SOP Manual - Cleveland Fire Department

Aerial Streams for Fire Attack
Cleveland Fire Department
Operations Manual
Aerial streams must reach into the seat of the fire. To make sure that the streams do reach the fire,
Ladder/Truck crews must use the proper nozzles and place the streams properly for the fire situation and
weather conditions.
1. Nozzles
Fog streams are the more effective of the two in fire attack if they can reach the seat of the fire.
However, solid streams have a longer reach and so can penetrate further into a building and
through to the seat of a fire. Thus, if the aerial unit can be placed so that a fog stream will reach
into the fire, the aerial pipe should be fitted with a fog nozzle; otherwise, use a solid stream
nozzle.
2. Weakened Structures
If the structure shows signs of having been weakened by the fire, or chimneys, roof-mounted
billboards or other features seem ready to collapse, the aerial unit must be moved back away from
the building.
3. Shutdown
Aerial streams should be used only as long as fire, steam, or white smoke is visible in the area
covered by the stream. The steam and white smoke indicate that the stream is hitting the fire.
When they are no longer visible, the fire has apparently been put out in that area, and the streams
should be shut down. Continued operation would only add to the water load in the building and to
the strain on the water supply system.
4. Improper Use of Streams
An incorrectly used aerial stream can cause unnecessary property loss and can result in injury to
firefighters. The two most common errors are directing streams through roof holes and directing
them toward firefighters advancing interior hand lines.
a. Roof Holes
Aerial streams should not be directed into a hole burned through the roof or opened for
venting.
When a roof (or a good portion of it) collapses, it could be that only aerial streams are
able to control the fire in the area of the collapse. An aerial stream can be used in such a
situation because, usually, the roof hole will be large enough so the stream does not
interfere with the venting action.
b. Interior Hand Lines
Aerial streams should not be directed into a building area in which crews are operating
with hand lines. Aerial streams may in danger firefighters on the interior lines by pushing
heat, smoke, and fire back into the building.
When properly coordinated, aerial streams can be used in conjunction with hand lines.
Effective: June 1, 1997 Revised: 5/14/2009 Page | 227
Approved by: Chief Chuck Atchley