By Michael N. Ciampo
There seems to be SOME controversy about whether to enter a vacant structure on fire or stand outside and dump water through a window to extinguish the fire. There are pros (to rescue squatters, children playing, or people stealing copper inside) and cons (it has been vacant for years, has been exposed to the elements, and has previous fire damage) to entering, but it is most important to remember that no two fires are exactly alike. Sizing up what you have will determine what tactical steps you take. After all, even if you drop your tank water into the building and extinguish the fire, you may still have to go inside and perform some type of search or overhaul to limit extension or a rekindle as long as the building hasn't collapsed. If it has collapsed, you may have to keep a company on scene while the building is razed to make sure no bodies are discovered in the rubble.
Our job as the fire department is to extinguish a fire to prevent it from extending to additional structures, cutting down on property losses, and to save lives-even of people who entered these structures illegally. So it may be advantageous for us to enter a vacant structure on fire to perform what we swore to protect.
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