Chapter 13 Commerical Buildings

Question 1

Commercial occupancies can generally be categorized as either

Answer 1

Mercantile, business or industrial

Question 2

When arriving on scene at a commercial building fire ____ should be a main concern for the first company to arrive on scene due to the size of these buildings and the potentially unknown location of the fire

Answer 2

Placement of apparatus and personnel

Question 3

The first most obvious common construction feature of these structures is

Answer 3

The large open spaces within them

Question 4

Next Common feature of commercial buildings

Answer 4

Exterior load-bearing walls

Question 5

Many structures use ___\ as the main construction material throughout the floors, walls and roofs

Answer 5

Steel

Question 6

An older large commercial structures roof assembly was typically a

Answer 6

Bowstring truss

Question 7

The most common type of flooring is (two or three story commercial structures)

Answer 7

Concrete

Question 8

Accountability for fire personnel?

Ric?

Answer 8

Must be established at every entry point of the structure

Consider assignment of more than one RIC when more than one entrance is used

Question 9

Hazards encountered

Answer 9

Wen they first began Building codes were not what they should’ve been in many parts of the country

Occupancy or transient

Good size up can help operations.
Clear communications between prevention and suppression aspects of the organization are essential to alleviate unknown occupant changes.

Strip center/strip malls often have open attic spaces that run horizontally over several businesses if not the entire structure.

Metal roof decks allow fire to spread through conduction

Tar is combustible and also can ignite

Question 10

Hazards encountered roofs?
Strip malls/strip centers

Answer 10

Almost all are Lightweight wood or metal roof assemblies

Question 11

Search and rescue operations for strip center should focus initially on

Answer 11

The unit that is burning

Then Shift to adjoining units on either side of the unit on fire and then progress to the entire building

Question 12

The minimum size hose line for an involved fire in a commercial structure should be

Answer 12

2 1/2 in.

Note: for stand alone commercial structures it states “lines capable of flows of atleast 125gpm are required”