Pre-Incident Planning for Big Box Fires for Small Fire Departments
One of the most effective strategies for managing big box store fires is thorough pre-incident planning, going upstream of interventions. Departments should work closely with store management to understand the layout of a building, including critical areas, such as storage of flammable materials and electrical control rooms. Regularly updated floor plans should be readily accessible to fire crews.
Pre-incident planning should involve collaborating with store management to understand the specific layout and potential hazards, which helps to develop effective search strategies. Predetermined search patterns and understanding common hiding spots for disoriented victims can streamline the search process.
Investing in advanced firefighting equipment and technology can significantly improve the effectiveness of fire response in large commercial structures. Thermal imaging cameras can help to quickly locate the source of a fire through smoke and darkness. Similarly, drones can provide an aerial view of the situation, to assist in strategically deploying resources.
Community awareness and involvement are vital in enhancing fire safety in big box stores. Educating employees on fire safety practices and the proper use of fire extinguishers can help to control fires before they escalate. Regular safety audits and fire drills can ensure that staff and customers are prepared for emergency evacuations.
Given the limited resources in small towns, establishing mutual-aid agreements with neighboring towns and counties can be a lifeline during significant fires, including big box store incidents. Such agreements ensure that additional firefighting resources are available quickly to enhance firefighting capabilities. Resulting pooling of resources and expertise provides a necessary safety net for communities that might otherwise struggle to respond effectively to large-scale emergencies. Resource-sharing can become a point of leverage. Big box store fires demand substantial firefighting resources, including personnel, specialized equipment (e.g., aerial ladder trucks for high-rise sections of stores and advanced rescue tools) and large volumes of water. Many small-town departments might not possess these resources in sufficient quantities. Mutual-aid agreements allow the sharing of these critical assets, ensuring that the necessary tools and workforce are available during a significant emergency.
Mutual aid provides a platform for collaborative training programs (to help to build cohesive strategies among neighboring departments) and shared training experiences, which allows firefighters to learn diverse tactics and strategies. This collaboration enhances the skills of all who are involved, which fosters a better understanding of various firefighting techniques that are suitable for complex retail environments.
Response time is crucial in emergency situations. Mutual-aid agreements can reduce response times significantly by allowing nearby departments to quickly dispatch aid rather than waiting for distant help. This rapid deployment can be the difference between a controlled fire and a devastating blaze.
Reading the smoke
Reading smoke is crucial for firefighters, particularly when tackling fires in big box stores. These retail environments present unique challenges because of their size and the variety of materials that are stored. Efficient smoke-reading allows firefighters to make informed decisions about tactical approaches, which enhances safety and effectiveness in controlling and extinguishing fires.
Determining fire behavior is part and parcel of reading smoke. Smoke provides essential clues about the fire’s location, intensity and behavior. Firefighters can infer whether a fire is growing or diminishing by analyzing smoke color, volume, density and velocity. Thick, black smoke typically indicates a high-energy fire that’s burning synthetic materials, such as plastics, that commonly are found in big box stores. Conversely, lighter smoke might suggest a less intense fire or one that involves organic materials.
In its most fundamental aspect, the ability to read smoke is vital for assessing the structural integrity of the building. Sudden changes in smoke behavior can signal a potential structural collapse or other hazardous conditions, to prompt firefighters to adjust their approach to avoid entrapment. Further, competent smoke-reading helps to direct ventilation efforts, which is critical in large indoor spaces to control fire spread and reduce smoke damage. Proper ventilation strategies that are based on smoke analysis can improve visibility and lower temperatures significantly, which aids in the safe and efficient navigation of the fireground.
Ultimately, reading smoke enhances the safety of both firefighters and potential victims. It allows firefighting teams to anticipate fire development, predict possible flashovers, and make timely decisions about evacuation or engagement.
Cold smoke
Cold smoke in firefighting, particularly within the context of big box stores, represents a significant hazard. It often is underestimated because of its less-intense appearance compared with the hot, dense smoke of a raging fire. However, the dangers of cold smoke are profound and multifaceted, which emphasizes the need for cautious and knowledgeable handling by firefighters.
Cold smoke is laden with a cocktail of toxic chemicals and particulates that are released from various products and materials that are found in big box stores. These can include carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide and other harmful substances that can incapacitate and kill, even at relatively low temperatures. The risk is heightened by the stores’ extensive inventory, which can contain plastics, textiles and other synthetic materials that produce dangerous fumes when the materials smolder.
