UP, DOWN, IN OR OUT

Traversing stairs in burning buildings is seldom thought about. When it is brought up during a training session or a critique, the discussion is usually centered around descending stairs into fires involving basements, which is in fact a very serious and hazardous operation.

Knowing and understanding building construction and the types of buildings in your district is paramount. Do you operate in a neighborhood that is primarily new construction, old or a combination of both?

There is a night and day difference in a stairway constructed in a 100-year-old row home, built from rough cut, true dimensional lumber versus a stairway constructed in a townhouse built today.

Basement Stairs:

From early on in my fire service career I was always told by senior firemen to descend basement stairs rapidly to avoid serious burns. “Good advice” however, where I work the basement stairs seem to always have been an after thought of a horrible carpenter.

Extreme caution must be used when descending these stairs. Remember brothers and sisters, we are not fighting fires in a concrete burn building.

When given a choice, I will take advancing the attack line through an exterior basement entrance (Bilco doors) versus the interior stairs any day. Of course, that is not always an option.

Ascending Fire Weakened Stairs:

I try and teach the new kids to distribute their weight by stepping on the treads where they meet the stringers. You should never walk on the middle of the stair treads unless you want a quick tour of the basement! Try and get yourself into the habit of ascending and descending stairs by distributing your weight to the stringers every time, all of the time.

Sounding the treads with a tool is “not” a recommended technique. There is a huge difference between a “love tap” with a tool versus a 200 lb. plus fireman standing right in the center of a fire weakened stair tread. When you hear that loud crack it’ll be too late, you will be lying on the basement floor.

Up, Down, In Or Out!!!

One of my biggest pet peeves (my next dog will be named Peeve) is fire folks camping out on the stairs. If you are not ready for battle...GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!!!

Put your gear on somewhere else. The stairway is not a gear donning area, nor is it an area for linemen to stage at and push line in. This is to be done at the bottom or top of the stairs, but never on them.

I have had to yell this entirely too many times over the years...

”UP, DOWN, IN, or OUT”!!!