High-Rise Building Fire Response
By Stan Maupin, Fire Chief, Redwood City Fire Department
Residents often ask about the Redwood City Fire Department’s ability to handle high-rise fires in the new large buildings being built within our community. In our growing community this is a very important topic to cover.
The short answer is we are equipped, trained and prepared to respond to many different fire situations, including a high-rise building fire. The more complex answer involves high-rise building codes, best practices nationwide, local equipment and training and the City of Redwood City’s development review process
BUILDING CODES
The cities of Redwood City and San Carlos building codes — in relation to fire and life safety — define a high-rise as a “building with an occupied floor located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.” This can be a little confusing but the most important thing to keep in mind is that when a building meets this definition many things change, making the building even safer. Some of these safety requirements include: pre-positioned fire equipment within the building for the fire crew to gain quick access to during an emergency; areas of safe refuge for occupants; heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that automatically handle the flow of smoke; and much more.
BEST PRACTICES
Firefighting operations in high-rise buildings throughout the country have evolved through decades of experience and professional development. On behalf of the Redwood City Department I served from 2006 to 2011 as vice-chair and then chair on the State of California’s High-Rise Working Group, refining and updating high-rise firefighting operations for the State. Many large fire departments took part, including Los Angeles (City and County), City of San Francisco, City of San Diego, City of Fresno, and Riverside County. The high-rise firefighting policy in the County of San Mateo is very in-depth and developed to match the State of California’s operational practices.
EQUIPMENT
Many times questions about the Fire Department’s ability to fight high-rise fires center on our equipment, specifically our fire engines and ladder truck. The Department continually evaluates its operations and equipment in light of many factors including new development. As with any large city, the equipment that the Redwood City Fire Department uses takes into account that high-rise buildings are designed for firefighting operations to take place from the inside.
REGIONAL BORDER-LESS FIRE RESPONSE
Our region benefits from a nationally recognized service delivery system that ensures the closest fire department resource responds regardless of which jurisdiction the incident occurs in. This means Redwood City and San Carlos has immediate and seamless access to the 61 fire stations throughout the County of San Mateo. This “borderless” system is used every day on incidents including medical calls. This system’s efficiency was best demonstrated during major incidents such as the large fires Redwood City experienced in 2013, the San Bruno pipeline explosion and the Asiana air crash.
Additionally, we are able to draw on the state mutual aid system if an incident strains our local resources. This is the same system used every year for the many wildland fires and other large-scale disasters that strike the State. It’s been such a success that it has been replicated nationally.
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS
The Redwood City Fire Department is an integral part of the plan review process to ensure that proposed new buildings meet the codes required for fire and life safety.
SERVICE AND COMMUNITY
Being over 150 years old, the Redwood City Fire Department takes great pride in serving the local communities of Redwood City, San Carlos and some unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. Our firefighters know how to deliver a high level of professional service while maintaining a personal touch to the community.
To visit the RCFD website, click here.
