California Fire News

FIRST RESPONDER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Posted: 14 Jan 2007 10:19 AM CST

FIRST RESPONDER TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Structure fire - high-rise building tools

Posted: 13 Jan 2007 11:15 AM CST

Outfitting Firefighters

Firefighters, completely outfitted Meet Tom Carroll (left) and Ed Fales. Tom is a lieutenant and Ed is a firefighter and paramedic with Engine Company 1 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

You will see how Tom and Ed would suit up in response to a fire in a high-rise building and what assorted tools they would carry. By the time they are fully equipped, each of them will be carrying a staggering load of state-of-the-art gear weighing between 80 and 100 pounds and costing almost $4,500 per man.

		Two-way radio Wherever a firefighter is, communication is essential. Firefighters wear two-way radios at all times, which they use to talk to each other and their dispatcher.
		Leather boots and rubber boots Leather boots (worn by Tom) are the traditional footwear of the firefighter. They are significantly lighter than rubber boots and offer more ankle support, reducing leg fatigue, which can be important when climbing stairs in a high-rise fire situation. Rubber boots (worn by Ed) have strong pull loops at the top of the boot, allowing firefighters to quickly pull them on. They have a heavy felt lining for comfort and protection, steel toes, and slip-resistant soles. When firefighters are at their station they keep the shank of their boots inside the cuff of their turnout pants and position them next to the fire trucks so they can don their boots and pants in one swift motion when responding to a call.
		Turnout pants Turnout pants, also called bunker pants, are made of many different layers of fire-resistant synthetic materials, such as Nomex, Dermoflex, neoprene, and Kevlar, which protect firefighters from extreme heat. A firefighter's turnout pants are held up by suspenders, which make them easy to get into and comfortable to wear.
		Hood Similar to a ski mask, the so-called "anti-flash" hood protects the firefighter's neck and head from extreme heat and flames with a single layer of fire-resistant Nomex material. The hood can also be used as a crude air filter in smoky environments.
		Helmet Following tradition, a firefighter's helmet is made out of leather, lined with a hard protective shell. The helmet is stitched to create vertical ribs across its top, which protect the head from blows to the side. A long bill on the back of the helmet keeps water and debris from dropping into the firefighter's coat. Inside the helmet are built-in flaps to protect the ears. Many helmets have flip-up face shields attached to the brim, which provide face and eye protection without inhibiting vision. On the front of a firefighter's helmet a shield denotes the wearer's rank and engine company number.
		Turnout coat Firefighters' heavy turnout coats, which weigh over 20 pounds, are made of a combination of fire-resistant synthetic materials, such as Nomex, Dermoflex, neoprene, and Kevlar. The coats are emblazoned with fluorescent stripes, reflectors, and the firefighter's last name, which make the wearer easy to see and identify. Turnout coats, also called bunker coats, have ample pocket space for storing small tools.
		SCBA tank and SCBA mask The self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, delivers clean, cool air to firefighters in atmospheres of hot, noxious gases and smoke. Weighing more than 30 pounds, the SCBA (seen here in yellow) adds significantly to a firefighter's load. The SCBA is similar to the SCUBA gear used by divers, but instead of delivering air on demand as with underwater breathing devices, the SCBA offers a constantly flowing stream of air (a so-called "open circuit") through the firefighter's face mask so he or she does not have to inhale to initiate airflow. Depending on the nature of the fire, a firefighter will carry a tank that holds between 30 minutes and one hour of air.
		PASS motion alarm All firefighters wear PASS ("Personal Alert Safety System") motion alarms, which are activated automatically when there is airflow from the SCBA. The PASS alarm sounds when its bearer does not move for at least 30 seconds, letting others know he may be unconscious or trapped and signaling his location. The alarm's high-pitched squeal gets increasingly louder until it is manually turned off. Some new model PASS devices also monitor ambient air temperature.
		Flashlight Firefighters carry flashlights or wear them on their helmets. Their flashlights are specially made so that they will not spark and ignite flammable gases.
		Gloves Firefighting gloves are made from pigskin. They are durable and shrink-resistant if they become wet.
		Rabbit tool The Rabbit tool, aka the Hurst hydraulic spreader, enables firefighters to quickly cut through or pull apart twisted wreckage and pry open doors. The Rabbit tool is similar to the Jaws of Life but is significantly lighter and therefore more portable. It also does not require a connection to a fire truck to operate, making it more likely to be used in a high-rise scenario.
		Rake Also known as the pike pole or plaster hook, the rake is a long-handled forcible entry tool useful for reaching up high or to other inaccessible locations in a building.
		Irons Firefighters fit their axe and Halligen tool together when they carry them and call both tools "irons." The axe (seen in red and yellow) is used to break through locked doors and scatter combustible material. The Halligen tool (seen in silver) is useful for prying doors and windows open to gain entrance to or ventilate buildings.
		Fire extinguisher In a high-rise fire, a firefighter would carry a fire extinguisher for putting out relatively small spot fires inside the building.
		Hose Hoses come in a variety of diameters, which are chosen according to the specific size and nature of the fire. In a high-rise situation, firefighters would carry a two-and-a-half-inch hose, like the one Ed is carrying, made of Kevlar with a rubber inner core. Most likely, a high-rise would have water spigots for hook-up at various locations within the building. The standard length of a hose is 50 feet.
		Thermal-imaging camera The most hi-tech tool in a firefighter's toolkit, the handheld thermal-imaging camera (a Bullard model is seen here) allows firefighters to locate a trapped person in a poor-visibility situation or detect a smouldering fire behind a wall. In the latter case, a building may sustain less structural damage, because the camera allows firefighters to pinpoint areas in need of targeted water or wall removal. The camera works by imaging the levels of heat in a room, from very dark (coolest) to very light (hottest). A firefighter searching for a victim in a fire would look for dark areas; when searching for a hot spot behind a wall, he would look for light areas.
		Safety Line Firefighters carry a Kevlar safety line, usually 200 feet in length, for use in finding their way out of a smoke-filled space. The line can be used between two or more firefighters in a building or between a firefighter and a victim.

