Roof Operations: Extending the 7-9-8 Ventilation Cut

This is a follow up video to our 7-9-8 Ventilation Cut video located here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIBMAURz4h0:

Brotherhood Instructors, LLC's Chris Collier demonstrates safe fireground tactics and procedures to systematically extend a 7-9-8 ventilation cut to a 6'x6' opening. Extending a cut is crucial to adequate ventilation which will halt horizontal fire spread in the cockloft.

This method is very quick, only requiring four additional cuts to complete. The most efficient method of getting a large hole over a fire, (for example at a commercial building) is to have one saw operator stay with the running saw (or cut inspection holes about 10 feet on all four sides of the hole) while other members (if available) pull the cut.

The hole can then be extended towards the inspection cut showing the heaviest smoke or fire condition. Those inspection cuts provide a means for indicating which way the fire is traveling AND that the hole must be enlarged.

Note once again that before the cut is started or between each cut, the blade is stopped on the roof. This increases safety and drastically decreases (nearly eliminates) the potential of a firefighter to be cut by a free-spinning power saw blade. One of our biggest pet peeves of common power saw operations is the firefighter that stands upright between cuts while "gunning" the saw. "Gunning the Saw" is a downright dangerous practice that CAN and WILL cause an injury. If you have to "gun" the saw to keep it running, you should have taken the saw out of service at the morning rig check!

Also see our video "Power Saw Safety" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLE4udCkp_c

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Extending the 7-9-8 cut
• Brotherhood Instructors LLC
• Vertical ventilation
• Ventilation
• Power Saw
• Partner Saw
• K-950
• K-750
• K-12
• 7-9-8 Cut
• Firefighter Training
• Firefighter
• Collier
• Saw Safety
• Firefighting
• Flat-Roof Operations
• Inspection Cut
• DeMarse
• Brassard
• LeGacy
• 798
• Training
• Fire department training

[ffembrrt]

Nice demonstration. What caught me by surprise was when he pulled that last section of roof, it exposed a wood truss with gusset plate. This type of roof should never be cut or even operated on. If we are cutting a roof, then I'm assuming a tax payer or top floor fire, in which case once we recognize we have a light weight wood truss, all members should be removed from roof operations immediately.

[BrotherhoodInstrctrs]

@ffembrrt I could not disagree with you more. It is perfectly acceptable to cut parallel cord wood truss roofs. The saw operator must be cognizant of construction type and not sink the blade deeper than necessary to avoid cutting through the top cord. Once light weight construction components are found that information should be relayed to interior units and the incident commander, especially if fire has entered the cockloft.

[BrotherhoodInstrctrs]

If heavy fire is discovered in the cockloft with light weight construction components such as this, a withdraw of members off of the roof and out of the top floor would be in order. If the roof is stable enough to have crews operating under, there had better be members on top of it to perform vertical ventilation and other valuable roof tasks. Thanks for commenting, don't hesitate to disagree with us. Disagreements force us to justify our teachings and allow us to learn from each other.

[6hooligan]

Solid vent work. Oh and ffembrrt I'm glad I don't live in your first due. I cut on roofs of this type on a regular basis . It is about your situautional awareness ,training level , competence level, fire location and progress. Never, say "never".

[Blgtn43]

Nice, thanks.