LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Juvenile Presetting
I would like to compliment Associate Editor Mary Jane Dittmar on her article “Juvenile Firesetting: An Old Problem Gets a New Look” in the December 1991 issue. Extensive research obviously went into the article, which provided some very useful insight. As the Juvenile Firesetter Program coordinator for the Portland Fire Bureau, I read with great interest the thoughts of experts from around the country. 1 was particularly interested in the statistical aspects that were presented. I have found it difficult to locate many other programs that are gathering actual information; most tend to make “educated guesses” instead. The statistical information and program structures were consistent with what 1 have seen throughout the western United States.
1 also agree fully that networking is important for a successful program. The mental health community and the lire service operate on very different levels, and it is an ongoing challenge to keep the two working together.
I’d like to comment that firesetting is found in the backgrounds of doctors. lawyers, and fire chiefs as well as some criminals. The degree or seriousness of the firesetting may differ, but because a child is a troubled firesetter does not predispose him/ her to be a criminal or a killer. Our experience and the experience of other juvenile firesetter inverventionalists 1 have spoken with conclude that the percentage of children who develop into dangerous adults is very small. Although firesetting is a dangerous and prominent behavior, many other behaviors are as common, if not more common, in these same individuals.
Last, 1 would like to point out that Dr. Linda Nishi-Strattner’s name was misspelled |not Mishij. She is a psychologist and probably the most noted authority on the psychology of juvenile firesetting on the West Coast.
Keep up the good work. This is a topic that is very important. The fire service can no longer afford to put this subject on the back burner.
Don Porth
Portland (OR) Fire Bureau
1 was very impressed by Mary Jane Dittmar’s most informative article, “Juvenile Firesetting: An Old Problem Gets a New Look.” 1 must assume that all over the country fire prevention bureaus are reassessing programs begun in the late ’70s and early 80s, and with good reason.
1 lere in Syracuse, New York, former Chief Thomas Hanlon III initiated a program to provide education for elementary school children more than 15 years ago, but tight budgets, mandated curriculums, union contracts, and just plain apathy have eroded his intent to nearly nothing.
Three y ears ago I inherited a position on an excellent committee of dedicated persons who clearly were interested in creating a support system for juvenile firesetters. Project Concern is a city/county project and involves the County Youth Bureau, city and county fire and police agencies, the Red Cross, County Social Services, and several other agencies and organizations.
At the time. Project Concern’s purpose was to act as the contact point for police and fire investigators and concerned parents who needed to obtain help, either educational or psychological, for the identifiable firesetter. We provided personnel and methodology for contacting, screening, and finally channeling the child into the proper treatment. Our success was reflected in a very low recidivism rate for those in contact with the program. However, we were not stopping new firesetters from starting fires.
We contacted the local education administrators and found that although the old education programs were still in some classrooms, the material was outdated and the videotape presentations provided were just too much trouble to set up.
It appeared that the only real fire prevention education kids were getting was a once-a-year field trip to the Fire Prevention Education Theater. The theater is located on the nearby New York State Fairgrounds and is operated by paid and volunteer firefighters from Syracuse and Onondaga County. Programs are presented during the state fair and for the local school districts during October.
What to do? Reinvent the wheel? No way!
We opted to purchase the National Fire Protection Association’s “Learn Not To Burn” resource materials for preschool through third grade. To date, we have been able to reach the city public school preschool daycare programs and have the resource materials in the classrooms. We still are trying to reach the elementary people and have been somewhat disheartened by the overall lack of enthusiasm on the part of our public school system.
Henry’ F. Boynton
Deputy Chief Syracuse (NY) Fire Department
Tandem terminology
I would like to address two statements in the sidebar “Tandem Pumping” by David P. Fornell, which appeared in the October 1991 issue.
The first is simply a terminology item. Fornell gives the impression that the terms in-line pumping and tanclem pumping are synonymous. At least where I come from they are not. In-line pumping is the operation described in the sidebar—hooking two pumpers discharge-to-suction (in “series,” if you will) so that the second pumper can increase the pressure provided by the first. The standpipe operation described is no different than the standard two-piece engine company evolution, except that the hoselays are shorter and the pressures are higher!
