WWC Ops 1

Arrival - After receiving a report of a structure fire at the Schafer dorm and being advised it was in a recycling bin attached to the building. Response was slower than normal with ice still on the roads and a light snow that had ocome that night. Chief Anthony Penland arrived on scene first reporting the size up with Deputy Chief Pierson arriving behind him.
The main visible fire was in the Sector 3-1 corner. Winds were blowing at 30-35 MPH, temperatures well below freezing and a wind chill close to zero.
Safety Officer Rick Calvert arrived in Engine 6 with Captain Doug Gregory, Firefighters DeWain Stamey and Chris Graves. As the first crew began pulling a line to cutoff the fire going through the Sector 1-3 corner, DC Pierson went through the entrance way in sector one to get a better size-up from the courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard area (Through the doorway shown to the left), it was discovered that the fire had already spread all the way though the Sector 3 and 4 buildings and 3/4 of the way through the Sector 5 building. The courtyard was an area 100'x100' and even the trees in the center of the courtyard were smoking and some burning.
Conditions of the 3 buildings were such that there would have been no survivors and structural integrity was too diminished for entry or for operations in potential collapse zones. The Sector 1 building was immediatley threatened and the decision was made to go for a defensive operation, protecting the Sector 1 building. It was believed that a relatively quick deployment of lines to the courtyard would defend that building as well as secure the Sector 1 escape route for crews in the courtyard.

DEFENSIVE OPERATION - During the defensive operation, fire conditions prevent an interior attack, so large exterior fire streams will be placed between the fire and the exposures to prevent fire extension. This mode is a heavy-duty cut-off oriented approach. It may include operating exterior streams around a large or unaccessible fire area that is essentially burning itself out. During active defense operations, perimeter control becomes critical since firefighters should not enter the fire area. The FGC concedes property to the fire and decides where the cut-off will take place. (From the book "Fire Command" by Alan Brunacini)