Chapter 21 Prevention, Public Education, and Pre-Incident Planning.

Chapter 21

Prevention, Public Education, and Pre-Incident

Planning

Introduction• Preservation of life and property the

cardinal mission of the fire service• Prevention is the most effective

method of achieving the goal• This chapter covers:

– Enhancing the level of fire safety in the community

– Conducting a quality fire safety survey– Programs for instructing communities– Methodology for pre-incident surveys

and pre-incident plans21.2

Administration of the Fire Prevention Division

• Fire Prevention Division responsible for all aspects of fire and life safety– Engineering aspects– Origin and cause investigations– Follow-up activities

• Fire prevention duties may be the responsibility of one officer or many

• Prevention Division requires assistance of suppression firefighters

21.3

Fire Company FireSafety Survey Program

• Maintain public support by remaining in the public eye

• Enact proactive Fire Safety program• Fire Safety Survey responsibilities

assigned to fire suppression companies– Companies should not leave their first-due

response areas

• Survey program should be planned with fire suppression duties in mind

21.4

Equipment• Recommended for

firefighter/inspector:– Complete uniform, cleaned and pressed– Occupancy fire safety survey files– Clipboard with notepad and pencil– Flashlight– Fire safety survey forms– Standardized information bulletins– Violation notices– Fire code reference manual

21.5

21.6

Figure 21-4 Company officer preparing for inspections.

Preparation for Fire Safety Surveys

• Plan the area to be surveyed• Review occupancy files prior to leaving the

station• Give consideration to the type of business

activities relative to time of day• Generally fire companies do not make

surprise visits– Note the business owner’s preference

• Complete as much paperwork as possible before leaving the station

21.7

Conducting the Fire Safety Survey

• Involving too many firefighters is intimidating• Too few inspectors result in less thorough

survey• Minimize disruption of business activities• Upon arrival, proceed directly to the front

office– Obtain owner’s permission before beginning

• If business owner denies access to the property, determine the reason for denial– Use a calm reassuring approach

21.8

Typical Safety Problems• Exiting

– Building’s means of egress provides most basic safety to its occupants

– Ensure proper type of door is used as an exit– No-knowledge hardware required on all

exits, except main entrance, when panic hardware not required

– Panic hardware required on exits in all assembly, educational, and institutional occupancies

– Special egress control devices allowed if sprinkler system and smoke detector installed

21.9

21.10

Figure 21-11 Of the four types of doors, only the swinging door can be used for a required exit.

Typical Safety Problems (cont’d.)

• Protection equipment– Portable fire extinguishers– Automatic fire sprinkler systems– Restaurant cooking surface and

exhaust hood suppression systems– Heat and smoke detection systems– Fixed gaseous extinguishing systems

21.11

Typical Safety Problems (cont’d.)

• Use and storage of hazardous materials– Inside storage and use

• Storage areas must be well ventilated• Sources of ignition must be eliminated• Small quantities should be stored in

approved containers and cabinets• Other requirements

– Outside storage• Storage area at proper distance from

buildings• Storage areas must have secondary

containment• Eliminate sources of ignition 21.12

Typical Safety Problems (cont’d.)

• Electrical hazards– Check fuse and breaker panels– Access to panels should be free of storage and

debris– Outlets and junction boxes have approved cover– Outlets, switches, lights, and appliances

approved for location installed– Extension cords not permitted in place of

permanent wiring– No exposed wiring through doorways, under

floor coverings, or stapled to a wall21.13

Typical Safety Problems (cont’d.)

• General fire safety– Dust accumulation is a common problem in

woodworking and textile manufacturing occupancies

• Prevent buildup of dust• Dust explosions: dust suspended in the air

combust– Proper disposal of rags used with flammable or

combustible fuels– Smoking restricted in certain occupancies

• Smoking and nonsmoking areas clearly identified

• Proper containers for disposal of smoking materials 21.14

21.15

Figure 21-34 Oily rags must be stored in approved safety cans with self-closing lids.

Typical Safety Problems (cont’d.)

