Case Study on Fire in a Heritage Building, Kolkata

At around 0030 11/16/16 I Sr. Officer Chad Stephenson of Siena Heights University (SHU) Department of Public Safety (DPS) was approached by resident student Stanley Saunders to report that his jacket was stolen out of his dorm room 409 on 11/15/16 between 1400-2300. Saunders stated that after he come back from a meeting at around 1230 he took his jacket off and but it on his bed. Then at around 1400 the left his room to go and hung out with some friends, when he came back at around 2300 he noticed his jacket was missing. Saunders searched his room, and talked with his roommates to see if any of them seen it but they all said no. The jacket is described as an Black North Face theremoball full zip up and is a size XL, Saunders states that he only bought it around a month ago.

Some of the explicit reasons that affected the people in the building were, The water bursts would go back hit the people and launch them into the fire, this is an explicit piece from the story because the people in the building didn’t know this and stayed in front of the windows thinking about jumping. The workers were not prepared in case of a fire were to have occurred in the building “Meanwhile, workers on the eighth-floor rang furiously for the two passenger elevators. Safety experts have always advised against using elevators in a fire.” showing that they were not prepared for a fire/ emergency

Ladder 1 and 5, Rescue 1, and Car 3 by 6:18pm. At this time Incident Commander number one request dispatch to strike a second alarm due to the size of the building and with the second alarm Engines 2, 16, aerial scope 2, and car 2 are all dispatched to the scene. At 6:20pm Incident Commander number one request building information from dispatch but no building plans were ever found creating confusion on how the interior of the building was designed. At 6:26pm Incident Commander one enters the building through a door from the first floor and goes up the stairway into the second floor where the fire originated as well as Engine 13 and Ladder 1 who report that elevator shafts were engulfed into fire. Incident commander number one reports there was possibly two homeless people still in the building and at 6:31pm Incident commander number two comes on scene in Car 2. Three crews from Engine 1, Ladder 1, and Rescue 1 were inside the building reporting the spread of fire and all work their way up the stairway to the roof to cleared a skylight and had it completely vented and started to descend down the stairs while each crew performed search-and-rescue sweeps of each floor for the homeless victims and fire extension checks. They also have 2 ½ inch hose line and 1 ¾ inch hose line on the second and third floor coming up the stairway for an offensive

Many fire service personnel that have fifteen or twenty years of service have seem many things change over time. One radical change is the way fires consume structures today when compared structures years ago, these fires have be classified as modern and legacy fires. When responding to a modern construction fire versus a legacy fire, does it change how we fight these fires? Well the answer to that is simply yes! Modern construction physiognomies have greatly changed to accommodate the comfort of the homeowner, which is not firefighter friendly. In modern construction home the floor plans are larger in size to give more living space. As the living spaces grow the footprint of the residence increases as well. As the word modern leads to occupants thinking comfort, when truthfully causes disadvantageous consequences for the fire service with open geometrics, new construction materials, and also include an increased fire load. All these construction advantages only lead to faster propagation of the fire, as well decreases the amount of time for a flashover to occur. Modern construction has led to hasty changes in fire dynamics, which at the same time decreases the amount of time to escape to safety. The structural collapse time is greater since the amount of time as been lessened

A disaster is an unforeseen fatal event that causes massive disruption to the working of a community

83 Archibald Street is at extreme risk in the event of the fire. The house has become hidden from street view due to a large, overgrown garden which poses significant risk. To worsen this risk, the building is largely constructed from wood along with a wooden side fence. Furthermore, chopped logs can be seen in the front yard which would make excellent fuel in the event of the fire.

“I saw the smoke. That’s why I gave the order to evacuate the building,” student resource officer John Walls said.

The structure of the building seams to have been compromised due to the fire however no report has been released as of this news article.

On December 1st, 1958 a large fire broke out in Chicago at the Lady of Angels Elementary School. The fire broke out in the basement while class was in session. The cause was never officially stated but was believed to have been arson by two young boys who attened the school. The fire started in a cardboard trash can barrel located near the stairwell in the basement. Heavy dark smoke began to fill the basement and supheated air began to develop in the open pipe above the fire. This heat and smoke then began to build in the cockloftabove the second story which was above the second floor classrooms.

In attempt to provide background on the impacts of past natural disasters, condensed case studies of two major natural disasters are summarized, outlining the damage – both financial and physical. The aftermath of any natural disaster highlights the weaker areas of emergency management and as a result, the federal government has made significant efforts to strengthen those areas through preparedness and mitigation measures. Additionally, emphasis on mitigation and preparedness has increased following the vast number of natural disasters that the United States has endured, not only in the federal sector but also in the education and research sector. Today,

Significant communication challenges were encountered because radio systems used by federal and state agencies are incompatible with radio systems used by local fire departments, law enforcement agencies and other responding resources (Fire Siege, 2003). This lack of compatibility and common frequencies profoundly impacted the ability to coordinate resources and exchange information. The terrain and lack of infrastructure adversely affected the CNF communication system, further hampering communication efforts. Numerous responding resources lacked the ability to field program radios to establish communications with the task force or strike team resources.

According to the Ron Dehart, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman, The Sierra Nevada fire has burned through 62,000 acres, approximately 97 square miles of territory in the last week. As of late Sunday, an unoccupied summer home, a trailer, and a shed have been reported to be wrecked in the fire. The speed of that the fire spread resembles what cold in a public school looks like. More than 2,700 firefighters worked through the night to resist the wildfire that blackened nearly 100 square miles of the northern Sierra Nevada Valley.

From the time the Graham Fire and Rescue crew got the call, it took them three minutes to arrive on scene at the Powell residence fire. Upon arrival, the department’s assistant chief stated that the fire was “burning hot” and already through the roof (Reavy, 2012). Based upon statements made by the social worker and the short amount of time in which it took first responders to arrive on scene, the incipient stage of the fire could not have lasted more than a minute. The social worker claimed to have smelled gas when Josh Powell took his children inside the house and pushed her away. The gasoline helped fuel the fire, and as it expanded, it grew in heat and intensity (Young & Ortmeier, 2011). There is no mention of a backdraft, which means

The building was constructed in 1946, designed to be a nightclub. The same building had changed ownership and names numerous times, and had been incarnated as not just a nightclub but also a restaurant and pub. Exact numbers of occupants at the time of the fire is unknown, estimated to be between 440 to 458 persons. When the fire started at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the venue was 100 people over capacity, but "even the legal number was based on a bogus standing-room formula," (Seligson, 2013). An estimated 450 people were inside when the fire occurred (FEMA, 2011).

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, can happen anytime and anywhere, without warning. An earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, or hazardous material spill or even an act of terrorism can happen