The dream is dead

Steve MacDonald at BFD sent me a copy of their "Posted Buildings" policy. Yes, a single slash allows for firefighters to go inside, but only with "extreme caution," while an X basically means stay out, unless "a life hazard exists."

46.6 GUIDELINES TO BE USED WHEN DETERMINING DEGREE OF HAZARD

The following are only partial lists of hazards that may be encountered when trying to determine the degree of hazard present.

46.7 Hazards to be considered when posting a building with a slash:

• Unstable front or rear porches, stairs or fire escapes.
• Unusually heavy fire loading for the occupancy involved.
• Unusually heavy water load on roof due to poor drainage.
• Small holes in floors due to previous fires or rotted due to neglect and lack of maintenance.
• Holes in roof, open or broken skylights.
• Lack of compartmentalization due to previous fire damage, neglect or vandalism.
• Sharp and jagged surfaces including broken glass, exposed nails and torn metal.
• Missing stairway railings.
• Missing stairway treads.
• Buildings with several feet of water in the basement.
• Small amounts of hazardous materials and substances.
• Excessive amounts of unprotected asbestos insulation.
• Weakened and/or loose parapets and cornices.
• Breached or missing fire walls.
• Heavy equipment on roofs including machinery and billboards.

46.8 Hazards to be considered when posting a building with an "X":

• All buildings in imminent danger of collapse.
• Large holes in floors due to previous fires or rotted due to severe neglect and exposure to weather.
• Sagging floors, roofs and/or roof beams.
• Missing girders and/or floor beams.
• Missing and/or eccentrically loaded columns.
• Missing or bulging exterior walls or interior bearing walls.
• Structurally significant cracks in masonry walls.
• Excessively heavy fire loading resulting in compromised structural integrity.
• Large quantities of illegal/unidentified or improperly identified hazardous materials or substances.
• Open unprotected elevator shafts.

46.14 PLACARDS

Placards shall be applied on the front of the building at or above the second floor level, where practical, and between openings such that they are visible from the street. Placards may be applied to the sides or rear of a building if their placement is deemed necessary to provide the desired level of safety. Placards shall also be applied in a conspicuous place near every entrance and on penthouses. Placards shall not be applied above doors, windows, or other openings where they may be obscured by smoke or fire. Only placards issued by the department shall be utilized. The placards are approximately 2 feet square with a white boarder and stripes painted on a red background and coated with a reflective material designed to be readily visible from the street.

However, he adds:

The placards are just a visual reminder to firefighters. The more important information is on the computer system. It details what the hazard is. So if we get dispatched to 123 Main St., our dispatch would come on the air and state " 123 Main St. is a posted building with an X. Exterior operations only. It is missing floor 3 and has open elevator shafts"
All posted buildings have to be inspected twice a year by the BFD. At any given time there are about 150 buildings in this category in the city.

A posted building could be a new building under construction that does not have stairs installed yet. Remember, this is a system for firefighters to give us a heads up on possible problems we may face.

It is always easier to explain this way... what information would we like to know showing up at 3am to a smoke filled 5 story building with zero visibility.