Transcript Incident Safety Officer Training Program

FIRE OFFICER
DEVELOPEMENT
INCIDENT SAFETY
OFFICER
1
NIOSH Fatality Investigations
• Federal Mandate
• Reports found at: www.cdc.gov/niosh
• Reoccurring recommendation:
“…ensure that a separate Incident Safety
Officer, independent from the IC, is
appointed…responds automatically to predesignated incidents.”
2
Applicable Standards
•
•
•
•
NFPA-1521
EM-06
EM-07
EM-29 (references Increased Hazards)
3
Benefits of the Incident Safety
Officer
• Diminishes accident potential and enhances
safety culture
• Minimizes time lost due to injuries
• Helps protect against liability
• Maximizes Incident Commander focus
• Instills safety-consciousness in the
Firefighters themselves
• Enhances efficiency and effectiveness
4
The Nature of Firefighters
• Aggressive - want to get in
• Action oriented
• Results oriented
• Risk-takers
• Hot and cold influences on
behavior
• Fatigue (post incident)
• Adrenaline burn – chemical
imbalance?
• What do we know about
ourselves?
5
Duties of the ISO
In it’s simplest form, the ISO
evaluates:
• Fire Behavior
• Building Behavior - the environment
• Firefighter Behavior
This helps you READ the RISK!
6
Risk Management
• Risk : A chance of
damage, injury or loss
• Risk Management:
process of minimizing
the Chance, Degree, or
Probability of damage,
loss, or injury
7
Classic Risk Management
• Hazard identification
• Hazard evaluation
• Prioritize hazards
• Control hazards
• Monitor hazards
8
The ISO as a Risk Manager
• ISO identifies hazards
• Provides an assessment of hazards for IC
• Provides solutions to the IC
• Develops credibility
• Predicts injuries BEFORE they happen
• Makes a DIFFERENCE!
9
The ART of Reading Smoke
10
Why “Read” Smoke?
To determine “HOW MUCH” fire
11
Why “Read” Smoke?
To help find the LOCATION of the
fire
12
Why “Read” Smoke?
To help predict COLLAPSE potential
13
Why “Read” Smoke?
To help PRIORITIZE Strategies &
Tactics
14
Why “Read” Smoke?
To PROTECT Firefighters from a
“HOSTILE FIRE EVENT”
15
The “ADVANCED” Basics
Concept #1: “Smoke”
Gases
Is Fuel
Aerosols
Particulates
16
The “ADVANCED” Basics
Concept #2: Fuels have changed Mass and Make-up!
17
The “ADVANCED” Basics
Concept 3:
The Fuel has Triggers:
•Flash Point
•Fire Point
•Ignition Temperature
18
The “ADVANCED” Basics
How does “flammable range” factor in?
19
Flammable Range & the Three Fires
Too Rich . . .
Too Lean . . .
Just Right . . .
20
“ HOSTILE ”
Fire Events
• Flashover
• Backdraft
• Smoke Explosion
• Rapid Fire Spread
21
FLASHOVER
WARNING SIGNS:
Turbulent Smoke
“Rollover”
Auto Ignition outside
Smoke –Cloud Ignition is likely after flashover
22
BACKDRAFT
Remember – Backdraft is triggered by O2 being
introduced to a pressurized “box”
 Yellowish-grey smoke
 Whistling
 Bowing windows
 “Sealed” containers
23
SMOKE EXPLOSION
Remember – A Smoke Explosion is a spark or
flame applied to a mixture below its ignition
temperature
 Trapped gases in upper areas
 Growing fire
 Increasing smoke density
 Air intake overtaking smoke exiting
24
RAPID FIRE SPREAD
Usually “Container” Influenced
SMOKE is the Fuel that is spreading the fire
Look for fast moving smoke in high pressure
zones
May result from another “event”
25
“ Reading Smoke”
• Observations are
typically made from
outside - inside
observations hide the
“real” picture.
26
“ Reading Smoke”
• Nothing is absolute
• Visible FIRE is easy to read - look past it for
the real story
• Compare vent openings
27
The ART of Reading Smoke
A 4-STEP PROCESS to help predict
fire behavior and hostile events
28
Step 1: Evaluate
Key Factors
• Volume
• Velocity (Pressure)
• Density
• Color
29
VOLUME
Always relative to
the “Box”
Tells “how much”
fuel has off-gased
Sets the Stage
30
VELOCITY (Pressure)
How fast is the
smoke leaving?
Can indicate
volume or heat
Helps find the
location of the
actual fire
31
DENSITY
Most Important
Factor
Quality of Burning
Continuity of Fuel
Likelihood of an
event
“Degree” of the
Event
32
COLOR
 Rarely tells
“material burning
 Stage of Heating
 Location of Fire
 Amount of Flaming
 “Brown” Smoke
33
Step 2: Weigh
Factors
• Container (most
important factor)
• Thermal Balance
• Weather
• Firefighting efforts
34
Step 3: Judge the Fire Status
Are conditions getting better or worse?
35
Classify the Fire:
Stable -predictable
Rapidly changing
-predictable
Unstable/Unpredictable
36
Step 4: Predict the EVENT
Consider that:
• One hostile event can - and
usually will - lead to another
event.
• Communicate your observations.
• Warning Signs are not always
visual – use your KNOWLEDGE
and EXPERIENCE.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS…
37
Some other “Tricks”
Watch open doorways - watch what the
smoke does – and what the fresh air
does!
38
THE ART OF READING SMOKE
Some Examples
39
40
The Science of
Predicting Collapse
The “Science of
Predicting
Collapse” is
actually
A “ 5 STEPAPPROACH” to
evaluating
collapse
potential.
