Specialized Rescue Procedures
In the fire fighting career there is a wide range of tasks and types of rescues. In the line of duty today there are many common types of rescues such as building search, victim removal, and extrication from motor vehicles. On the other side there are certain specialized rescues such as water rescues, ice rescues, structural collapse rescues, and elevator/escalator rescues. These specialized rescues are generally low volume calls, depending on your coverage area, and thus should be trained for fire fighters to better asses the situation.
"Structural collapse while not a common incident, may occur for any number of reasons: weakening from age or fire, environmental causes (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flooding, rain, or snow buildup on roofs), or an explosion (accidental or intentional)." (Dodson 494) Structural collapses can create numerous voids where victims could be trapped. When arriving on scene the number of potential victims should be acquired. Certain hazards to look for in a structural collapse are a secondary collapse, live electrical wires, and gas leaks. The electricity and gas should be shut-off . Structural collapses come in three different types: pancake collapse, lean-to collapse, and v-type collapse. A pancake collapse is characterized by both supporting walls failing or from the anchoring system failing and the supported roof or upper floor falling parallel to the floor below. Small voids where victims can be found are created by debris. A lean-to collapse occurs when one only one side of the supporting walls or floor anchoring system fails. One side of the collapsed roof is attached to the remaining wall or anchoring system. The lean-to collapse creates a significant void near the remaining wall. A v-type collapse can happen when there is a large load in the center of floor or roof above. The roof may be overloaded from a buildup of snow and/or have been weakened by fire, rot, termites, and improper removal of support beams. Both sides of the supporting wall are still standing but the center of the floor or roof above is compromised and thus collapsed in the center. The v-type collapse usually leaves a void on each side of the supporting walls. Knowing where the voids are can help a fire fighter locate survivors of the structural collapse. After the firefighter as identified the type of collapse and where the voids may be they need to make a safe entranceway. The firefighter needs to have a basic knowledge of cribbing, shoring, and tunneling, all of which are useful in collapse operations. Cribbing is the use of various sizes of lumber arranged in systematic stacks to support an unstable load. Shoring is the use of wood to support and/or strengthen weakened structures such as roofs, floors, and walls. This avoids a secondary collapse during rescue. Tunneling could be necessary to reach survivors if there is no way other way to reach the victim the victim. When tunneling there should be a set destination and a good indication that there is a victim in that void.
"It is necessary to take action when persons are trapped in an elevator or when a condition exists with an elevator which could lead to personal injury. Whenever possible, it is recommended that any evacuation of passengers from elevator cars be performed under the direct supervision of elevator maintenance personnel, as they have the necessary resources and expertise to deal with the various complex hazards which may arise." (TWU par 1) When there is a call involving an escalator or elevator, a technician should be called if one isn't already on his/her way. If there is no imminent danger to the passengers inside the elevator then it is the job of the firefighter to gain contact with the passengers and to assure them that help is on the way. However, if there is a medical emergency with one or more of the passengers or they are in imminent danger, then appropriate actions should be taken. There are two types of elevator operating systems: hydraulic and electric/cable. Hydrualic elevators are raised and lowered using a hydraulic pump which is usually located on the first floor. A hydraulic elevator is usually not found in a building more than five stories. Electric/cable elevators are raised and lowered by using an electric motor. Electric/cable elevators are used in high-rise buildings. There are different types of doorways and openings in elevators that rescuers should be aware of. One such doorway is a hoistway door. A hoistway door is a door that is locked in the closed position until the door is at the correct level. These types of doors have special hoistway door keys and come in different styles and shapes. When a hoistway door is opened the car will be locked in place and will not move; however, rescuers should not assume that the car is safe and make sure that the power is shut off. Elevator car doors can be opened from either the inside or outside be pushing them apart. Once they are pushed apart the electrical safety interlock will not all the car to move. All Electric/cable elevators have emergency access panels. They are located either in the roof or through the side (in multiple car hoistways). Modern in-car control panels usually include: floor selection buttons, an emergency stop button, and a "Fire Service" key slot. A few of them will have an "Independent Service" switch located behind a locked panel or a separate key slot. Many elevators will have a telephone or intercom system for emergencies. The Fire Service key may be utilized to when firefighters are investigating a possible structure fire. When the key is turned the elevator will only respond to the in-car control panel. The Independent Service switch operates in the same way but with one difference. When the Fire Service key is used the doors will not open automatically when the desired floor is reached and must be manually opened. On the other hand, when the Independent Service switch is used the doors will automatically open. The first step in accessing the passengers is to locate which floor they are on by either talking them on the elevator telephone/intercom or going to the elevator pit or equipment room and estimating at which floor the elevator is. While this is happening another firefighter should shut down the electricity to the elevator. When the floor is estimated a hoistway should be opened and the exact floor should be obtained. When the hoistway is opened if there is enough of the top of the car in the opening then a ladder can be put down into the elevator for passengers to climb out. If there is enough of the bottom of the elevator in the hoistway then a ladder can be placed from the landing to the car and a rescuer needs to climb into the car to assist the passengers out. If the car doors are not accessible then a ladder can be used to gain access to the top of the car. The rescuer can then open the top emergency panel. If possible the ladder can be used to get passengers out of the car, but they must be placed in a safety harness first. If a top emergency panel can't be reached then another method is using an adjacent elevator and create a bridge between the two elevators. A rescuer needs to go into the stuck car and assist passengers in the transfer.
Though maybe not common, specialized rescues should be studied and trained for. In the fire fighting career constant education can save many mistakes and lives and I'm hoping some day that I can use this information to my career to be safe and efficient.
Works Cited
Dodson, David W. (author of Chapter 16) Firefighter's Handbook: Essentials of Firefighting and Emergency Response Second Edition. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. 2004
TWU. Environmental/Occupational Safety and Health: Emergency Elevator Rescue. Texas Woman's University. November 14, 2005. http://www.twu.edu/rm/ehs/elevator.htm