Behind the Badge
The spectacle may have alarmed bystanders, but several dozen firefighters who recently stormed up a high-rise building in downtown Anaheim were conducting a drill.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue opened up high-rise training to agencies throughout the county during 15 separate drills in October and November, using the building that houses its headquarters — the 12-story Anaheim West Tower at 201 S. Anaheim Blvd. — as its “classroom.”
The training included three hours of presentations and break-out sessions before firefighters geared up with equipment weighing as much as 70 pounds and ran up several flights of stairs during a 75-minute simulated high-rise fire drill.
Firefighters gather for orientation at the start of a multi-agency high-rise fire drill at the Anaheim West Tower on Nov. 10. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
State code defines a high-rise building as over 75 feet or six stories in height; in Orange County, agencies define them as 55 feet or greater in height or five or more floors above grade.
Pat Russell, Deputy Chief, Operations Division, Anaheim Fire & Rescue, said high-rise buildings present several unique challenges not found in traditional low-rise buildings.
The risk of falling glass and other debris and the challenge of getting people evacuated while trying to get to the fire are just two, Russell said.
High-rise fires require lots of resources — three times more than the personnel needed to fight residential or small commercial fires, according to training materials. Other challenges unique to high-rise fires include deploying rapid search and rescue teams to all affected floors, gaining control of the building’s PA system and managing uncontrolled self-evacuation of building occupants.
Behind the Badge OC photographer Steven Georges captured the action during a Nov. 10 drill. In the photo at the top of this story, Anaheim Firefighter Mark Hernandez ascends 12 stories during the multi-agency high-rise fire drill at Anaheim Fire & Rescue headquarters.
Paramedic Grant Noble, left, and Capt. Albert Acosta, both of the Garden Grove Fire Department, get ready to climb 12 stories. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Anaheim Firefighter Jeff Nimsiriruengphol suits up. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Paramedic Grant Noble of the Garden Grove Fire Department ascends 12 stories. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Paramedic Grant Noble of the Garden Grove Fire Department has a heavy load of equipment to carry. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Anaheim Firefighter Jeff Nimsiriruengphol gets ready to climb the high rise. Photo by Steven Georges
Kevin Olsen, left, and Andy Ingram, both of the Anaheim Fire Department, wait for orders after climbing 12 stories during a multi-city high rise fire drill on Nov. 10. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Firefighters from the City of Orange wait at the top of Anaheim Fire Department headquarters for orders after climbing 12 stories during a multi-city high-rise fire drill. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
