Friday Night Roof Operations Training
 
By East Brandywine Fire Company
March 6, 2020
 

On Friday night 3/6/20 several members were on station and decided that despite the poor weather outside we would still do some roof operations training out back in our training area. Fires can occur during any type of weather so training in those conditions is vital so members can learn what to expect.

At a working fire crews typically do two types of ventilation, vertical and/or horizontal. Vertical ventilation is when crews go to the roof and cut holes in strategic areas to allow the heat and smoke to escape from the building. There are a few reasons for doing this but the main ones are to allow for a greater chance of survival for any trapped occupants and to allow interior crews a better environment to search for any trapped occupants and to find the source of the fire and extinguish it. When crews ventilate it is done in coordination with interior crews.

If the roof is not ventilated at a fire it could lead to a flashover or a smoke explosion inside the residence.