ON FIRE ❘ by MICHAEL N. CIAMPO

Firefighters must understand building construction—from older construction (balloon framing) that allows rapid fire spread from the basement to the attic to newer lightweight construction (laminated I-beams) that will fail much faster than nominal lumber—and its features and hazards so they can operate successfully and safely on the fireground. We must have common knowledge of the makeup of the structures we’ll respond to, especially those with a parapet.

The parapet is commonly referred to as a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of the roof. Many times, it’s simply a portion of the exterior wall, fire wall, or party wall that continues above the roofline. These walls come in a variety of locations, shapes, sizes, and heights. Some may have large ornamental features made of marble, brick, stone, or steel. Newer-style parapets may just be decorative fencing or panels, which still prohibit easy roof access off a portable, aerial, or tower ladder.

As we’ve all learned in our initial training, we should place our ladders a sufficient number of rungs over the roofline for better access and egress off the roof. This allows us to see the tip or a portion of the ladder and our exit point if smoke conditions increase on the roof.

When we encounter a short parapet, we’ll usually be able to transition over it rather easily from a portable ladder. We can lower our tools and sound the roof prior to stepping onto it from the safety of the ladder. Did you notice the word “lower”? Dropping a saw with a plastic handle that may contain a fuel tank can be disastrous if it cracks, leaving us with a broken and unusable saw.

Many of us might forgo stepping onto the top portion of the parapet because we’re fearful of the marble or tile cap (which can be loose from years of exposure to the elements); or, if it’s wet or icy, we’d rather step right onto the roof so we don’t slip and fall. If we’re exiting an aerial ladder, we should also be able to sound the roof with a hook from the safety of the ladder, lower our tools, and transition over the short wall to the roof.

Depending on the physical makeup of a tower ladder, the bucket may be easy to place right over the wall and rest just above the roof surface. That’s one of the safest spots for it because firefighters won’t have to transition over the short wall from the bucket and their means of egress is safer also since they don’t have to climb over a wall and into the bucket. With some tower ladders, the waterway pipe may hinder this position and the bucket may be placed at the edge of the roofline. Firefighters exiting the bucket will have to step over the parapet for roof access.

High parapets will make it difficult to get on or off the roof from all of types of ladders. Firefighters may have to straddle the top of the wall and lower themselves down to the roof. Prior to doing that, survey the parapet and its cap to ensure it can hold your weight.

Many aerial ladders and tower ladders have roof ladders mounted on their fly sections, which can be brought up to the tip or bucket and placed down onto the roof. We must practice and be proficient in these operations prior to deploying them. Some rigs have secured 10-foot folding ladders (aka attic, suitcase) to the fly section of the aerial or tower ladder to help firefighters transition on and off the roof safely over high parapets. The ladder is also very useful to gain access to the roof of a bulkhead to vent its skylight. If you notice that an exposure has a lower parapet, it may be advisable to use that for an access point and transition over the shorter side wall to the fire building.

In many taxpayers, the front parapet is supported by long steel I-beams, which can be affected by direct flame impingement and heat. These beams will expand and push out the walls and often cause a parapet collapse. Engine companies should direct their streams onto exposed steel I-beams while operating inside the occupancy or when operating from the street level to cool these beams. Firefighters shouldn’t fear that the hot beams or columns will crack or fail with cold water; research has shown that cooling them will allow them to regain their strength and load-carrying capability.

Also be aware that if beams have already sagged, you can cool them. However, the steel may contract to its original length and its shortening may pull its ends off the supports or twist the beam, which may increase the odds of a collapse to a specific area or an entire space. Safety officers must evaluate the steel and areas affected and not allow firefighters to operate in these areas.

At taxpayer fires, positioning the tower ladder’s bucket on the sidewalk and directing the stream upward can knock down multiple ceilings in the occupancy, provide stream penetration into the cockloft, and assist in a rapid knockdown. Prior to doing this, perform a size-up. The time of day plays a big part in operating in this position; the middle of the night with the store closed for hours may mean a well-involved fire and the parapet may be in danger of collapse. Smoke pushing from the mortar, cracks, and bulging bricks can be a deterrent for operating in this position. If you don’t have these issues and are going to operate on the sidewalk, it may be advantageous to position a firefighter at the corner of the building to monitor the parapet for any signs of collapse while the bucket is operating.

MICHAEL N. CIAMPO is a 36-year veteran of the fire service and a lieutenant in the Fire Department of New York. Previously, he served with the District of Columbia Fire Department. He has a bachelor’s degree in fire science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. He is the lead instructor for the FDIC International Truck Essentials H.O.T. program. He wrote the Ladders and Ventilation chapters for Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II (Fire Engineering, 2009) and the Bread and Butter Portable Ladders DVD and is featured in “Training Minutes” truck company videos.