SOP 206.13 ROOF SECTOR

The roof of a burning building is almost always a major point of activity in firefighting operations. Personnel operate on the roof to ventilate, to evaluate fire conditions and structural safety, to determine the arrangement of structures (i.e. locations of fire- walls) and occasionally to attack fires directly from above. (Coordinated Roof Attack)

The safety and effectiveness of roof operations are both critical to fireground operations. This procedure outlines the operating principals for a Roof Sector to provide both safety and effectiveness in fireground operations.

Command should establish a Roof Sector and assign a sector officer anytime more than one company is assigned to work on the roof of a building. All companies assigned to a roof shall follow these guidelines, whether or not designated as a Roof Sector.

The first personnel reaching the roof must quickly evaluate conditions; to assure the roof is structurally sound before attempting to work on it .The degree and extent of any signs of weakness must be considered before committing personnel above a fire.

A report shall be made to Command, as quickly as possible, describing:

Roof construction (flat, peaked, bowstring, etc.)

Structural conditions observed.

Visible fire conditions and extent.

Smoke conditions.

Locations of firewalls and significant arrangement details.

Locations of any heavy objects that could pose a danger of collapse.

Proposed action plan.

This information should be updated as conditions develop or as more is learned.

Any decisions on roof venting or other tactics must be coordinated with Command and with the Interior Sector. These measures must not be initiated without coordination. The Roof Sector Officer must maintain constant radio communications capability this may require standing away from power saws and other noisy equipment.

The Roof Sector Officer must evaluate conditions and recommend a tactical plan for rooftop operations to Command. Command must assure that interior and exterior operations are coordinated before approving the tactics.

Structural conditions must be continually evaluated by Command. If at anytime structural conditions become questionable, Command must evaluate the safety of both Roof Sector and Interior personnel. Personnel must not work on a roof that is structurally questionable and should not stay on a roof unless their operations are tactically significant. When the necessary rooftop operations are completed, personnel should report readiness for reassignment. Personnel should not remain on the roof unnecessarily.

The Roof Sector Officer has the responsibility to assure that at least two means of escape are available from the rooftop and to provide for protective hose lines where indicated.

Protective hose lines are for the protection of personnel and to stop fire spread on a roof surface only. Hose lines must not be operated into the building, in an offensive mode, except as part of a COORDINATED roof attack. This requires the approval of Command and coordination with other sectors.

Roof ladders shall be used for operations on any rooftop where slope presents a safety concern and anytime there is a possibility of weakness in the roof covering.

NOTE:

Many new roof assemblies incorporate materials as thin as 3/8-inch plywood underneath various coverings. A very short fire exposure can seriously weaken the underside of these roofs, allowing a firefighter to fall through, while the exposed surface shows little or no sign of weakness. The outer surface is often protected from the fire by several inches of insulation that has no supporting strength. A roof ladder should be used to bridge over suspected weak areas or as a barrier to warn personnel of soft spots.

The Roof Sector Officer should attempt to determine the type of roof construction and supporting structure, and take precautions consistent with the construction type.