickly. If only one or two isolated cars are involved, you might want to continue on in for the quick K/D. Otherwise, you might want to think about stretching.

Think garage construction. One of our garages had "lips" that extended from the ceiling down a few feet to the narrow "window" opening, and then continued on down below that opening. Real good at containing smoke and heat. In the lower levels, you don't have any place for heat/smoke to escape except for the ramps.

If you are in one of these areas with your rig and the conditions change quickly, you might be SOL. If the smoke layer pushes down below the window level of the cab, or the fire consumes enough oxygen to reduce the rig's pumping capacity or even stall it out, you have a serious problem. This is "bad". It might be more of a PITA to do the stretch, but it might save you $400,000 in the long run.

Also, it doesn't matter how bad the smoke condition is---people are going to try to save their cars. While you're searching for the fire or stretching a line, there are lunatics who will try to drive their vehicles through the smoke. They don't care if they run over you. Listen---for the fire and for vehicles.

If you preplan your stretch from standpipes or even from the rig outside, make sure you do the practice stretch either with cars in the structure, or making sure that the line doesn't cross parking spaces. You don't want to preplan the use of 150' of hose just to realize on gameday that you forgot to plan for the spaces being full---and now you're 75' short. Use the reach of the stream.

Pressurized stair towers---they are your friends. Good locations for forward command posts/accountability checkpoints.

In the preplan, look for other hazards. We had one garage that had UNCOVERED high voltage heating elements on the ceiling of the top level of the garage, just below the office building. Hitting one of those with a straight stream would have ruined someone's day.

Hope this helps!

[MFDCHIEF425]

Did you say you had some pics? not showing up

[MFD594]

Originally Posted by MFDCHIEF425

Did you say you had some pics? not showing up

Yes, will try to re-post them

[Blue Mule Trucking]

I wouldn't pull the truck in unless your leaving a line for a long stretch. Not sure the risk vs reward is worth leaving a rig in the structure. Navy did you include the conshoken(sp?) mall?

[exnewhydeparkcap]

FYI any and all fire protection systems ( except for systems with 6 heads and under ) must be Hydrostaticly tested. residential every year commerical every 5 years
the system is put under apx. 300 pounds of pressure for apx. 15 min with the help of a special pump called a " hydrostaic test pump " there are also flow tests that are done that have to meet certin " hydrostatic flow calculations " chances are your building department or the Fire Marsh would let the FD get a copy of any report needed

[Blue Mule Trucking]

Originally Posted by MFD594

Yup, sounds like another dumb thought outta MFD594's brain.

I enjoy your posts(or thoughts) not only that, but I gain a lot from them. With that said, I disagree with your statement of "dumb thought".