UL Research Institutes Releases New Technical Report for Residential Home Size-up and Search & Rescue Operations Project

As part of the Study of Fire Service Residential Home Size-up and Search & Rescue Operations project, the Fire Safety Research Institute at UL Research Institutes released a new technical report. In order to better understand how the fire department should coordinate search, suppression and ventilation, the paper presents three new tactical considerations that build on earlier findings and are based on analysis of recent full-scale residential fire experiments.

The Fire Safety Research Institute's (FSRI) initial nine tactical considerations were supplemented by these three new considerations, which provide fresh perspectives on how occupant survivability and firefighter safety can be affected by all ranks:

• Tactical Consideration 10: Provided sufficient resources, upon arrival of a fully developed fire with extension to the exterior, consider conducting simultaneous execution of exterior and interior suppression operations. The data shows that a well‑applied exterior stream provides rapid improvement on the interior, and coordinating with interior suppression maximizes victim survivability and firefighter safety.
• Tactical Consideration 11: Consideration should be given to locally ventilate compartments remote from the fire area as soon as possible. Pre-suppression, this would include isolation of the compartment prior to ventilation. Remote spaces teach us that distance from the fire does not equal safety. These rooms are often where victims are found, and where conditions can continue deteriorating even when the fire is controlled if left unattended.
• Tactical Consideration 12: Immediately post-suppression, consider conducting hydraulic ventilation to increase the rate at which combustion gases exhaust from the structure. While doing so, consider the importance of ventilation within the structure (opening all other doors and windows) and if resources allow, dedicate multiple hoselines to perform hydraulic ventilation in different affected areas of the structure. 

“The release of this report is the result of our continued collaboration with the fire service to deliver real, actionable insights that the fire service can take back to the fireground,” said Keith Stakes, principal research engineer. “We take seriously our commitment to answering the urgent questions facing the fire service every shift, knowing that improved understanding and insights leads to safer operations and improved outcomes for victims.” 

Ten studies in purpose-built, fully furnished, single-story, single-family buildings typical of today's residential setting yielded the new tactical considerations. The houses had an open kitchen/living space, two bathrooms, four bedrooms, and an HVAC system to track the flow of heat and smoke. Researchers were able to detect gas temperatures, concentrations, and velocities as well as pressure and heat fluxes in every room at various heights thanks to specialized equipment. While tactical operations, such as the timing and location of search, suppression, and ventilation, varied, the structure, fuel loading and instrumentation remained constant across burns.

To assist departments in incorporating these results into operations and training, a revised version of the Fire Safety Academy's Search and Rescue Tactics in Single-Story, Single-Family Residential Structures online course will incorporate the tactical considerations later this year.

Research updates are available at fsri.org