TCVFD Training

Well here’s a first for me…a CO (Carbon Monoxide) call that actually was an alarm going off because of CO and not a low battery. The homeowners had just cut on the heat for the first time of the year and the CO detector went off. We have been complacent with these type calls and normally just walk right in to investigate with a CO detector. Normally this shows a big fat zero but tonight it shot up to the 40′s when we entered the structure. Being that CO isn’t good for breathing, we immediately left the house  and the re-entered on air. I wasn’t sure how much CO will cause an issue but the alarm never went off on the detector so it was still in safe limits but better to be on the safe side.  So my thought was how much CO is bad in ppm and now for the executive answer:

The health effects of CO depend on the CO concentration and length of exposure, as well as each individual’s health condition. CO concentration is measured in parts per million (ppm). Most people will not experience any symptoms from prolonged exposure to CO levels of approximately 1 to 70 ppm but some heart patients might experience an increase in chest pain. As CO levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and can include headache, fatigue and nausea. At sustained CO concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.

……

The initial symptoms of low to moderate CO poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever). They include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness

High level CO poisoning results in progressively more severe symptoms, including:

• Mental confusion
• Vomiting
• Loss of muscular coordination
• Loss of consciousness
• Ultimately death

source: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.html

After looking a little farther the EPA has some pretty good info:

Levels in Homes

Average levels in homes without gas stoves vary from 0.5 to 5 parts per million (ppm). Levels near properly adjusted gas stoves are often 5 to 15 ppm and those near poorly adjusted stoves may be 30 ppm or higher.

Standards or Guidelines

The OSHA standard for workers is no more than 50 ppm for 1 hour of exposure. NIOSH recommends no more than 35 ppm for 1 hour. The U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for CO (established in 1985) are 9 ppm for 8 hours and 35 ppm for 1 hour. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends levels not to exceed 15 ppm for 1 hour or 25 ppm for 8 hours.

source: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/co.html

T3Max

Here it is the executive summary:

 To turn on hit the button below the screen.  That’s it your ready to use in a fire.

Now for the long version:

You will get the best image from the unit when the environment has many thermal differences. Once the unit picks up temperatures above 500 degrees it will use yellow, orange, and red to show temperature differences.

Color Legend:

Red > 1000 degrees

Orange > 800 degrees

Yellow > 500 degrees

There are some issues that all TIC’s have problems with:

1. They are unable to see through water. This means you will be unable to search for victims that are underwater during lake rescues. In addition a sprinkler that is going off will act as a curtain and may block your view to a fire beyond it.
2. They cannot see through glass…you will get a reflection
3. Metal will also not show the true heat and will give a reflection

The camera will freeze for a split second when there is huge differences in temperatures this is caused by the camera compensating for these diffrences and adjusting the picture.

The button arrows on top of the unit will allow you to fine tune the screen to show shades of blue. This is mainly used during overhaul and searches. Once activated the unit will only show in blue and gray scales and can be reset by turning the unit off and back on OR by hitting both arrows at the same time.

Here is another video to supplement the video we saw at the meeting.

Here is another version that skips a lot of the fluff and gets right to the good info and has some really good examples.

I am also including some examples so you can try to read what is happening

It is always good for us all to do a little refresher with regards to the classifications of fire and how we handle them. Take note of the symbols and classes as you will see them in a future Fire Extinguisher post.

Fire Classifications

 Class A (Ordinary Combustibles). Typically the most common fire type as fuels for Class A fires include wood, paper, non-pertroleum based plastics, rubber and textiles. Class A fires can be extinguished with water or water-based agents.

 Class B (Flammable/Combustible Liquids & Gases). Fires involving alchohol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, and lubricating oils. Direct water streams are not advised as the fuel source is easily spread. Increased fire hazards occur with Class B fires when pressurized liquids and gases are involved. Eliminate the fuel source whenever possible and extinguish using Class B foam, CO2, or dry chemical.

 Class C (Electrical). Class C fires can be considered Class A or B fires created by electrical energy. The important thing to remember is that water and water-based agents can not be safely used until the energy source is terminated. These fires pose a severe shock risk. The first step in attacking Class C fires is typically to remove the electrical energy source, evaluate the remaining burning material and extinguish using the method associated with class of fire, typically Class A.