Tandem pumping (also known as “parallel pumping”) is hooking the two pumps suction-to-suction, so that the second pumper can take advantage of excess flow from a highgallonage hydrant that the first pumper does not need. Tandem pumping is seldom done anywhere except in demonstrations; it has little practical value in most communities. However, when the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tandem pump comes, it is a good skill to have.
The second area of discussion relates to the statement that centrifugal pumps “…are tested to deliver 50 percent of their capacity at 250 psi, the maximum pressure available from draft.” 1 assume that there is a typographical error in this sentence somewhere, for it makes little sense as written. No pressure is available at draft! If the point is that because 50 percent at 250 psi is the highestpressure test point, therefore 250 psi is the maximum usable pressure, this is false; 150, 200, and 250 psi at 100-, 70-, and 50-percent capacities arconly points on a curve. The curve continues theoretically out to zero percent. The only implication that can be drawn is that somewhat less than 50-percent capacity is available at pressures above 250 psi.
If preplanning indicates that 500 gpm is needed at 300 psi and a largecapacitv pumper is available (1.500 to 2,000 gpm). it is quite likely that this pumper will be able to supply the system alone. Other flows and pressures may be calculated or looked up on the pump manufacturer’s design curve for the pump. A lot of unnecessary time could be wasted setting up a second pumper to boost pressure when all that may be needed is a few more turns on the throttle.
Pat McCon
Master Field Instructor
Pennsylvania State Fire Academy
Editor’s note. The January 1992 Random Thoughts contained an error. The sentence in column 3 on page 176 should read: “Engines must ensure that three lengths of hose and personnel are aboard; trucks must ensure forcible-entry capability.”
Request
Ben Pashley, a 70-year veteran of the Charlton (NY) Fire Department, is the oldest active firefighter in New York State. At age 99, Pashley directs traffic at fire scenes, attends the department’s monthly meetings, and still lets the younger members (some in their 50s and 60s) know when they are out of line. I am trying to determine if he is the oldest firefighter in the United States. If you know of any active firefighter who is older than Ben, write: Bob Rosa, President, Charlton Fire Dept., 1 Beechwood Avc., Charlton, NY 12019.
Bob Rosa
Further sprinkler supply analysis
I was very glad to see the article “Sprinkler System Water Supply Analysis” by Gary Keith and Donald Garner, along with the sidebar by Glenn Corbett, in the December 1991 issue. The article stressed the importance of adequate water supply to fire protection sprinkler systems that unfortunately so often is overlooked as someone mutters, “The building is fully sprinklered; it’s nothing to worry about.” The fact is, if adequate water supply is not available to the system, there will be something to “worry about.”
One item that was not addressed in the article, however, is the issue of the “effective point” of the water supply data. Quite often, someone reviewing a system for adequate water supply simply matches the known demand of the sprinkler system with water supply data furnished by the local water department or the insurer. If the water supply data match or exceed the system demand, then everything is assumed to be satisfactory. This typically would he correct if the furnished water supply data are available at the base of the sprinkler riser instead of some distance away.
DATA ON FEMALE FIREFIGHTERS
Lee Silvi, a career firefighter and a graduate student at Cleveland State University, is conducting a research project on recruiting and training female firefighters. He needs mailing addresses of female firefighters and male or female fire chiefs of fire departments that have female firefighters. Surveys will be mailed to randomly selected female firefighters and fire chiefs from the mailing list that is assembled and will be strictly confidential. At the completion of this project, the results will be offered for publication in a periodical with nationwide circulation.
Female firefighters are asked to send their own or their chiefs address to Female Firefighter Survey, Attn: Lee Silvi, P.O. Box 982, Mentor, OH 44061. Please indicate whether you are full time, part time, or volunteer and whether the department is career, combination, or volunteer. The deadline for receiving this information is March 31, 1992.
