FST 52 8-28-09

•Sudden Death Syndromes are the #1 causes of Deaths in Firefighters. Heart attacks.

LODD “Line of Duty Deaths”:

•2007

115 Firefighters Fatalities

•2009

114 Firefighters Fatalities

9 Deaths

•Two factors that increase rate of burning:

AIR and EXPOSED WOOD SURFACES

• Shut off utilities before entering Fire Scene

• Shock waves can cause secondary collapse.

• Rubble is a big contributor to secondary collapse.

• Cellars must be searched for occupancies because this area creates the largest & strongest void in a collapsed building.

• Carbon Monoxide is the biggest component that kills firefighters.

• Additional below grade problems:

Toxic liquids & Electrical Liquids

Gas

Always need to have:

Search ropes/SCBA/Lights/Radio

• Freelancing is deadly.

• No more of “put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” Fire are far more advanced today and deadly.

•Building builders build buildings to KILL firefighters (lol). Now there are les & less materials engineered in buildings, making them both more fragile and volatile.

• Candle Lever Collapse is when two floors collapsed onto each other. Void spaces are created which need to be cut through.

FST 55 9-9-09

Class A fire extinguisher are rated from 1a to 40a

1A =  1 1/4 gallons of water

2A = 21/2 gallons of water

40A = 50 Gallons

6A is the biggest size in a water extinguisher.

Our classroom dry chem extinguisher is a 2A.

To get an extinguisher rated, it has to pass a

crib test -douglas fir blocks stacked 8 by 8 until 80 times

wall panel test -will excelsior fuel at bottom of wall

excelsior fuel test -ordinary random combustible trash

Heptane Pan Test

Alkane with 7 carbons.

Heptane is the flammable liquid that is used to test extinguishers for CLASS B fires.

Multipurpose Dry Chem 2A 10BC Extinguisher is the main extinguisher used in houses today.

Types of Building Hazards:

Light Hazard

Moderate Hazard

High Hazard

For a light hazard, 75 feet from entrance to the extinguisher is the requirement. Also applies to obstructed pathways, too. Also considered at least one extinguisher (multipurpose dry chem 2A 10BC) every 3000 Sq Feet. All extinguishers has to be well visible, and signage has to be clearly visible if the fire extinguiser is in a cabinet or drawer. If inside a closet, the clost can NOT have any locking mechanisms, and has to be accessible at all times. Anything besides this is in violation of the Fire Code. When the extinguisher is under 40 pounds, it must be situation in a cabinet or drawer no higher than 5 feet, and no lower than 3.5 feet. If the extinguisher is above 40 pounds must be at highest, 3.5 feet, and no lower than 4 inches from the ground.

FST 55 8-26-09

Fire Triangle

Heat

Oxygen

Fuel

KEY VOCABULARY

Ignition Temperature

Flashover

Convection

Friction:

the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another

Pyrophoric Reaction:

liable to ignite spontaneously on exposure to air

Conduction:

when heat is transmitted through a substance

Radiation:

heat expanding every which way from the origin

Latent Heat of Vaporization:

the heat required to convert a solid into a liquid or vapor, or a liquid into a vapor, without change of temperature

Specifc Gravity:

greater than 1 will sink, less than 1 will float

Miscible:

mixable with water

Vapor Density: the density of a particular gas or vapor relative to that of hydrogen at the same pressure and temperature.

High Expansion Foams

have a 1000:1 Expansion Rate

The 3 old/traditional Stages of Fire

Incipient

Free Burning

Smoldering

Modern Stages of Fire

Ingnition

Growth Stage

Flashpoint

Fully Developed

Rollover