41
Methods/Types of Construction
 Fire Resistive
 Non-Combustible:
Steel, concrete, masonry,
glass
 Ordinary: Load-bearing masonry exterior wall,
combustible interior construction
 Heavy Timber (Mill)
 Wood Frame: Platform, Balloon, Lightweight
 Hybrids?
42
Relationship of Mass/Fire
Resistance
• The most prevalent reason the year 2002 fire
is different than the 1980 fire!
• Most interior Firefighting tactics are based on
a 1950’s structure!
• Mass = Fire Resistance
43
The 1950’s Building
 Most Members are
in COMPRESSION
 Connections are
“through” the
materials
 MASS not MATH
 Fire Loading at 8000
BTUs per Pound
44
2000 & Beyond
 Members in TENSION
 Connections are surface
attached
 MATH not MASS
 Fire Loading is 16,000+
BTUs #
45
Lightweight Construction
 Trusses Throughout
 Engineered Wood:
Waste Wood
Glued and Pressed
Particles
 Composites
 Experimentation
Methods
46
Predicting Collapse: The 5-Step
Process
47
Step 1: Classify the Type
• Generalize Type of Construction
• FR, NC, O, HT, & WF
• **Hybrid**
• Strengths & Weaknesses
• Fire behavior within type
• Fire spread potential
• Hazards vs. Tactics
48
Step 2: Determine Structural
Involvement
 Structural Fire or
Contents Fire
 Connections Involved
 Protective Barriers
Compromised
 Lightweight
components off-gassing
49
STEP 3: Visualize Load Imposition
 Visually “Undress”
the Building
 Bring in your
Knowledge of
Materials – and how
they react in fire
 Weak Links?
50
Step 4: Evaluate TIME
 How long has the
fire been burning?
 How long will it
take to get to the
fire?
 REMEMBER……
51
Step 5: Predict Collapse Sequence
• Visualize the collapse scenario
• Partial or localized? General ?
• Who is at most risk?
• Imminent or just a potential
• Proclaim a COLLAPSE ZONE
• What operation(s) needs to be
altered, suspended, terminated
52
You Now Have the Information To
Predict Collapse
Envision the Collapse – see it
happen in your mind
ZONE the Incident
COMMUNICATE!
53
Once you’ve Zoned & Communicated,
Remember. . .
• More FF’s are killed outside the building than in
• You Must understand defensive outside tactics
• The collapse zone - types of collapse
• The reach of hose streams
• The advantages & risks of aerial streams
• The collapse zone for aerial streams
• Flanking a fire from the safe zone
54
Construction Sites – WATCH OUT!
• Under construction vs. Under fire attack
• Components not necessarily joined - less
stable
• Irregular ground, holes, mud
• Power and water may not be functioning
• Walk ways and worker paths may not be
secure
• Beware of openings between floors,
ventilation shafts, etc.
55
Construction Site Hazards (cont’d)
• Beware of openings or upper floors not yet
encased with windows or walls
• Materials in piles may be overloading a
structural element
• Flammables will intensify heating
• Security fencing may represent an
access/egress problem
56
Exposure of Crews
Can you tell when your
people have had
enough?
Don’t Wait for this to
Happen!
57
PHYSIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
•
•
•
•
Ergonomics
Thermal Stress
Dehydration and Energy Depletion
Other Physiological Stressors
• 1 Noise
• 2 Diurnal Effects
• 3 Psychological Stressors
• Critical Incident Stress
• Cumulative Stress
58
HEAT INDEX
•
•
•
•
•
•
85 degrees @ 35% RH = 85 degrees
90 degrees @ 35% RH = 91 degrees
95 degrees @ 35% RH = 98 degrees
100 degrees @ 35% RH = 107 degrees
105 degrees @ 35% RH = 118 degrees
110 degrees @ 35% RH = 130 degrees
59
THERMAL STRESS
AND
HEAT INDEX
• Current SOP EM-29, Non Emergency
• Heat Index up to 89
• Heat Index from 90 to 99
• Heat Index of 100 or greater
• Heat Index of 105 or greater
• Emergency activities 90 or greater
60
U.S. ARMY STANDARD
•
•
•
•
78 TO 81.9
82 TO 84.9
85 TO 87.9
88 TO 89.9
NORMAL DUTIES
NORMAL DUTIES
USE DISCRETION
STRENIOUS ACTIVITIES
LIMITED
• 90 AND ABOVE
STRENUOUS ACTIVITY
CANCELLED
61
HYDRATION AND FLUID
REPLACEMENT
• 17 minutes of firefighting results in a 15%
reduction in plasma volume.
• Hyperthermia causes vasodilation, an
increase in vessel diameter.
• Vasodilation also may reduce blood pressure.
• Aggressive hydration. 1.7 liters of fluid to
replace fluid lost during 17 minutes of
firefighting.
62
The ISO On-Scene
63
Triggers and Traps
Triggers – Those things the ISO can do to
help instill safe operations.
Traps – General approaches that will
render the ISO ineffective.
64
TRIGGERS to Safe Operations
BE VISIBLE –
Display the
word “Safety”
like a banner
65
TRIGGERS to Safe Operations
Lead by Example!
SOFT Intervention – advice, sharing
observations, humor, etc.
FIRM Intervention – Stop, Alter,
Suspend operations. Stern Advisories.
66
TRAPS to Avoid
The “Bunker Cop” Syndrome
67
TRAPS to Avoid
The “CYA”
Mode
68
TRAPS to Avoid
The “Worker”
69
TRAPS to Avoid
“Hand-Cuffing”
the Operation
70
Your Goal:
Be a Valuable
Consultant:
• Present tangible - well
articulated hazard
observations
• Don’t subvert IC
• Offer solutions and
contingencies - credibility!
• Regular contact - face to
face - every 15 min
71