Class D (Combustible Metals). Class D fires are those involving certain combustible metals and alloys. Examples: sodium, magnesium, potassium, uranium, titanium, lithium, and calcium. This classification of fire is worth reading up on. Materials used in modern cars have changed in recent years (some older models have similar risks) and a car fire can quickly turn into a Class D fire. These fires can be quickly identified by an intense bright white burning. See the recent post about car fires for a video example. Using water and water-based agents on these materials can excite the fire and cause further spreading. Dry powder extinguishers and agents that absorb heat/smother fire are typically the best choice for Class D fires.

 Class K (Kitchen or Cooking Oil). Class K fires involve combustible cooking oils such as vegetable or animal fat oils. Class K fires are a subclass of Class B fires but have special characteristics (higher burning temperatures) that set them apart. Most Class K fires are found in industrial/commercial kitchens but residential turkey fryers also pose a risk. Saponification/wet chemicals are typically used to extinguish Class K fires.

For more information, check out these links:

• http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/extmark.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_D_Fire_Extinguisher

My experience tells me the first tire that ever blows out on you will scare the living daylights out of you…each one after that is routine. Short lesson: remember to always attack a car fire from the side or diagonally…never directly in the back or the front.

Bonus: Magnesium fires react violently with water

It seems that everyone loves and hates the Triple lay. It is easy to deploy but a bit of a pain to load.  We have already put into practice using the Cleveland load (also called “the bundle”) for our high-rise packs. We found this new hose load called the “Roundabout” that is easy to deploy and easy to pack. Check out the video and then go take a look at it on Engine 4.

Two Firefighters died one year ago today in Ohio.  Read the report, look at the pictures, and ask yourself what would you do different?

http://www.coleraintwp.org/uploads/LODDPriliminaryReportFinalVersion4.pdf

I have heard much criticism and armchair quarterbacking on the Super Sofa Store fire in Charleston. Do yourself a favor and look at the report http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200718.html In particular look at the time line. Then ask yourself “what do we do different that could prevent this from happening here at perhaps Walmart?” Look at the time line and the sheer size of the buildings they were working in. Here is some main events that transpired:

• 1907 hours – Dispatch for possible fire behind furniture store
• 1910 hours
  BC-4 arrives on scene and reports trash fire at side of building.
  BC-4 radios for E-10 to come down side of building
• 1926 hours
  Dispatch radios Fire Chief and informs him that dispatch has received a phone call from a civilian saying he is trapped at the rear of the building
• 1927 hours
  Inaudible radio traffic – possibly “lost inside” or “trapped inside”
  Fire Chief radios AC and says that the warehouse door has been opened and a 2 ½” hose line is in operation. Fire Chief also asks about the rescue attempt of the trapped civilian and tells AC to do what he can do.
  Dispatch radios AC to inform him that the trapped civilian is banging on exterior wall with a hammer
• 1928 hours
  AC radios for E-11 and gets no response. Note: This may be when the AC is looking for fire fighters to assist with rescue of the civilian and mutual aid fire fighters are pressed into action.
• 1929 hours
  Broken radio traffic of fire fighter in distress asking “which way out” then “everyone out”
• 1930 hours
  E-11 radios that 2 ½” hose line is charged
  Several different fire fighters in distress radio “need some help out,” “need help getting out,” also “lost connection with the hose”
  AC radios Fire Chief that they are attempting to free civilian trapped in warehouse
• 1931 hours – 1934 hours
  More broken radio traffic from fire fighters in distress
  FF calls Mayday
  Dispatch tells Fire Chief that the L-5 engineer emergency button (on radio) has been activated

So in the matter of mere 20 minutes from arrival everything went bad. They had problems with water supply, the public running over supply lines in the road, huge fire load, no sprinklers and a civilian they had to rescue. All starting from what seemed to be a standard dumpster fire. Next time you go to a house fire look at the time it takes for things to happen…water supply, search, secondary searches, fire supression, etc. and you will see that 20 minutes isn’t a very long time. Next remember that the store and warehouse was over 51,000 square feet. As firefighters we need to be aware of our biggest enemy time…time on air, time till the engines tank is empty, time before collapse, time to set up a water supply, time for backup to arrive, time…

Signs on the outside a flash over is about to occur. When you see smoke pushing out quickly (like a fan is pushing it) you are about to experience a flash over. Notice in this video the velocity of the smoke before it flashes.