2006 National Wildland Fire Totals - Record year

Posted: 14 Jan 2007 01:03 PM CST

The Wildland Acres Burned Graph plots the acres burned and compares the years from 2000 to 2006, starting in May and ending in October of each year.
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SUMMARY OF 2006 FIRE ACTIVITY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

Wildland Fire Activity 2006 Fire Season:

Year-to-Date Wildland Acres Burned - 9,506,129
Number of Wildland Fires - 89,524

7 Year Average Wildland acres Burned - 6,051,169
Number of Wildland Fires - 72,006
California firefighters debate effect of criminal allegations

Posted: 14 Jan 2007 12:53 PM CST

By Andrew Silva
San Bernardino County Sun (California)

With one of three investigations into October's fatal Esperanza Fire due to be complete soon, the firefighting community is vigorously debating the effect of criminal allegations against commanders on two previous fires.

Five U.S. Forest Service firefighters assigned to Engine 57 based near Idyllwild died after being overrun by a fierce wall of flames Oct. 26 as they protected a home near Twin Pines, south of Cabazon.

Engineers Jason McKay, Jess McLean and firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera died at the scene. Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser died a few hours later, and firefighter Pablo Cerda succumbed to his injuries Oct. 31.

After the fire, some firefighters were hesitant at first to talk to investigators, though they ultimately did.

Many were worried because an incident commander on a 2003 wildfire in Idaho, called the Cramer Fire, served 18 months of federal probation after two firefighters were killed.

On the morning of July 22, 2003, Jeff Allen, 24, and Shane Heath, 22, were lowered by rope at 9:43 a.m. from a helicopter to a ridge to clear trees for a helipad. By 3 p.m. they realized the fire was approaching and they called for a helicopter, but it couldn't land because of smoke.

They made their final plea for help at 3:24 p.m. and were overrun by flames a few minutes later.

The commander served probation as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.

And then, on Dec. 19 last year, nearly two months after the Esperanza Fire, an 11-count complaint was filed by federal prosecutors against Ellreese Daniels, the crew boss of a team from which four young firefighters died in a burnover in Washington state on July 10, 2001.

That fire, called the Thirtymile Fire, led to a 2002 law requiring an independent investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General anytime a Forest Service firefighter dies in a fire.

The complaint against Daniels includes four counts of involuntary manslaughter and seven counts of lying to investigators. A grand jury will decide whether to indict Daniels, who could face more than 50 years in prison.

That sent the Internet message boards buzzing and fire commanders talking.

"In our profession, we all have to be accountable," said Casey Judd, business manager of the Federal Wildland Fire Service Association. "Does poor judgment rise to criminal behavior? This case sets a huge precedent."

The concern is that veteran commanders will step out of leadership roles if they have to worry about going to prison if one of their people gets hurt. Another worry is that commanders might be gun-shy about sending crews into harm's way.

Perhaps the worst consequence would be if firefighters and commanders decline to be candid after an incident, upsetting the long tradition of trying to learn from each fatality, several fire officials said.

One of the federal attorneys on the Thirtymile case said concerns by fire commanders that they could face prosecution are overblown.

"We're not charging the guy for an accident," said Tom Rice, an assistant U.S. attorney in Spokane, Wash. "He was grossly negligent. ... But for his reckless disregard for their safety, they would not have died."

Four died when they climbed into their fire shelters on a scree slope up from the road and were asphyxiated by superheated gases.

Daniels claims he called on them to come down from the slope before the firestorm hit, but witnesses contradict that version, Rice said.

Investigative reports on both Cramer and Thirtymile were harshly critical of the leadership, saying the unbreakable tenets of firefighting were violated.

The investigation into the Esperanza Fire tragedy by the Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will be released in the coming weeks, Al Matecko, spokesman for the Esperanza Safety Investigation Team, said by phone from Portland, Ore.

That report will simply be a factual account of what happened and why.

There is also an investigation being conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which could issue citations, and a third by the inspector general.

One thing that's different about the Esperanza Fire is that an arson suspect is in custody facing murder charges.

Raymond Lee Oyler, a suspect in other arson-caused fires in the same area, is in a Riverside County jail awaiting trial.

Although there have been anecdotes nationally, it's not clear if the Forest Service is seeing fire commanders giving up their roles, said Rose Davis, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

"It may be that duty and dedication outweigh any concerns when we get down to battling flames," she said.