• Building exterior– Address numerals of sufficient size posted in

easy to see location– Access roads kept clear of vehicles and

storage– Secured key boxes checked for current keys– Trash disposal areas away from buildings,

free of debris– Proper outside storage of flammable liquids – Accumulated dried vegetation near buildings

eliminated– Deficiencies in chimneys or flues recognized21.16

Concluding the Fire Safety Survey

• Convey findings to the building representative– Point out deficiencies and suggestions noted

while walking through– Remember to thank occupants for their time

• All deficiencies should be documented– Name and address of business– Date of the survey– Building representative– Safety problems– Inspector’s name and compliance date 21.17

21.18

Figure 21-42 Inspection notice should be given to business representatives at the conclusion of the inspection. (Courtesy of Loveland Fire and Rescue, Loveland, Colorado)

Re-Visits• Documented safety problems must be

reinspected – Emphasize their significance– Ensure compliance

• Some infractions can be corrected with self-clearing card– Examples: address numerals enlarged,

extension cord removed, recharging a fire extinguisher

• More serious problems require a re-visit

21.19

Home Fire Safety Surveys• Voluntary home fire safety inspections

beneficial– Point out fire and life safety hazards– Check and install smoke detectors and

carbon monoxide detectors– Instruct family in proper emergency

preparedness

• Typical hazards:– Exiting problems– Electrical problems such as overloaded

circuits and extension cords– Storage around furnaces and water heaters

21.20

Fire and Life Safety Education• Personalize fire and safety issues

– Tours of burned-out homes– Specially built fire safety houses

• Tailor educational efforts to the community– Example: water safety classes in

areas with a concentration of backyard swimming pools

21.21

21.22

Figure 21-48 This school bus was redesigned and specially equipped to become a fire safety house.

Fire and Life SafetyProgram Presentations• Preparation

– Come with audiovisual equipment, training aids, and literature

– Prepare the audience for the material to be presented

• Presentation– Learning increases with number of senses

affected

• Practice– Participants asked to apply and demonstrate

what they have learned

21.23

21.24

Figure 21-49 These (A) fire safety robots and (B) fire safety characters keep the children focused and help to get the message across.

(A) (B)

Forms of Fire and LifeSafety Programs

• Public service announcements (PSAs)

• School programs• School evacuation drills• Adult programs• Fire station tours

21.25

21.26

Figure 21-51 A graphic view of the school building showing exits, evacuation routes, and assembly areas should be posted in all classrooms and throughout the building.

Pre-Incident Survey Process• Preplanning: fire prevention activities

and pre-incident surveys• Prevention and pre-incident surveys

linked by education• Fire service educators teach people how

to prevent fires and emergencies• Pre-incident surveys may be simple or

complex– Must be a collaborative effort between all fire

service divisions

21.27

Deciding to Preplan

• Most data from pre-incident surveys in “hardcopy” form

• Fire agencies must prioritize occupancies for pre-incident surveys– Type of occupancy and incident expected– Life hazards– Nature of activities at occupancy– Exposure to surrounding areas– Complexity of firefighting operations– Resources required

21.28

Site Visit• On-site visit first step in preplanning a

structure• Fact gathering from an operational strategic

perspective– Occupancy classification, construction type and

method– Structure size, height, number of stories– Exiting systems, built-in fire protection– Access points and structure interior– Exposure problems– Hazardous materials usage and storage areas– Personnel and general firefighting concerns

21.29

Diagrams• Diagram of site a key element in

pre-incident survey• Site and floor plans should be in

plan view and sectional view• Use standardized symbols• Draw to scale• Preferable to generate drawings

with a computer

21.30

21.31

Figure 21-53

Seek Input from Others

• Pre-incident survey is a collaborative effort

• Relevant information assembled in narrative and graphic form– Obtain input of others

• Water department boost water pressure during firefighting operation

• Law enforcement anticipates traffic problems

• Pre-incident survey is not complete until everyone involved has had opportunity to give input

21.32

The Finished Document• Pre-incident reports carried in

command vehicles and on all apparatus

• Periodic training at specific locations– Firefighters practice their skills– Become familiar with facilities in their

jurisdictions– Update pre-incident survey plans

when necessary21.33

Lessons Learned• Aggressively entering a burning structure

and rescuing occupants is exhilarating• Just as satisfying:

– Responding to a “fire out on arrival” because smoke detectors alerted a sleeping family

– Reading about children escaping serious injury because they learned to “stop, drop, and roll”

• Preventing devastating events must be the firefighter’s constant goal

21.34