Standard

 

R State Standard         £  Institutionally Developed          College: n/a

 

FSC 230 – Fire Service Building Construction

Course Description

Presents building construction features from the perspective of the fire service with emphasis placed on the use of building construction information to prevent and reduce fire fighter and civilian deaths and injuries.  Topics include:  principles of building construction, building construction classification, building construction hazards and tactical considerations, structural loads and stresses, structural building components and functions, fire resistance and flame spread, building codes, structural failure and firefighter safety, and firefighter safety in structural and wildland firefighting.

Competency Areas

Hours

Principles of Building Construction

Class

5

Building Construction Classification

D. Lab

0

Building Construction Hazards and Tactical Considerations

P. Lab/O.B.I.

0

Structural Loads and Stresses

Credit

5

Structural Building Components and Functions

 

 

Fire Resistance and Flame Spread

 

 

Building Codes

 

 

Structural Failure and Firefighter Safety

 

 

Firefighter Safety in Structural and Wildland Firefighting

 

 

 

Prerequisite:

Program Admission

Corequisite:

n/a

 

Course Guide

 

Competency

After completing this section, the student will be able to:

Hours

Class

D.Lab

P.Lab/

O.B.I.

Principles of Building Construction

6

0

0

 

Understand the importance of studying building construction as a fire fighter.

 

 

 

 

Understand why using proper language is so important for understanding building construction techniques and for fire-ground safety

 

 

 

 

Identify the variety of forces that buildings are subjected to

 

 

 

 

Identify and describe the basic regulations that apply to building construction projects

 

 

 

 

Explain how masonry walls act as fire barriers

 

 

 

 

Describe the two types of prestressing

 

 

 

 

Contrast precast and site-cast concrete

 

 

 

 

Determine the unique design and construction details found in buildings based on occupancy type

 

 

 

 

Understand how occupancy specifics affect firefighting operations

 

 

 

Building Construction Classification

6

0

0

 

Identify and describe six types of wood frame structures classified as Type V construction

 

 

 

 

Identify and describe the specific fire protection differences between balloon frame and platform frame

 

 

 

 

Describe the construction of a platform frame building

 

 

 

 

Identify and describe the similarities and differences between mill and heavy timber (Type IV construction)

 

 

 

 

Identify the dimensions of heavy timber members

 

 

 

 

Understand the details of ordinary construction

 

 

 

 

Understand how the structural stability of a masonry wall is compromised

 

 

 

 

Understand the difference between noncombustible and fire-resistive construction

 

 

 

 

Identify the different types of steel building components and their characteristics

 

 

 

 

Describe different types of steel structural systems

 

 

 

 

Recall the difference between noncombustible and fire-resistive construction

 

 

 

 

Describe different types of concrete structural systems

 

 

 

Building Construction Hazards and Tactical Considerations

5

0

0

 

Understand why evacuation protocols are so important

 

 

 

 

Identify specific wall and wall component problems

 

 

 

 

Recognize collapse indicators

 

 

 

 

Describe the hazards of a metal deck roof fire

 

 

 

 

Detail how compartmentation prevents the spread of fire

 

 

 

 

Apply risk analysis to fire-ground safety

 

 

 

Structural Loads and Stresses

2

0

0

 

Identify the different types of loads and how they are applied to buildings

 

 

 

Structural Building Components and Functions

7

0

0

 

Identify and define key different types of structural members such as columns, beams, and walls

 

 

 

 

Identify the variety of different types of structural connections and how they behave in a fire

 

 

 

Fire Resistance and Flame Spread

5

0

0

 

Understand the basic concepts of fire protection and building construction

 

 

 

 

Identify the basics of fire behavior, including fire spread

 

 

 

 

Explain the ways in which smoke and fire containment is achieved

 

 

 

 

Describe the various types of fire protection systems

 

 

 

Building Codes

3

0

0

 

Explain the history and basis for building codes

 

 

 

 

Explain the differences between fire and building codes

 

 

 

 

Identify other construction codes and standards that have an impact on the fire service

 

 

 

 

Identify important fire protection features of building codes

 

 

 

Structural Failure and Firefighter Safety

10

0

0

 

Understand how a truss is constructed and how it performs from a fire protection perspective

 

 

 

 

Explain the difference between firestopping and draftstopping

 

 

 

 

Describe the behavior of engineered and manufactured wood products under fire attack

 

 

 

 

Describe the different types of wood siding and roofing materials

 

 

 

 

Describe why the misnomer “slow burning” is inappropriate for heavy timber buildings

 

 

 

 

Identify the hazards of conflagration breeders

 

 

 

 

Describe the hazards of vacant heavy timber buildings and structures under demolition

Identify new structures that incorporate heavy timber construction

 

 

 

 

Identify the problems associated with interior structural elements

 

 

 

 

Understand fire spread through void spaces of ordinary construction

 

 

 

 

Understand the hazards of high fire loads in unprotected steel structures and ways to improve the situation

 

 

 

 

Describe the methods of fireproofing steel and of ensuring a level fire resistance in concrete

 

 

 

 

Identify the unique details and hazards associated with specific occupancies

 

 

 

 

Identify the various types of collapse

 

 

 

 

Identify the specific basic competencies all fire fighters should have to perform at a structural collapse

 

 

 

Firefighter Safety in Structural and Wildland Firefighting

5

0

0

 

Identify and describe the role of preplanning in firefighting operations

 

 

 

 

Understand the relationship between risk and benefit and its impact on fire fighter safety

 

 

 

 

Identify and describe the hazards to fire fighters during the construction, renovation, and demolition of a building

 

 

 

 

Identify and describe the hazards to fire fighters of the different types of materials used in the construction of buildings

 

 

 

 

Describe the hazards of formwork

 

 

 

 

Establish how occupancy-specific building code requirements dictate particular safety features

 

 

 

 

Explain the essential elements of the collapse of the World Trade Center twin towers on September 11, 2001

 

 

 

 

Suggested Resources

 

Media
(text/audio/
visual/www/
other)

Author

Title: Subtitle

Edition

Place of Publication

Year

Publisher/Publication

pp.

Text

 

National Fire Academy: Principles of Building Construction: Noncombustible

 

 

 

 

 

Text

 

National Fire Academy: Principles of Building Construction: Combustible

 

 

 

 

 

Text

Brannigan

Building Construction for the Fire Service

3rd

 

 

Delmar, ISBN 0-8776-538-1-X

 

Text

Brannigan & Corbett,
Jones and Bartlett

Building Construction for the Fire Service

4th

 

 

ISBN 13: 978-0-7637-4494-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted: 06/24/08