Cambridge, MA - What are these signs?

[u/Wumaduce]

What do the circled signs mean? I know FDC is the fire department connection. The sign under that is max pump in pressure.

Someone said it means you guys aren't supposed to enter the building to fight a fire. If that's the case, doesn't it completely defeat the purpose of the FDC and standpipe being live?

[u/AFirefighter11]

That red placard with the white “X” you circled is a firefighter hazard marking. Departments post those on vacant, under-construction, or otherwise compromised buildings to let crews know what we’re walking into.

The plain red box with a slash ( / ) usually means the structure has some issues, but we might go in with caution. The full “X”, like you see here, is a big red flag: no interior firefighting operations unless there’s a known life hazard. Floors, roofs, or walls could collapse, so it tells us to keep operations defensive and stay out.

It’s basically a quick visual warning system, so if a fire kicks off there, crews don’t waste time guessing whether it’s safe to enter.

[u/J-rodsub → u/AFirefighter11]

That’s super interesting. How does this get past code inspection and what not? Is that a conversation between the building owner and the fire marshals office or what? (Coming from a city in the south)

[u/Firedogman22]

Red X in Massachusetts means building is condemned, usually occupation inside is prohibited if its redxed unless their doing construction

[u/Wumaduce → u/Firedogman22]

It's a historic building that's under construction. They has entire floors cut out earlier in the project. At this stage in the game, sprinklers are live in multiple parts of the building. If sprinks are live, that means you guys are responding and have to enter the building as far as I know?

[u/Ok_Buddy_9087 → u/Wumaduce]

Far as I know the sprinklers being live changes nothing. The marking system is a result of the Worcester Cold Storage fire that killed six WFD members. One slash means entry can be considered but should basically be done for a known life threat only. X is “just don’t”.

[u/Firedogman22 → u/Wumaduce]

Im not from cambridge but im experienced with mass in general, even if theres live sprinklers, red X usually means no entry unless to save a a life

[u/SmokeEater1375 → u/Wumaduce]

Nobody has really answered your question but just because we’re not entering the building doesn’t mean we just let the place burn down. Frankly, since we’re not entering the building, it’s good that the sprinklers are live. They can supplement the system from that connection (if it’s a sprinkler connection) and hope that puts the fire out.

Some FDCs are for standpipes. Some FDCs are for sprinklers. Sometimes they do both.

[u/Proper-Succotash9046]

I like how the FDC sign is huge

[u/scottsuplol → u/Proper-Succotash9046]

Man I was just thinking that should be knew code to make them all that big they’re hard to see on a good day let alone at night

[u/jeremiahfelt]

We have these signs in New York. We would call this a "Type-Red Vacant", which means do not enter unless obvious immediate life threat.

[u/Top_Specific8490]

No fire allowed

[u/MrWhiteDelight]

That means this structure belongs to Earl Simmons