Trusses With No Gussets - What Next?

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Trusses With No Gussets - What Next?
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Folks, I just received a rather disturbing series
of pictures of new construction currently going
on in New Jersey.    Apparently these new-style
wood trusses are commercially available and no
longer use the metal "gusset plates" that we are
all familiar with. This new breed of
firefighter-killers is simply 2x4 Finger Jointed
lumber (yeah, it's not even dimensional lumber)
held together by little spots of glue where the
webs meet the chords. Check out the attached
pics... You also can see that these particular
trusses are installed in townhouse-style
occupied multiple dwellings. All that's holding
them up is a 2x8 or TJI sill plate that's anchor
bolted to the block sidewall.    I'm not an
engineer, but it looks like it's actually the
dead load and live load from above that holds the
house of cards together. My dad is a commercial
sales manager at a large lumberyard. He is going
to further investigate the manufacture and
engineering of this product and I'll keep you
advised of anything important to our operational
safety.   If a standard gusset-plated truss will
fail in less than five minutes of fire exposure,
how long will these toothpicks stand up? How
about the added weight of 2 or 3 firefighters
with equipment trying to make a vent hole and
removing some of the engineered dead load
providing the stability to the system?  Just food
for thought. This stuff's out there... It's just
a matter of time 'til it pops up around here.
Many nationally recognized instructors are now
recommending popping a decent-sized inspection
hole in the ceiling immediately inside the point
of entry and on each floor of any building with
smoke or fire showing. If nothing else, you'll
get a real good idea of how cheap the
construction is!   Be safe look up!   Chiefs,
if you think this might be something useful,
please forward on to the rest of the region. 
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All that's holding them up is a 2x8 or TJI
sill plate that's anchor bolted to the block
sidewall
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These new-style wood trusses are commercially
available and no longer use the metal "gusset
plates" that we are all familiar with
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All that's holding them up is a 2x8 or TJI
sill plate that's anchor bolted to the block
sidewall
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This new breed of firefighter-killer is simply
2x4 Finger Jointed lumber (yeah, it's not even
dimensional lumber) held together by little spots
of glue where the webs meet the chords.
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