Truck Co. Std 4 - Commercial Vent 3 Person Defensive Strip Against Construction V2
ROHNERT PARK FIRE DIVISION
TRUCK COMPANY STANDARDS
Title: VERTICAL VENTILATION (COMMERCIAL) 3 PERSON DEFENSIVE STRIP
AGAINST CONSTRUCTION
Standard Number: 4 Time Standard: N/A
TOPIC: Vertical Ventilation (Commercial) 3 Person Defensive Strip With
Construction
GIVEN: Truck Company, extension ladder, 2 axes in belts, 1 rubbish hook, and 2
chain saws or rotary saws
PERFORMANCE: Create a defensive strip cut to prevent horizontal fire spread
STANDARD: Using the proper cut sequence in a safe manner
REFERENCES: Truck Company Operations, John Mittendorf; Orange County
Fire Authority, Truck Company Operations
MATERIALS: Roof prop, PPE (including SCBA) extension ladder, axes in belts,
rubbish hook, chain saws and/or rotary saws.
PREPARATION: Commercial vent is essential to safe and effective interior fire
attack. Having consistency and proficiency in this performance is essential to
maintaining a professional workforce.
PRESENTATION
OPERATION: KEY POINTS:
1. Starting from the truck, ladder the 1a. Wearing all PPE
building 1b. Either utilizing the truck or ground
ladders
1c. Place secondary ladder
2. Retrieve tools needed to perform vent 2a. 2 chain saws and/or 2 rotary saws, 1
rubbish hook, axes in belts
3. Sounds roof 3a. Before getting onto roof to assure
structural stability
ROHNERT PARK FIRE DIVISION
TRUCK COMPANY STANDARDS
Title: VERTICAL VENTILATION (COMMERCIAL) 3 PERSON DEFENSIVE STRIP
AGAINST CONSTRUCTION
Standard Number: 4 Time Standard: N/A
4. Cuts 3’ X 3’ inspection hole 4a. Triangle
4b. First cut 45 degrees away from corner of
the walls
4c. ID direction of roof structural members
5. Crew walks along structurally stable 5a. Top Plates, Valleys, Beams, Purlins,
building elements Ridges
6. Sawyers cut smoke indicator holes 6a. Small triangular hole cut through the roof
decking and parapet
6b. Every 10 to 20 feet
6c. Assessing smoke and fire conditions
7. Crew cuts three 4’ x 8’ offensive heat 7a. In accordance with Commercial Vent 3
holes Person Louver in Lieu of Pullback SOP
8. Crew relocates 8a. To a safe location to allow crew to
complete strip cut before fire advances to
location
8b. Sounding the roof to assess for structural
stability
8c. Walking on structurally stable elements
of the roof
9. Sawyer 1 furthest from egress is lead 9a. Reaches (Approx. 3-4 feet)
and makes a head cut standing on a beam or purlin and starts cut
perpendicular to rafters towards egress
9b. Sawyer rolls rafters, running the entire
length of building
10. Sawyer 2 makes down cut 10a. Reaches out to intersect Sawyer 1 cut
10b. Cuts towards location
10c. Stops 6 inches from beam or purlin
11. Sawyer 2 makes bottom cut 11a. Cuts parallel to beam until next purlin
11b. Rolls rafter(s)
12. Sawyer 2 makes down cuts 12a. Reaches out to intersect Sawyer 1 cut
12b. Cuts towards location and rolls rafter
ROHNERT PARK FIRE DIVISION
TRUCK COMPANY STANDARDS
Title: VERTICAL VENTILATION (COMMERCIAL) 3 PERSON DEFENSIVE STRIP
AGAINST CONSTRUCTION
Standard Number: 4 Time Standard: N/A
12c. Stops 6 inches from beam
12d. Can also be called a dice cut
12e. Sawyer 2 repeats process until reaching
end of building
13. Sounder louvers holes 13a. In direction so wind will not be directed
into vent hole
14. This process is repeated 14a. Until strip is complete
15. Exit Roof 15a. Sounder in front to egress roof and sound
for structural stability