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March-April 2010 |
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Reading Smoke, Part 9
Over the past months, we have used this multi-part series to look at the various aspects of reading smoke and the importance of this consideration to formulate safe and timely fireground operations. This article will conclude the series by looking at developing “fireground safety indicators.”
DEVELOPING INDICATORS
To summarize, the primary factors personnel should be constantly evaluating while committed to the interior of a constantly changing hazardous environment until the fire that is responsible for the environment has been extinguished and/or the environment has been properly ventilated (if necessary), consider the following factors:
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First, and potentially most importantly, how much air is in your SCBA, and, how long will it last under stressful conditions?
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Next, and prior to entering a contaminated environment, evaluate the observable conditions and make a mental note to serve as a baseline comparison within the environment. Remember that under adverse conditions, modern PPE has the capability to shield (or conceal) the environment from a firefighter who is likely focused on fireground activities. Therefore, if a baseline has been established prior to entering a hostile environment, then the process of being able to evaluate the changing conditions (and in some cases, separate from PPE) can be simplified.
THREE-STRIKE RULE
The three-strike rule is primarily based on the co-principle of firefighter safety and risk assessment. However, a basic presupposition of this rule is that fireground personnel make a mental note of the conditions they are about to encounter as follows:
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Strike One — Smoke with heat. Remember that smoke with heat has a greater inclination to flash and burn than cooler smoke.
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Strike Two — Less than acceptable visibility. What is your definition of acceptable visibility? For this discussion, the practical definition is as follows “If necessary, you can find your way out of a problem in a timely manner.”
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Strike Three — The environment is not improving. If a mental note of the conditions were noted before entering the environment, and 5, 10, or 15-minutes later the conditions have not improved or are deteriorating, then it should be obvious that the concept of risk analysis should be re-evaluated.
Let’s apply the three-strike rule to a simple scenario. Assume that you are about to enter a commercial structure with a pike pole for the purpose of pulling ceilings to find an overhead fire. Just as you enter the structure, you observe the interior conditions consist of moderate smoke, heat, and visibility. As the visibility is moderate, it takes several minutes to locate the area of the overhead fire. While trying to pull the ceiling material, it becomes apparent the level of heat is increasing and visibility is decreasing. As the ceiling material is difficult to pull down, you continue to expend a significant amount of energy and time to accomplish your task as there are now several other firefighters assisting you with the stubborn ceiling. After several more difficult minutes, you now notice visibility has changed from moderate to non-existent (strike one), the level of heat has significantly increased (strike two), and although the low air alarm has not activated, you are able to determine you have about 1,100 psi of air left in your SCBA. In addition to these conditions, you begin to contemplate what path you will take to exit the structure as you cannot see and you made multiple turns to arrive at your current location (strike three).
From this simple scenario, it should be apparent that the fictional firefighter should reflect on the amount of time that will be necessary to safely exit the structure! Notice that this scenario does not focus on immediately leaving the structure, but challenges the firefighter to consider the prospect of being able to exit the structure in a safe manner as opposed to exiting the structure with insufficient air and/or being caught in a flashover and becoming a national statistic.
Chief Mittendorf is the author of Truck Company Operations and Facing the Promotional Interview. To purchase, return to the Main Page and scroll down to Fire Nuggets Books and Videos.
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