Control measure
Take preventative action: Unstable structure
Control measure knowledge
Any intervention to prevent partial or structural collapse should be carefully considered as part of an appropriate risk assessment, particularly before commencing internal firefighting operations. Collapse can occur suddenly and without warning. Intervention in the early stages of fire development may prevent the incident from escalating or be necessary to save life.
Specialist advice may be required from local authority building control teams, structural engineers or urban search and rescue tactical advisers.
Strategic actions
Fire and rescue services should:
Make arrangements with other agencies to establish the type and level of response they can provide if specialist advice is required
Ensure personnel are aware of the specialist advice available
Tactical actions
Incident commanders should:
Consider early intervention to prevent escalation of the incident
Consider the structural stability of the building before deploying personnel for internal firefighting
Consider applying water sprays to structural elements, temporary supports and scaffolding
TRAINING SPECIFICATION
Knowledge and understanding
| Control measure element | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
Appropriate intervention: Unstable structure |
Understand:
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Practical application
| Control measure element | Learning outcome |
|---|---|
Appropriate intervention: Unstable structure |
Demonstrate the ability to:
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