Basic Evaluation
Procedures for Abandoned
and Vacant Buildings
April 2018

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our fire and emergency services stakeholders in prevention,preparedness and response.

Basic Evaluation Procedures for
Abandoned and Vacant Buildings
Collecting property data
The evaluator should be provided with basic information regarding the property they
are assigned to inspect. That information will almost always include the address of theproperty. However, there may be times when the evaluation is driven by an incident or
event involving the building, then the first responder will have to gather as much of thebasic information listed at the top of the evaluation form as possible. In situations where
the owner is not known, the evaluator may be able to obtain information from neighbors
or materials found during the inspection.

Right of entry
Under nonemergency conditions, the evaluator must have permission from the owner prior
to entering the property to conduct the inspection. The authority to inspect is typicallyoutlined in the codes and ordinances adopted by the jurisdiction. The evaluator should
know the right of entry procedures applicable to the jurisdiction and should carefully follow
them. Where permission cannot be obtained from an owner, many jurisdictions have theability to obtain administrative warrants that allow legal entry to properties.
Where permission to enter a property has not been granted, and an evaluation is deemednecessary, basic information should be collected without trespassing — by making
observations from the public way or from adjacent properties that the evaluator hasbeen granted entry.

Conducting the evaluation
The evaluator should keep in mind that the purpose of the inspection is to obtain basic
information that can be used by emergency responders and in the decision-making
process regarding the disposition of a specific property. The International Association ofArson Investigators/U.S. Fire Administration Vacant/Abandoned Building Evaluation Formis designed to serve as a guide to the collection of essential information regarding thevacant property. The amount of time required to complete the evaluation will depend on
the size and complexity of the structure. The evaluation process outlined in this manualis primarily a survey of the property. It is not intended to provide an engineering analysisof the structure. The evaluator is looking for obvious indications of problems involving
the site, the building, and its contents.
The objectives of the evaluation are as follows:
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Determine that the building is secure.
Identify hazards that require immediate corrective action.
Evaluate the fire growth potential of the building.
Evaluate the potential for structural collapse.
Identify conditions that could be hazardous to personnel entering the building underemergency conditions (fire, police, Emergency Medical Services).

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The evaluation should begin with a walk around the outside of the building to determine
the general layout, security and condition of the structure. Other information, such as thetype and status of utilities, as well as signs of unauthorized entry, should be noted during
the initial walk around. If the evaluator determines that the structure is safe to enter, andthey have permission to do so, the interior of the structure should then be examined.
As part of the evaluation, a simple diagram of the building should be drawn. The diagram
should include a floor plan of the building with the location of hazards, utility entrances, firesuppression system control valves and connections, and other potentially useful information.
Based on the procedures of the local jurisdiction, the evaluator may also elect to use acamera to document conditions and hazards found during the evaluation. Photos arevery useful in developing preplans for emergency responders, as well as tracking thedeterioration of a property that remains unoccupied for a long period of time. If photosare taken, the location photographed should be noted on the diagram for future reference.

SafetyPersonnel conducting evaluations on vacant and abandoned properties should be awarethat these structures are inherently more dangerous than occupied properties. Evaluators
should use extreme caution while working in and around these properties. Potential
hazards that the personnel should consider include the following:ĵĵĵĵĵĵ
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Unstable structure.
Unprotected holes or shafts.
Fall and trip hazards.
Standing water in basements.
Vermin and potentially dangerous animals.
Hazardous materials abandoned on the property.
Unauthorized occupants.
Ongoing criminal activity in, or adjacent to, the property.

Evaluations of vacant and abandoned properties should be conducted by teams, notindividuals. The teams should have a means of emergency communication, and theirlocation should be known by a responsible party, such as a supervisor or dispatcher.
Personnel entering buildings should have personal protective equipment, including
the following:ĵĵĵĵĵĵ
ĵĵĵĵĵĵFlashlight.
Hard hat.
Work boots.
Gloves.
Eye protection.
Radio or mobile phone.

Prior to entering a building to conduct an evaluation, the team should use informationfrom the exterior survey to identify potentially dangerous areas that should be avoided
during the interior survey. While in the structure, the team should constantly evaluate its
stability and safety. Any area that appears to be unstable should be avoided. If the stabilityof the structure is questionable, the team should not enter the building.

Basic Evaluation Procedures for Abandoned and Vacant Buildings

2Building security
Upon evaluation of a building, it should be classified as:ĵĵĵĵĵĵSecure.
Open/Unsecured.
Signs of recent activity.

