Trainer warns commercial stores have widely varying fire loads; occupancy type matters for tactics

Instructors emphasized that occupancy type — not simply "commercial" as a label — should determine hose and nozzle selections. As one participant observed, "occupancy type is a big one," and that a store like Walmart or Lowe's may contain numerous combustible items compared with a residential setting.

The training contrasted buildings with known occupant rosters (hotels, schools) against retail outlets where staff may be the only people present and customer counts are unknown. Trainers said fire load can include fertilizers, 2x4s, kerosene or full furniture inventories, all of which change heat release rates and tactical decisions such as whether to pull a two-and-a-quarter or larger line.