Category: Emergency management

Chapter 1 discuss the history of building construction and it pertains to the fire service. 
“Firefighting is conducted in, under, on top of, and around buildings. It is a fire fighter’s place of business” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.2). Learning, knowing, and understanding building construction is a crucial component to being a successful firefighter. “It is essential that you have a working knowledge of how buildings are designed, constructed, renovated, maintained, altered, and fall into disrepair” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.2). Knowing the principles of building construction will help with understanding how to better extinguish a fire along with where fire could have spread and may be hiding from you. It will also help you and your crew stay safe from the inherent dangers hidden in some types of building construction. “In short, you must understand how buildings are built” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.2).
Building construction is broken into different types based on materials used to construct them and methods that they are constructed. “Buildings are broken down into five categories (Types 1–5), ranging from the stoutest of construction to that which will most likely fail rapidly when under fire conditions” (Frassetto, 2012). Being able to identify each type of building construction is a key component to understanding building construction. Type one building construction is called fire-resistive construction. These structures are typically high rise structures and provide the greatest amount of fire protection that a building can provide in its building construction. “Type 1 structures are constructed of concrete and protected steel (steel coated with a fire-resistant material, most often a concrete mixture), and are designed to hold fire for an extended amount of time in order to keep the fire at bay in the room and/or floor of origin” (Frassetto, 2012). “From a fire protection perspective, fire-resistive construction is considered to be the best. It is the type of construction most resistant to collapse and does not contribute fuel to a fire” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.316). A fire that takes place in a type one building would most likely be a room and contents fire and would not involve the building itself.
Type two building construction is called non-combustible construction. Non-combustible construction is typically found in new buildings or buildings that have been remodeled recently and is typically constructed using steel and concrete amongst other non-combustible building materials. “The walls and roofs are constructed of non-combustible materials. Specifically, walls are usually reinforced masonry or tilt slab, while roofs have metal structural members and decking” (Frassetto, 2012). These buildings are similar to type one buildings in the materials and type of construction used to construct them, the key difference is that type one buildings have some type of fire-resistive component added to its structural members while type two construction does not. A fire in a type two building would also most likely be a room and contents fire. However because a type two does not have fire-resistive protection on its structural members its steel could be weakened by excessive heat and the concrete could be damaged either by steel elongating or by spalling.  
Type three building construction is called ordinary construction. Type three buildings can be new buildings and they can also be old buildings. “It can be described as ‘Main Street, USA’” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.244). This type of construction typically is a combination of masonry construction and wood construction. “Older construction buildings may consist of unreinforced masonry and have a conventionally framed roof, while newer buildings will have lightweight roof systems supported by reinforced masonry or tilt slab” (Frassetto, 2012). Type three buildings can have dangerous circumstances such as lack of fire breaks and separation. Type 3 buildings can be relatively safe provided that building codes, which we will discuss later are followed and that buildings are well maintained.  A fire in a type three building could involve the structure itself and not just a room and contents.
Type four building construction is called heavy timber construction. There is also a sub-category to this type of construction called mill construction. “Type 4 construction is found in older buildings and utilizes large dimensional lumber for structural members and interior elements” (Frassetto, 2012). Due to the large diameter wooden structural supports this type of building traditionally does well in a fire. That is because the large structural supporting beams will burn very slowly due to their size and density. This type of building construction has a series of features that must be present in order for this type of building to remain safe. Improper maintenance, poor upkeep, and environmental concerns can cause this buildings structural integrity to weaken and may result in early collapse. A fire in a type four building would most likely involve the structure itself and not just a room and contents. Although these buildings are said to be “slow burning” it is important to note that they will burn much longer and hotter for the same reasons that they are said to be slow burning. They also have a lot of combustible materials used in their construction which will result in involvement of the structure.
The final type of building construction, type five construction, is called wood framed construction.  This type of construction is the type of construction most used in modern homes. “The walls and roofs are made of combustible materials—most commonly wood. If the walls are wood-framed, the roof usually is as well. Rooftops are ceramic tile or asphalt shingles placed over lightweight trusses and OSB” (Frassetto, 2012). In a fire in a wood framed building the structure will most likely become involved and is readily at risk of collapse. The science in wood framed houses has improved as time has gone on. Originally balloon framed houses were constructed but allowed large amounts of fire spread due to long walls that were open from floor to attic with no fire breaks. Now platform frame houses are the trend which are safer despite items such as gusset plates and laminate reinforced boards.