In brief, the effective point is defined as that point in the water distribution system where the water supply data actually are available. In the simple case where two hydrants are flowed on a dead-end main, the effcctive point of the flow’ test results is at the pressure hydrant (the hydrant where the static and residual pressures are taken). In other words, the water supply determined from the flow test is available at the pressure hydrant. Given the case where two hydrants are flowed on a gridded main, the effective point is at the midpoint between the flow hydrant and the pressure hydrant.
If the flow test is conducted adjacent to a property that is provided with sprinklers and if the alarm check valve is accessible, the gauges on the alarm check valve may be used in lieu of recording static and residual pressures on a hydrant. In this case, the effective point is at the intersection of the fire main to the building and the municipal or yard main. The above holds true whether the municipal or yard main is dead-end or gridded—as long as the flow hydrant is downstream of the point of connection of the fire main to the municipal or yard system in dead-end systems.
After the effective point of the water supply data has been determined, the water supply data can be adjusted to determine the available supply at the base of the riser. This is easily determined by subtracting the elevation and friction losses between the water flow test results at the effective point and the base of the sprinkler riser.
Joseph Pechacek
Fire Protection Engineer Hamilton, New York
Halon 1301
In Letters to the Editor in the November 1991 issue, Robert Van Why, Jr., explains an incident his department had with Halon 1301 breaking down when it had been ingested into the diesel engine of his apparatus. At first he thought that he smelled chlorine gas. but it turned out to be hydrofluoric acid and hydrobromic acid. These acids are formed when hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen bromide, w hich Halon 1301 principally breaks down into when it reaches 900°F, are dissolved in water. The u0” in 1301 indicates that chlorine is not in the mixture.
I would like to point out that Halon 1301 normally is not safe even before it breaks down. In concentrations of seven percent or above, it causes dizziness and an anesthetic effect on the extremities. Persons entering an atmosphere containing Halon 1301 should wear SCBA.
William C. Ballantine
Damage Controlman U.S.S. Butte Fire Department
NFPA SURVEY
The National fire Protection Association Safety Committee for Fire Htjuipment is currently in the process of developing standards for rollover protection tor wildland fire apparatus. It is seeking information on prior accidents to help with the development of rollover protection structures (Rt)PS) performance criteria. Criteria will be used to develop a standard that will provide better protection to firefighting personnel. Please fill out and mail this survey to: Survey, 112 Blue Ridge Drive, Martinez. CA 94553, or fax it to (510) 932-1521.
Sources of all information supplied will be kept confidential. The questionnaire is designed to result in a data base that will contain pertinent information about roll accidents.
1. Please indicate the number of rolls the vehicle passed through during the accident; 180 degrees is a vehicle rotating from its upright position to its inverted position one time. Please indicate the number of rolls with a check below.
180° or less_
360°_
540°_
More than 540°_
2 The unevenness of the ground upon which the accident occurred is defined as the number of degrees that the ground dips away from the horizon in the direction of roll. Please indicate the unevenness of the
ground with a check below:
Less than 15°_
15 to 20°_
21 to 30°_
31 to 35°_
More than 35°_
3. The condition and type of soil are important; for this question the types of soil are: Type A—Clay, silty clay, sandy clay, clay loam; Type B— Angular gravel (crushed rock), silt, siltv loam, and sandy loam; Type C— Gravel, sand, and loamy sand. Please indicate the soil type with a check below:
Type A_
Type B_
Type C _
4.The soil condition deals with water content. The soil is either dry. damp, or wet (free water within the soil). Please indicate the soil condition w ith a check below:
Dry _
Damp_
Wet _
5. Injuries occurring as a result of the accident have to do with the severity of the event. Classifications of injuries are as follows: Minorinjuries that require no hospitalization; Moderate—injuries requiring hospitalization, but not considered critical; and Major—critical injuries including death. Please indicate the injuries with a check below:
None _
Minor_
Moderate_
Major_