The security of the building being evaluated is a key factor in the evaluation process. Buildingsthat are open to the elements with unauthorized access will degrade more rapidly than thosethat are intact and secure. While a vacant property is waiting for demolition or re-use, it must
be properly secured to prevent unauthorized entry. The importance of proper security isdemonstrated by the National Fire Protection Association’s estimates: more than 72 percentof fires reported in vacant or abandoned structures are of incendiary or suspicious origin.
An additional 5 percent of the fires result from children playing with matches.
A structure that is located in a reasonably stable neighborhood may be secured by simply
closing and locking all exterior doors and windows. Where unauthorized entry is an issue,
more stringent security measures, including fencing and board up, may be required toprevent entry.
During the evaluation, it should be easy to determine the security of the building during
the initial walk around. The evaluator should be looking for open, broken or missing doors
and windows, or holes in the exterior walls that can be used to gain access to the building.
If the building is boarded up, the evaluator should look for openings where the security
measures have been breached or damaged.
When conducting the interior assessment, the evaluator should be alert to signs of recent
entry into the building: trash and litter, furnishings in an empty building, and signs ofrecent heating or cooking fires. Looking at dates on empty food or drink containers foundin a building can be an indication of when the unauthorized activity has occurred.

Utilities
Determine the status of utilities connected to the building. During the exterior survey,
observe the status of utility meters and valves on the outside of the building. During theevaluation of the interior, the status of the remaining utilities should be determined.
The importance of collecting information regarding utilities is to determine if these arepotential sources of ignition in the building from heating or power distribution systems
and to document the location of devices that emergency responders can use to control
the utilities. Additionally, if fire detection and suppression systems are provided, it isimportant to know if there is electricity and water available and if the building is heated
to prevent freezing.
The point of entry of each utility provided should be noted on the building sketch.

Building use
The original use of a structure and/or how it was last used will provide the evaluatorwith clues to potential hazards that may be present. For example, when inspecting anindustrial building, the evaluator can expect to find pits or shafts for machinery, as wellas hazardous materials, including asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls in transformers,or oil contamination.
Basic Evaluation Procedures for Abandoned and Vacant Buildings3

If the building has had other uses prior to becoming vacant, the evaluator should look
for modifications to the structure or interior finish that could create a hazard, such as
removal of fire barriers and walls, removal of equipment that creates unprotected pits orfall hazards, the addition of combustible interior finishes, or the storage of materials that
could be hazardous in the event of a fire.

Building construction
Building construction is a key component in the evaluation of a vacant or abandonedbuilding. The primar y objective of the evaluator is to document the obser vable
construction elements of the building. The information collected will be used in theevaluation of the potential for the building to withstand fire impingement, and thepotential for structural collapse as a result of fire or the deterioration of the structure.
This evaluation is not intended to be an engineering analysis of building construction.
The information collected during the exterior survey should include the following:
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The number of floors and indications of basements and sub-basements.
The type of construction used for the exterior walls of the building.
Components that could lead to early structural failure in the event of a fire (e.g., metaltie rods with star anchors).
The type and number of openings in the exterior of the building (for use in evaluating
security, potential for fire exposure, and firefighting operations).

Once the initial observations are made on the outside of the structure, the evaluator
should attempt to collect and record the remainder of the information detailed in thebuilding construction section of the form. If the building is safe to enter, additional
information should be collected during the interior survey. If it is determined that it is too
dangerous to enter the building, collect as much information as possible from the outside.
The second element in evaluating construction of vacant and abandoned buildings is theassessment of the condition of the structural components. The evaluator should look forindicators of deterioration or instability, such as deformed walls or obvious deteriorationof structural members. Conditions that lead to deterioration in these properties include
the following:ĵĵĵĵĵĵĵĵ

Exposure to the elements.
Damage done during the removal of contents, such as machinery.
Removal of pipes, wiring and other building systems — urban mining.
Intentional damage by vandals and unauthorized occupants, such as cutting holes in
the floors and walls.

Fire protection systems
When buildings are evaluated early in the vacancy cycle, there is a good chance that
installed fire protection systems will be found intact. Many local codes and ordinances
require that existing systems be maintained by the building owner. The evaluator should
determine if there are fire detection, alarm or suppression systems in the building andif they are operational. If there are operational systems, are the alarms they generatemonitored or local only?
This portion of the evaluation will relate to the availability of utilities and building services,such as electricity, water and heat in the case of automatic sprinklers.
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Where automatic sprinkler systems are installed, it should be determined by visualinspection if the system is intact. If the supply valves are closed, could it function by
feeding the fire department connection? This information could be critical in the decisionmaking process in the event of a fire in the structure. Where sprinkler and standpipe
systems are not intact, and a fire department connection is provided, marking theconnection as out of service should be considered as a follow up to this evaluation.

