1. High-Rise Office Buildings
Chapter 15

2. Objectives
• Define high-rise office buildings
• Describe various construction methods
• Describe hazards associated with these
structures

3. Objectives (continued)
• Describe the building systems present in
high-rise buildings that can be of use to
firefighters
• Describe the strategic goals and tactical
objectives related to high-rise building fires

4. Case Study
• One New York Plaza
• New York City
• Fifty-story high-rise office tower
– Fire on thirty-third floor
• Several deaths
• Two floors severely burned
• Local law 5 in New York City

5. Special Note
• September 11, 2001
• Claimed lives of 343 firefighters
• Questioning tactics of command post in
lobby
– Necessary to control elevators, HVAC, and
communications systems

6. Introduction
• High-rise building
– Highest floor beyond reach of available
ground or aerial ladders
• Heavy emphasis on utilizing building
systems and resources
• Full commitment of resources
• Most challenging fires

7. Construction
• Good size-up required to determine
construction features
• Older buildings
– Steel enclosed in concrete walls
– Concrete floors
– Windows can be opened from inside
– Lack of central air conditioning or plenums
– Compartmentalization

8. Older High Rise Construction
Figure 15-2. An example of older high-rise construction.

9. Construction (continued)
• Newer buildings
– Steel-and-glass
– Central HVAC systems
– Plenums
– Large, uncompartmented spaces
– Central (or center) core construction
– Windows fixed and inoperable

10. Central Core Floor Plan
Figure 15-4 An example of a central core floor plan.

11. Building Systems
• Standpipes • Fire command station
• Sprinklers • Communications
• Heating, ventilation, systems
and air-conditioning • Fire pumps
systems
• Elevators

12. Hazards Encountered
• Sheer size of building
• Number of building occupants
• Building features

13. Strategic Goals and Tactical
Objectives
• Seek out fire safety director, building
maintenance person, or building manager
• Establish lobby command post
• Verify fire floor
• Use separate stair for evacuation
• Establish forward staging area

14. Firefighter Safety
• Elevator use
– May be necessary
– Firefighter service features
• Communication systems
– Interior building systems
– Radios
• Firefighter fatigue
• Accountability

15. Communication Systems
Figure 15-7. A communications hook-up in a building’s stairwell
at the standpipe.

16. Search and Rescue
• Assign sector officer
– Evacuate two floors above fire through rest of
height of building
• Floor-by-floor search of building
– Bring extra SCBA bottles
– Start on fire floor
• Elevator should not be left unattended

17. Search and Rescue (continued)
Figure 15-10. Firefighters searching floors above the fire without
hose lines should use a rope for safety purposes.

18. Evacuation
• Initial evacuation
– Fire floor and floor above
• Evacuation stairwell
– Secured
– Free from smoke

19. Exposure Protection
• Internal
– Protect unburned areas from extension
– Watch for autoextension
• External
– Difficult due to elevation
– Advance hoseline into exposed building and
operating them onto fire building

20. Confinement
• Performed by effective, timely
extinguishment
• Accomplished by
– Advancing interior hose lines to fire area
– Attacking from unburned side
• Know paths of fire extension

21. Extinguishment
• First engine
– Initiate fire attack
– Supply both standpipe and sprinkler systems
• Second engine
– Relieve first engine on handline
• Third and fourth engine
– Operate second handline
• Defensive attack

22. Ventilation
• Extremely important
• Stack effect and stratification
Figure 15-12. An
example of
stratification.
Figure 15-13. An
example of stack
effect.

23. Overhaul
• Labor-intensive
• Preincident plan important
• False ceilings

24. Salvage
• Commercial office buildings
• Residential buildings
• Redirection of water from upper floors
– Use of water chutes, salvage covers

25. Summary
• Sector officers
– Responsible for own distinct parts of
operation
• Use and knowledge of building systems
• Understand theories behind smoke
movement
• More than sufficient help needed