Fire officials outline extra time, pressure and personnel needed to fight high‑rise fires

The city’s fire chief briefed the Public Safety Committee on why high‑rise fires demand different tactics than residential structure fires. He said the department treats any building 55 feet or taller as a high‑rise under its standard operating guidelines and warned that “each additional floor multiplies that reflex time further,” delaying when crews can get water to a fire floor.

The chief described the vertical pressure and personnel challenges: every floor adds roughly 10 PSI of pressure that pumps must overcome, and while a typical residential response sends 19 firefighters, an initial unconfirmed high‑rise response mobilizes about 24 personnel and a confirmed working high‑rise starts with 33. He said the department stages extra equipment below the fire floor and deploys a 'fast team' to slow a blaze while crews work to get water to the seat of the fire. “On a high‑rise…they have to take the elevator to two floors below the suspected fire floor,” he said, describing the additional steps that consume time.

The chief cited a case study at 144 Oak Street where crews were dispatched at 9:50 and engine crews reached the ninth floor within minutes. He attributed the lack of civilian or firefighter casualties to fast reflex times, full staffing and training: the sprinkler system in that incident did not activate and, he said, “without that rapid crew intervention…it could have gone farther.” The chief asked the committee for continued support for staffing and pre‑planning to maintain that performance.

The committee followed with questions about mutual aid and reporting mechanisms; the fire chief confirmed formal mutual‑aid agreements with nearby jurisdictions to cover city services when a downtown incident ties up resources. Commissioners also asked where residents should report perceived code or safety deficiencies; the department advised calling the fire department hotline at 456‑3900 or 911 for immediate hazards.

The committee did not take formal action on the briefing; members thanked fire staff and moved on to the next agenda item.