Personal Safety Can’t Wait For Improved Turnout Gear
DEPARTMENTS
The Volunteers Corner
What is described as greatly improved protective clothing is being sent to 14 fire departments for field-testing. Developed by a project of the United States Fire Administration, the resultant protective ensemble, including breathing apparatus, offers the hope of fulfilling many of the safety and weight reduction needs of fire fighters.
However, it is indefensible to wait for the availability of what is now experimental garb when prudence on the fireground can supply some of that needed safety right now and without purchasing a single article.
If your state is one of those that does its own enforcement of federal OSHA regulations, then you may have to buy some turnout gear that your fire department does not now issue. However, fire fighters can be injured while waiting—waiting for the delivery of turnout gear or waiting for the availability of the innovative gear now in the test stage.
Protection from heat: One of the things turnout gear is designed to do is to provide protection against heat. It also should be flame-resistant. However, it is important to be aware of the fact that no general use turnout gear is made to provide protection in a flashover for more than a few seconds. One of the tests for the experimental garments was exposure to 1500°F for 10 seconds without irreversible injury to the wearer.
So it’s a matter of survival to remain alert to changes in temperature and check for heat as you enter rooms and other areas of a fire building. Take off a glove and feel your side of a door before opening it. A door that’s too hot to touch signals danger. You must have a charged line at the door before you consider opening it a crack for further evaluation of the situation. If the door opens toward you, place a booted foot 2 or 3 inches from the door so that as you unlatch the door, it won’t swing wide open and expose you to an outpouring of flame. If the door opens away from you, stand behind the wall as you push the door open a crack with a gloved hand.
Drop low if you are opening a door into a flashover so that as you operate your line into the area, the flaming gases that do not go out the ventilation previously provided by the truck company will not burn you as they surge under the door lintel and over your head.
You may get caught in a hallway or other area by a fast buildup of unbearable heat. Directing a dash of water to the ceiling over you can make the situation bearable long enough to knock down the fire ahead or—if necessary—to retreat. The application of water to the ceiling has to be brief because the use of the nozzle to the ceiling ceases the protection you had against the heat source ahead of you.
Impact protection: One of the major causes of injuries to fire fighters is impact blows. They come from falling beams, collapsing roofs and walls, and ceiling and wall material that has been pried loose while opening up. Expect anything to collapse while a building is being demolished by fire.
It is everybody’s responsibility—and especially that of the officers—to watch for signs of structural weakness that indicate potential collapse. It’s not necessary for a large part of a building to collapse to cause an injury. Even a single beam, rafter or section of ceiling can be dangerous.
When pulling ceilings and opening up walls, use your eyeshields and make certain your helmet is solidly on your head. Keep your gloves on because you may have to fend off some falling material with your hand. Most of all, use your opening-up tools so that you avoid prying or levering material toward you or other fire fighters. Keep the area clear of men who are not actually working. The fewer present, the less likely there will be an injury.
Other precautions: A good adage to remember when using tools is to “let the tool do the work.” Accidents happen when you try to force a power saw to cut faster than the material will allow it to cut. All you have to do is listen to the motor. A difference in the sound tells you when you are making the saw labor. The fastest cuts are made with the engine running at full rpm.
Axes should be kept sharp. A dull ax is a dangerous ax, as any woodsman can tell you, and whether you are using an ax, a pike pole, a claw tool, a power saw or any similar tool, clear the area of fire fighters who are not really needed and keep these men away from the working area of the tool.
Another common cause of injuries on the fireground is falls. Walk rapidly if necessary, but never run on the fireground. A falling wall, of course, calls for fleeing as fast as possible. Unfortunately, fire fighters running from a falling object too frequently fall—just as they do when running unnecessarily. Running with a hose line is just asking for someone to lose his footing.
Officers should watch the physical condition of their men. Exhaustion comes quickly in high temperatures—whether from the fire or the heat of the day. Extreme cold tends to numb not only hands and feet, but also common sense, and fire fighters tend to become careless. They should be relieved as soon as possible. If relieved soon, men will recover quickly and will be able to return to the job.
Actually, a little thought at the right time can ensure safe working conditions that are beyond the capability of even the best of turnout gear.