When discussing the design of structures we will take a broad view at all different types of buildings. Design of a building is thought to be largely and solely based on aesthetics and type of occupancy. Despite that thought a lot goes into design of structures including fire protection and emergency response. “Fire protection engineers must be involved in all aspects of the design in order to ensure a reasonable degree of protection of human life from fire and the products of combustion as well as to reduce the potential loss from fire” (WBDG Secure/Safe Committee, 2015). Some recommendations to help with fire department access in design of structures include the following. “Design buildings with uncomplicated layouts that enable firefighters to locate an area quickly. Provide rapid access to various features such as fire department connections (FDCs), hose valves, elevators and stairs, annunciators, key boxes. Accommodate the access of fire apparatus into and around the building site” (WBDG Secure/Safe Committee, 2015). Design is an important part of building construction and should involve fire and emergency services interfacing to ensure that buildings are being built as safely as possible.
Building codes have been around since the 1600s (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015). Building codes and fire codes serve together to protect the general public and firefighters in buildings. “Generally speaking, building codes regulate the construction of a building, whereas fire codes regulate the use of the building after it is built” (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015, p.93). Building codes unfortunately tend to follow fire events that result in large loss of property or worse large incidents of death. An example of this would be the 1 Meridian Plaza fire which is more famously known for its display of how effective fire sprinklers are in combatting a fire as compared to firefighters. On February 23, 1991 a pile of linseed-soaked rags ignited on the twenty-second floor of the 1 Meridian Plaza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Patten, 2013). The fire would spread for nineteen hours until it was extinguished on the thirtieth floor (Patten, 2013). Three firefighters from engine eleven were killed when they became disoriented while trying to make it to the roof to vent the smoke and heat (Parkin, 2011). The Meridian Plaza at the time it was built in 1972, fire codes did not require sprinklers on each floor (Patten, 2013). The building had no sprinklers with the exception of approximately ten sprinkler heads on the thirtieth floor that were installed because the tenants had asked the landlord to install them (Parkin, 2011). Chief George Yaeger stated in Parkin’s (2011) video, “Three hundred of the best trained, best equipped, highly motivated firefighters in the United States could not successfully extinguish what approximately ten sprinkler heads put out.” This is an excellent example of why building codes and fire codes are so crucial.
Collapse of a structure is possibly the most dangerous event that could take place on the fire ground. The largest single loss of life in the fire service is 343 firefighters that were killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. Understanding building construction and applying tactical decision making armed with the knowledge of building construction can help firefighters avoid this danger. There are many different types of collapse each determinant on the forces encountered along with the type of building construction. There are several different indicators of potential collapse including visual, audible, and physical indicators of collapse. Some of examples of these are: pitched or sagging floors, leaning walls, moaning/groaning sounds, cracking noises, any type of movement, and vibrations (Corbett & Brannigan, 2015).  It is important that while on the fireground firefighters possess situational awareness and be alert for these indicators so that they may evacuate should a building begin to collapse. In order to protect firefighters a collapse zone should be established in any structure that could collapse. No firefighters, equipment, or apparatus should be permitted to stay in these collapse areas as they would be at a significant level of risk there.
In closing it is important that a firefighter knows and understands building construction as if his life and life of his crew depends on it because it does. Building construction is not something you learn when you are a young firefighter and never revisit. As time passes technology improves, as technology improves so does building construction. It is important to keep up with the times and study the building construction in your first due area. It is part of the job
How does the history of building construction help in understanding different types of building construction?
Please submit this assignment in a minimum of 650 words and in essay format. A cover page, abstract, main body and references pages are ALL required. If not properly formatted the instructor will deduct 5 points per page
Rubric
Assignments (1) (3) (1)
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeFormat
10 pts
Full Marks
Your title page should contain a running head, title, author name, and school affiliation. The purpose of your title page is to let the reader quickly know what your paper is about and who it was written by. An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows your title page.
0 pts
No Marks
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBody
30 pts
Full Marks
In no less then 500 word count. For something like an essay, the main body of your paper will include the actual essay itself. Your body can be broken down to several sections separated by spaces. References if applicable
0 pts
No Marks
30 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeReferences
10 pts
Full Marks
The reference section of your paper will include a list of all of the sources that you used in your paper. If you cited any piece of information anywhere in your paper, it needs to be properly referenced in this section. One handy rule of thumb to remember is that any source cited in your paper needs to be included in your reference section, and any source listed in your reference section must also be mentioned somewhere in your paper.
0 pts
No Marks
10 pts
Total Points: 50
https://www.mediafire.com/file/zevlktq4mjtw5mw/Building_Construction_Ch.1-3.pdf/file
PDF of Book