Fire growth potential
This portion of the evaluation is designed to collect information about the potential fora fire to be ignited and grow within the structure. Keeping in mind that a fire needs anignition source, as well as fuel and oxygen to grow and develop, the evaluator shouldcollect information that will assist in determining the fire growth potential of the building.
The term “fuel package” is used to describe the fuel that is available in a space orcompartment. A fuel package is a discreet unit of fuel that will generate energy in theform of heat and light, as well as smoke and fire gases, if it is ignited.
A typical fuel package in a living room of an occupied dwelling would be a sofa. In a
compartment fire where the sofa is the first item ignited, the material it is constructedof, where it is located, and the proximity of other fuel packages will determine the fire
growth in the space. It is common to find unusual fuel packages in vacant and abandonedbuildings, including large accumulations of debris or trash, furniture, and mattresses usedby unauthorized occupants. When buildings are not secure, the potential for unauthorized
disposal of hazardous materials also exists. Trash accumulation in a compartment is not a
normal fuel arrangement. Should these materials be ignited, fire growth and development
may be more rapid and larger than normally expected.
Other fuels that the evaluator should watch for during the evaluation include combustible
interior finish or exposed structural components. These components may have been
covered when the building was in use and will add to the available fuel in the building. Watch
for exposed insulation or other materials, such as plastics, that may ignite and burn rapidly.
Collecting information on room size is important when evaluating the fire growthpotential, as it will impact the magnitude of a fire in the building. Compartmentalization
plays an important role in limiting the growth of a fire in occupied buildings. Large
noncompartmented spaces that are part of the building design, or the result of theremoval of walls, floors, doors and other structural components, can allow a fire in one
part of the building to rapidly travel to other rooms or spaces.
The last element in this section is to estimate the potential for a delay in the notificationof the fire department in the event of a fire. Time is a critical factor in fire growth anddevelopment. The longer a fire is allowed to burn, the more fuel it will consume. Delays inalarm often result in large fires that challenge the ability of the fire department to control
and may require significant resources to fight.

ExposuresThis element of the evaluation is closely related to the fire growth section. This section asks
the evaluator to look at potential exposures, should the building burn. This information
can be used to evaluate the potential for a fire to extend to adjacent structures. The
identification system used is based on the fire service’s common system of identifying
sides of a fire building.
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5Information regarding the distance between exposures is used to evaluate the potential
for fire extending to the exposed building. The greater the separation, the better chancethat the fire will not extend to the exposed structure. The number and types of exposuresand openings in the exterior walls determine the potential for an exposure fire.

Fire suppression operations
This element of the evaluation is designed to collect information regarding conditions inand around the vacant or abandoned structure that could present a hazard to firefightersin the event of a fire.
As the exterior and interior surveys are conducted, the evaluator should identify potential
hazards in the structure, such as holes in floors, missing stairs, and open shafts and pits.
These conditions are hazardous whenever the building is entered, but they present asignificant hazard to firefighters operating with very low visibility due to smoke and steam.
The building access data provides basic information regarding the deployment ofpersonnel and equipment, as well as the ability to get rescue personnel into the structure,should firefighters require assistance.
Evaluating the interior layout is also related to the ability of firefighters to navigate througha building when visibility is reduced as a result of a fire. Be alert for unusual or maze-likelayouts that could cause firefighters to become disoriented.
The available water supply is included in this section, as it is an important prefire planningconsideration. The evaluation of the adequacy of the water supply should include thevolume of water required to control the maximum potential fire at this location, including
exposures. The location of fire hydrants or other water sources should be indicated on
the sketch of the building site.

Hazardous materials
Vacant and abandoned properties are frequently used as a dumping spot for hazardous
materials. Additionally, when a property is vacated, the owner or former occupants may
leave behind potentially hazardous materials. Should potentially hazardous or dangerous
materials be observed during the evaluation, the findings should be documented so that
corrective action can be taken.
Evaluators should expect to find potentially hazardous materials in these buildings andshould operate accordingly during the evaluation process. That includes the use of proper
personal protective clothing, adequate lighting during the evaluation, and avoiding contact
with any material that could prove hazardous.

Conditions that require immediate action
Once the evaluation is complete, conditions that require immediate corrective action
should be identified. Conditions flagged for immediate action include the following:
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Serious collapse potential.
Accumulations of trash or debris in or near the structure that could serve as an initialfuel package for an intentionally set fire.
Hazardous materials located on the site.
Lack of security that permits unauthorized access to the building.
Indications of criminal activity on the site.
Basic Evaluation Procedures for Abandoned and Vacant Buildings

6Any condition on the property that could put civilians or emergency responders at risk
should be identified in this section. Checking the yes box for this item serves as a flag forthe evaluator that immediate action should be taken. The jurisdiction should implementa procedure to address these circumstances.

Analysis of the building
The analysis section of the form provides the evaluator with the opportunity to use theinformation collected to rate the building. The ratings of high, moderate and low areassigned to each of the listed conditions based on the knowledge and experience of theevaluator. A high potential assigned to any of the conditions should trigger an in-depth
review of the property and implementation of precautions to reduce the threat to thesafety of emergency responders and the public.

Completing the evaluation
To complete the evaluation form, the evaluator should write a brief narrative that
describes the property and any hazards found. The narrative provides the evaluator with
an opportunity to address issues that are not included on the evaluation form and to
expand on issues that are identified but require additional information.
The final stem in the process is developing a readable sketch of the property to be included
with the evaluation form. This is not intended to be a building plan, but a simple sketch thatshows the basic layout of the property. Information needed to develop a fire operations
preplan or to make decisions regarding the disposition of the building should be included
on this diagram. Where the evaluators have access to computer-based drawing programs,
the rough sketch can be used to create a clean diagram that is annotated. Based on thejurisdiction, the diagram or building file may also include photos of the structure andproperty that can be used in the preplanning and decision-making process.

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