Transcript Fire Fighter Safety Quiz - Pawling Fire Department

Fire Fighter Safety Quiz
By: Gary Edwards
QUESTION
 To minimize risk of injury to
fire fighters when fighting
structure fires, fire
departments should:
1. Conduct pre-incident planning
2. Ensure the incident commander conducts a
risk-versus-gain analysis
3. Make sure that all fire fighters are equipped
with a portable radio that can talk to the
incident commander
4. All of the above
 SUMMARY
 On February 18, 2004, a 40-year-old male fire fighter (the
victim) was fatally injured in a restaurant structure fire. The
victim, providing mutual aid, had been searching for the seat of
the fire with two volunteer fire fighters from another
department. When one of these fire fighters lost the seal on his
SCBA face piece, the fire fighter immediately abandoned the
nozzle position and retreated out of the closest door along with
his backup partner. In the black smoke and zero visibility, the
fire fighters were unaware that the victim was still inside the
structure. Soon after, the Incident Commander (IC) ordered an
emergency evacuation because of an imminent roof collapse,
and an air horn signal was sounded. Personnel accounting
indicated that a missing fire fighter (the victim) was still inside
the building when the roof partially collapsed. After several
search attempts, the victim was found in a face-down position
with his mask and a thermal imaging camera cable entangled
in a chair. His facemask was dislodged and not over his mouth.
He was pronounced dead on scene. The coroner listed cause of
death as smoke inhalation. An independent toxicology report listed
the victim’s carbon monoxide level at 51% saturation. There was no
notable trauma.
ANSWER
 NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar
occurrences, fire departments should:
 conduct pre-incident planning and inspections to facilitate
development of a safe fire ground strategy
 review, revise where appropriate, implement, and enforce
written standard operating guidelines (SOGs) that specifically
address: incident command (IC) duties, emergency evacuation
procedures, personnel accountability, rapid intervention
teams (RIT) and mutual aid operations on the fireground
 train on the SOGs, the incident command system, and lost fire
fighter procedures with mutual aid departments to establish
interagency knowledge of equipment, procedures, and
capabilities
ANSWER
 ensure that the IC maintains the role of directing
fireground operations for the duration of the incident
or until the command role is formally passed to
another individual
 ensure that the IC conducts a risk-versus-gain
analysis prior to committing fire fighters to the
interior and continually assesses risk versus gain
throughout the operations
 consider appointing a separate, but systematically
integrated incident safety officer
ANSWER
 ensure that all fire fighters are equipped with radios capable of
communicating with the IC
 ensure personnel accountability reports (PAR) are conducted in
an efficient, organized manner and results are reported directly
to the IC
 revise and enforce policies and guidelines regarding activation
of personal alert safety systems (PASS) devices
 ensure that fire fighters train with thermal imaging cameras (TIC)
and they are aware of their proper use and limitations
 ensure that individual fire fighters are trained and aware of the
hazards of exposure to carbon monoxide and other toxic fire
gases
QUESTION 2
 Fire fighters that are exposed
to electrical hazards during
wildland fire operations should
keep a minimal distance from
downed power lines equal to:
1. The span of two poles
2. The length of their fire apparatus
3. 100 feet
4. A 50 foot section of hose
 SUMMARY:
 Among the various hazards fire fighters face are
electrical hazards during wildland fire
suppression activities. The National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) reports that 10
fire fighters died from contact with electricity
during wildland fires between 1980 and 1999
(this figure does not include lightning strikes)
[NFPA 2001]. As part of the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire
Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention
Program, NIOSH investigated two separate
incidents in 1999 in which fire fighters died or
were seriously injured from exposures to
electricity while fighting wildland fires [NIOSH
1999a,b].
ANSWER
 Fire departments should do the following:
 Keep fire fighters a minimum distance away from downed
power lines until the line is de-energized. This minimum
distance should equal the span between two poles.
 Ensure that the Incident Commander conveys strategic
decisions related to power line location to all suppression
crews on the fireground and continually reevaluates fire
conditions.
 Establish, implement, and enforce standard operating
procedures (SOPs) that address the safety of fire fighters
when they work near downed power lines or energized
electrical equipment. For example, assign one of the
fireground personnel to serve as a spotter to ensure that the
location of the downed line is communicated to all fireground
personnel.
 Do not apply solid-stream water applications on or around
energized, downed power lines or equipment.
ANSWER
 Fire departments should do the following:
 Ensure that protective shields, barriers, or alerting techniques
are used to protect fire fighters from electrical hazards and
energized areas. For example, rope off the energized area.
 Train fire fighters in safety-related work practices when
working around electrical energy. For example, treat all
downed power lines as energized and make fire fighters
aware of hazards related to ground gradients.
 Ensure that fire fighters are equipped with the proper personal
protective equipment (Nomex® clothing compliant with NFPA
standard 1500 [NFPA 1997], leather boots, leather gloves,
etc.) and that it is maintained in good condition.
 Ensure that rubber gloves and dielectric overshoes and tools
(insulated sticks and cable cutters) for handling energized
equipment are used by properly trained and qualified
personnel.
ANSWER
 Fire fighters should do the following:
 Assume all power lines are energized and
call the power provider to de-energize the
line(s).
 Wear appropriate personal protective
equipment for the task at hand—Nomex®
clothing compliant with NFPA standard 1500,
rubber gloves, and dielectric overshoes and
tools (insulated sticks and cable cutters).
 Do not stand or work in areas of dense
smoke. Dense smoke can obscure energized
electrical lines or equipment and can become
charged and conduct electrical current.
QUESTION
 When conducting
extinguishment efforts for
residential basement fires it is
most important to:
1. Have total lighting in place before entering
the basement
2. Cut a hole in the floor above the fire for
ventilation
3. Secure a detailed floor plan that includes
the basement
4. Ensure that ventilation is closely
coordinated with fire attack
 SUMMARY
 November 29, 2003, a 31-year-old male fire fighter (the
victim) died while fighting a residential basement fire. The
victim and another fire fighter were in the basement applying
water to the fire on the ceiling. A Deputy Chief in the
basement reported to I.C. that the fire was knocked down and
requested ventilation. A positive pressure ventilation fan
(PPV) was started at the front door as the basement windows
were vented. Suddenly, thick black smoke filled the entire
basement area as the hoseline became covered by debris
falling from shelving in the basement. The Deputy Chief called
for a Mayday as he was running out of air just after he told the
crew to exit the basement. He was assisted from the
structure, fell unconscious, and was rushed to a hospital. The
victim’s rescue, however, was hampered by the heightened
fire conditions. The victim was recovered approximately 1 ½
hours later and transported to a local hospital where he was
pronounced dead. CAUSE OF DEATH
 The medical examiner reported the cause of death as smoke
and soot inhalation
ANSWER
 NIOSH investigators concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar
occurrences, fire departments should:
 develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs)
addressing emergency scene operations, including specific
procedures for basement fires
 ensure that ventilation is closely coordinated with the fire attack
 ensure that a Rapid Intervention Team is in place before conditions
become unsafe
 develop and coordinate pre-incident planning protocols with mutual
aid departments
 implement joint training on response protocols with mutual aid
departments
ANSWER
 Additionally,
 Municipalities should establish one central dispatch
center to coordinate and communicate activities
involving units from multiple jurisdictions
 Municipalities should ensure that companies
responding to mutual aid incidents are equipped
with mobile and portable communications
equipment that are capable of handling the volume
of radio traffic and allow communications between
all responding companies within their jurisdiction