May 2017
FireNuggets, Inc
spend time on them. Inspection cuts are the most
critical of the three. They are performed to undress
the roof system by ascertaining the following
information.
sounding vid
• The covering (membrane) type and thickness
• The decking type and thickness
• The construction, e.g. truss or conventional
rafter,
• The systems height, e.g. 2’ tall truss or 2”x8”
rafter
“Aggressive, progressive sounding is a must.”:
• The systems “on-center” spacing,
Lower your stance and use the reach of the tool.
• It’s direction of travel.
Strike with the corner of the rubbish hook. Sounding
at your feet standing straight up and down does
If you do not do this or do not do it properly then
nothing to increase your safety because by the time
you're operating blindly. They should only be large
you encounter that weakened section of roof, you're
enough to insert your arm in up to your arm pit
already standing on it. When there are two hooks,
enabling you to articulate the limb in all directions.
take advantage of the extra hook and widen your
Do not make a ventilation opening that draws the
sounded, escape path. Sounding an 8' swath of roof
fire. This will allow your operation to progress more
versus a 4' swath of roof is a much larger path of
smoothly and will also allow your roof team to
escape when you and your team need to haul ass in
operate more aggressively due to an increased level
a hurry. We sound in a cyclical path once we arrive at
of confidence through knowledge.
the area of the roof to be cut. Be it on the hook or
Smoke indicator and Kerf cuts both do the same
the saw, we don’t stop and then start walking
thing. They are performed as the team travels
backward potentially colliding with the other
towards the involved area to
members of our team who
ensure they know the fire
are coming in to do work.
conditions beneath their
Make the transition from
current position. Remember,
sounding to cutting and from
we fight fire where we find it.
cutting to pulling as smooth
If the roof team encounters
as possible! This sounding
inspection hole vid
fire 20’ into their path of
should also continue into the
travel and the engine reports
areas of the roof where your
that they’re 50’ in then they
team may end up as the
need to be redirected back to
openings are extended and
this position. This is a
expanded upon. It’s about
“structure fire watch-out”.
purposeful movement.
A kerf is a single cut that is
Diagnostic cuts are key:
only the thickness of the
There are 3 general types.
blade. A smoke indicator is a
smoke ind. hole vid
Inspection, smoke indicator,
smaller version of the
and or kerf. There are several
inspection triangle just large
others but they are generally
enough to insert the D-
not needed and so we wont
handle of the hook to push
By Firefighters, For Firefighters
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