FireNuggets 2016 November | Page 13

FireNuggets, Inc ROOF If pitched it can easily be seen from the ground and indicate room November 2016 stairs, the family room, kitchen or a hallway which leads to the bedrooms. Garage man doors open into kitchens, utility, laundry, location and layout of a structure by locating plumbing vents, chimney, skylights and/or dormers. Plumbing Vents: 1 1/2” - 2 1/2” diameter black pipe coming from the roof (Pic, above: Red Boxes) will indicate bathroom and kitchen locations. Chimney: A house with only one chimney will indicate where the family or living room is and a one story house with dual/tri flues can indicate a basement, confirm with a 360 (Pic, above: Yellow Box). Skylights: Skylights can be found in most types of rooms to increase natural light and are not common in bedrooms due to the need for controllable light for sleeping. Roof Pitch: A steep pitched roof along with gable windows or dormers can indicate living space above, accessing by way of a ladder can decrease the time for victim location. Exterior Walls: Determine the number of units, building layout and room locations by indicators from the exterior wall. Locating and counting the mail boxes, electrical/gas meters and address or room numbers are indicators of the number of units in the structure (Pic, right). A dryer vent indicates laundry or utility rooms. Garage Location: The garage in ranch style homes are typically located on the opposite side of the structure than the bedrooms. Exterior Doors: Front doors typically swing towards the bedrooms and enter into a foyer. The main entrance typically leads to the By Firefighters, For Firefighters ! of 34 13 !