Fire Resistive Construction

FIRE RESISTIVE CONSTRUCTION

Firefighters are faced with many dangerous tasks if putting out fires. In any type of structure, the firefighter must ensure the safety of both the public and him or her. One of the main objectives is to not only put out the fire, but also to rescue any survivors. This can be a difficult task based on the structure involved. Multiple occupancies, both residential and commercial, present a plethora of problems for the firefighter depending on the construction and other factors.

Apartment buildings bring multiple tribulations to the firefighter. First, parking itself can present a major problem. If the parking lots are not adequately marked to include a fire lane, it can prevent the time firefighters can arrive to the actual scene to contain the fire. Also, if there are fire lanes and they are being habitually violated by the residents, the necessary authorities should be notified in correcting this immediately. Whether ticketing or towing the violator’s vehicle, the situation should be handled accordingly by apartment management or the local police. The actual building or unit involved can be a problem as well. Most apartment complexes and other multiple occupancies have multiple buildings and each building consists of multiple, yet individual, units. Building owners should be encouraged to provide lettering and numbering on buildings to ensure quick identification of locations in an emergency (Brannigan &Corbett, 2008). Other issues with the building locations include landscaping and permanent structures such as fencing or drains. Another problem in multiple occupancies is location of the utilities. It is most important for safety purposes in a fire is the firefighters or other rescuers on the scene that they are easily located. A particular problem is utility gas service. Often the service layout is made for the convenience of the plumbers and meter readers, with little or no thought for the safety of the firefighter...