Cold smoke tends to linger closer to the ground than hot smoke does and can fill an ample indoor space, to severely reduce visibility. This can disorient firefighters, which makes it challenging to navigate the complex layouts that are typical of big box stores, to locate victims, and to find and extinguish the fire source efficiently.
Cold smoke can obscure a fire’s actual conditions. A fire might appear out or under control when it’s smoldering and capable of reigniting or escalating without warning. This hidden heat can lead to sudden flashovers or backdrafts if fresh oxygen is introduced during ventilation efforts.
Water
Water supply challenges are a significant concern when fighting fires in big box stores. Because of their sheer size and the volume of materials that are contained within them, these large retail spaces, which often exceed 100,000 sq. ft., require enormous quantities of water for effective fire suppression. This presents unique logistical and strategic challenges for firefighting operations.
Because of their vast floor areas and high ceilings, big box stores require much more water to achieve fire control than typical residential or smaller commercial structures. Firefighting operations might require water flows of more than 6,750 gpm, depending on the occupancy and use. Maintaining this flow rate for an extended period can strain local water supply systems, particularly in smaller and rural communities that have limited infrastructure.
Big box stores often are located on the outskirts of a town or in a suburban shopping center, where the nearest hydrants might be distant or insufficiently serviced. Long hoselays frequently are necessary to connect to these water sources, which can lead to significant drops in water pressure and flow rate, which restricts the effectiveness of firefighting efforts.
Many departments must deploy mobile water supply systems, such as tanker shuttles and temporary water tanks, to address these issues. These systems, however, require precise coordination and time to set up, which can delay the initial firefighting response. Furthermore, navigating large, potentially crowded parking lots and complex building layouts with heavy equipment can complicate water distribution on scene.
Ensuring reliability in the water supply involves creating redundancies, such as multiple water sources and backup systems, to handle unexpected failures or inadequacies in the primary water supply. This is crucial during prolonged firefighting operations that are typical in big box store fires, where the initial supply might be depleted before the fire is controlled fully.
Force multiplier: the FARS factor
Just like thermal imaging mentioned above, using emerging technology to our benefit is a force multiplier. Departments—small and large—are turning to innovative solutions, such as Firefighter Air Replenishment Systems (FARS), and installing standpipe systems within large buildings to facilitate quicker and more reliable access to water.
Like the water standpipe, FARS are invaluable in firefighting in big box stores, offering crucial benefits that enhance safety and operational efficiency during emergencies. These systems within a building allow firefighters to refill their air tanks on site without returning to the surface or to a remote refill station. This capability is particularly advantageous in large retail environments, such as big box stores, where the scale and complexity of the structure can extend operational timelines and physical demands on firefighting personnel significantly.
The primary value of FARS is the increased safety that it provides to firefighters. Mike Gagliano provided the genesis of ROAM (rules of air management), and with the advent of FARS, we can provide air management opportunities that allow firefighters to do the work and survive. By ensuring a continuous and accessible air supply, FARS reduces the risk of air supply depletion during critical moments of firefighting and rescue operations. This is particularly crucial in big- box stores, where the distance to exit points can be substantial, and the smoke-filled environment can deplete air reserves rapidly.
FARS allows firefighters to operate longer within the structure without the interruption of exiting for air replenishment. This continuity is vital for maintaining the momentum of firefighting efforts, particularly when controlling a fire in such an ample space, where time is of the essence to prevent the fire from spreading.
Replenishing air tanks by way of the “bottle brigade” typically requires firefighters to carry multiple spare tanks or make numerous trips back to air supply points, which can be taxing physically and time consuming. FARS eliminates this burden, reducing fatigue and enhancing the physical efficiency of firefighters as they navigate through extensive retail layouts.
With FARS, firefighting teams can plan and execute their operations with greater strategic flexibility. They can establish bases of operation within the structure, maintain critical positions and manage resources more effectively without being constrained by air supply concerns.
FARS represent a significant advancement in firefighting technology and are available by code adoption in all cities. The importance and value of these systems, particularly for large-scale retail environments, such as big box stores, can’t be overstated. They bolster safety, extend operational capabilities, reduce physical demands on firefighters, and provide critical strategic advantages in managing complex and challenging fire scenarios.
Kristopher Blume
Kristopher T. Blume is the fire chief of the Meridian, ID, Fire Department and has more than two decades of fire service experience. He is an author, lecturer and independent consultant. Blume is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program and is an instructor at the National Fire Academy. As a student of the fire service, he is focused on values-driven, mission-focused leadership for the profession.
