searching stairs

[27Truck]

If you are searching and you come to a staircase going up or down, do you search the stairs then continue your search?

[quint1officer]

I think I would finish the room I was searching. Hopefully there's another crew to assign to another division?

[nyckftbl]

too many variables. What type of building? Where is the fire?

[VinnieB]

If you are searching and you come to a staircase going up or down, do you search the stairs then continue your search?

Search the area with your tool, dont venture out of the door way you are in. Make a note of the door and stairwell, go back into the room you were searching, and close the door. Continue with the search of the original room. Once you make it back to your starting point...you should have an idea were the door to the stairwell is...and go to it...then search the stairwell area.

Thats the basic idea. But like NYC said...there are variable you need to consider. Fire Location, building type, is someone another company going to be in that stairwell, etc etc.

The point in completing the search in the original room is so that you can orient yourself. You should get the entier layout in your head and from that point, remember the way out if things get bad. If you venture out into doors, they can lead to halls, closets, rooms, or stairs....if you need to get out in a hurry, and you beat feet back to the room you can from you may get turned around and then you are screwed because you don't know the entier layout of the room....things like how far is my egress from the bed, or there was a chiar to my right then a turn in the wall...etc etc. I hope that helps.

[FFjohnson27]

If you come across stairs, couldnt you treat them as wall, stay on your pattern, funish the search in the room, and then go back???

[firefighter2454]

What is floor are you responcible for on the search. if you are not assigned to where thaose stairs go DON'T GO THERE. If on the other hand you are assingend a primary of the whole house there are alot of considerations involved. Fire size, fire placement, anyone on that new floor viable, where is the hose team and are they doing a primary as they go, building type, possibilty of victims, time of day, type of ventilation being performed number of people in your search crew. thats just to name some biggies. A lot to calculate to make that descion.

[VinnieB]

If you come across stairs, couldnt you treat them as wall, stay on your pattern, funish the search in the room, and then go back???

Not a good move. Get the area you are in covered first...then go back for the doors that lead to some place else. ORIENT yourself to the room you are in FIRST, get that picture in your head...then press on.

A couple of things to think about:

Am I searching for Fire or Life?

Size/Type of building....is it a private dwelling with a 8x15 room with furniture....or is it a 2500 square foot Commercial High Rise Floor with partitions?

Were's the fire....?

Were's the Engine Company w/ the line....? Can you "make a move"?

Whats the smoke doing? Can I see a little of the layout? or is it soup?

What kind of stairs? Open unenlosed? Fire towers? Return?, Wrap around?

There is no difinitive answer in the Fire Service....decisions are made based upon experiance, skill, and conditions.

[FFjohnson27]

By treating the bottom stair as a wall, and stayin on the pattern that will continue you to finish the search in the room, right???

[VinnieB]

By treating the bottom stair as a wall, and stayin on the pattern that will continue you to finish the search in the room, right???

When you come to a door, or door opening...open it if its closed...and STAY in the door way....just use your tool and the reach of your body to determine if you have a closet, hall, room, or stairwell. Once you determine what it is....close the door and continue the search of the original room.

The big thing about stairs is that you DO NOT want to get caught on them if you don't know were the fire is or what the engine is doing. Going up or down can lead to you getting killed or burnt. Stairs are natural paths of vent for fire and smoke. Once you have finished your room....use your radio to determine what your next course of action is.