"Firefighters are at significant risk of injury or death when fighting fires in strip malls. Strip mall fires are low frequency, high-risk incidents due to a variety of construction features, including limited entry and egress, high heat release rate (the rate at which fire releases energy) fuel loading, maze-like conditions, and high entanglement potential," NIOSH investigators wrote in a recent report.
They also noted: "Strip malls present challenges that may cause firefighters to become disoriented while conducting interior search and firefighting operations. The first arriving resource’s ability to conduct a 360-degree might not occur due to the size (length and width) of the building. This information needs to be communicated to the dispatcher and other responding units by the first arriving resource. If the initial size-up doesn’t include Side Charlie, resources should be assigned to the rear of the building."
They also strongly encourage chiefs to create an incident accident plan for the various strip malls in their areas.
They reviewed a number of incidents including deaths of firefighters who were battling fires in strip malls.
Firehouse.com News
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