For the grant we need a few things.
Need to tie it to transportation for example: add a problem statement to the beginning such as: The problem is that disasters cause logistical issues with in the transportation of goods and needed supplies to effected areas. This project will exam logistical issue that could potentially be mitigated through the use of drones to achieve faster and more efficient of disaster supply chains.

Sources need to be peer reviewed and have a url link to the source. Need pictures on some of the slides as well.

1. Choose an emergency management or homeland security agency and assume the role of an
employee in the Public Information Unit. 
2. Following the Purdue OWL memo guidelines in Unit 1, write a memo to your supervisor, John
Smith, asking to attend the two-day E0105 Public Information and Warning course at the FEMA
Emergency Management Institute (EMI) National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in
Emmitsburg, MD. Choose training dates 3 to 6 months from now. 
3. The memo must include the following: 
a. Heading segment 
b. Opening segment 
c. Context 
d. Task segment 
e. Summary segment 
f. Discussion segment 
g. Closing segment
h. Attachments (optional/not required) 
Requirements:
The memo should be submitted as a document and uploaded in the assignment link. The format of the
memo should follow the Purdue OWL memo guidelines in Unit 1. The memo should be 1.5 to 3 pages
in length. 12 pt. Arial or Times New Roman font. Single space within paragraphs, double space
between them. Left justified. 
Here is more information on the FEMA E0105 Public Information and Warning course:
This course introduces participants to what the Public Information Officer (PIO) does in emergency
management, along with basic information about the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
(IPAWS). The PIO topics covered include the role of the PIO; communication tools and resources
encompassing social media; effective communication; preparing the community through outreach and
other means; and communication in an incident. The IPAWS topics covered include what the system is
and does, preparing alert and warning messages, and writing common alerting protocol messages.
This is a 2-day classroom course that gives participants time to perform activities and exercises to
reinforce the knowledge and build basic skills.  

With computers and smart phones everywhere and connected, cyber continues to be an important part of private, public, and commercial concern.  Everything reachable through the Internet can be considered at risk.  As the computer age came about, so did the importance of cybersecurity.  Since nearly every system is now connected to the Internet, so has the vulnerability for cybercrimes.  Technology innovation has resulted in improved tech devices, data, and mobile services.  These new services collect and analyze huge amounts of information from private and proprietary information to company secrets.  The continuation of the technology improvements creates a continued challenge to defend against hackers and thieves.  
For this case, answer the following:
1. Define cybersecurity.
2. Explain the different categories of basic cyber threats to a system.
3. Identify and discuss the actors, targets, methods, and impacts involved in cyber-attacks.

Consider these basic definitions from Webster’s Dictionary:
Crisis: A difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention
Risk: The possibility that something bad or unpleasant (such as an injury or a loss) will happen
Management: The act or skill of controlling and making decisions
Crisis and risk management are both involved with dealing with threats to an organization.  Depending on the threats faced, an organization can mitigate or eliminate the threat by implementing a management program. Both crisis and risk management deal with threats, but risk management deals with threats before the event occurs and crisis management deals with a threat as it unfolds or after the event occurs. Some of the types of crises can include natural phenomena, malfunctioning equipment, human error, confrontation (strikes, boycotts, etc.), malevolence (intentional efforts to harm a company), and flawed leadership.  
For this Case Assignment, answer the following:
Explain the difference between risk management and crisis management.
Discuss the “Tiered Response” concept (also known as “Locally Executed Response”) in America’s National Preparedness System.  
After reviewing the National Preparedness Report and the Current Risk Landscape in the United States, provide an assessment of one potential threat. You only have to assess one potential threat.  [For example: you could choose a terrorist attack; cyber-attack; weather incident; active/mass shooter; hazardous materials spill; power outage; radiological incident; mine accident; urban conflagration; pipeline explosion; civil unrest; wildfires, earthquake; pandemic, or some other hazard].