Development and Implementation of an Improved Fire Shelter for Wildland Firefighters

1
Development and Implementation of an Improved
Fire Shelter for Wildland Firefighters

• Leslie Anderson
• USDA Forest Service
• Missoula Technology and Development Center

2
Standard Fire Shelter

• Developed in 1960s
• Laminate of fiberglass and aluminum foil
• Designed to reflect radiant heat
• Rapidly damaged by flames

3
Standard Fire Shelter

• Deployed more than 1,100 times
• ½ Precautionary
• ¼ Prevented
• serious burns
• ¼ Saved life
• of occupant
• Approximately 20 fatalities

4
Fire Shelter Development

• 1999 Discovery of potential flammability
• Response
• New training materials
• January 2000 MTDC is asked to develop new
• shelter

5
Goals for New Fire Shelter

• Maintain protection in radiant heat
• Improve protection in flames
• Also consider
• Strength
• Durability
• Weight/Bulk
• Toxicity
• Flammability
• Cost

6
Performance Test Development

• Reliable performance tests needed
• MTDC collected fire environment data
• Contracted for test development

7
Performance Tests

• Strength
• Durability
• Flammability
• Thermal Protection
• Toxicity

8
Shelter Design

• Substantial interest from private industry
• Fully designed shelters were tested as received
• Other materials were sewn into design developed
  at MTDC

9
MTDC Shelter Design

• More efficient use of material
• Shape to minimize absorption of
• radiant heat
• Allows person
• to lie prone

10
MTDC Shelter Design (continued)

• Rounder shape
• Rounded ends
• scatter radiant heat

11
Selection Process Small-scale Tests

• 40 materials
• Small-scale thermal tests
• Strength
• Flammability
• Toxicity

12
Selection ProcessFull-scale Tests

• 17 material combinations
• Radiant tests
• Direct flame
• tests
• Durability
• tests
• Shake tests
• Toxicity tests

13
Selection Process

• Peer Review of Test Methods
• 10 Options Presented
• Selection made June 7, 2002 by Federal Fire and
  Aviation Leadership Council

14
New Generation Fire Shelter

• Two laminated
• layers
• Rounded shape
• Shake handles
• 4.2 pounds
• (1.9 kg)
• Seams for structure and to limit damage.

15
Materials

• Outer Layer Woven silica and foil
• Inner Layer Fiberglass and foil

16
Performance in Radiant Heat
17
Performance in Radiant Heat
18
Performance in Direct Flame
19
Performance in Direct Flame
20
Training

• Video/DVD and Booklet
• The New Generation Fire Shelter
• New practice fire shelter
• MTDC Tech Tip
• New Generation Fire Shelter Developed for
  Wildland Firefighters

21
Training (continued)

• Keep focus on avoiding situations that lead to
  entrapment.
• New shelter is not an excuse to take risks.

22
Transition

• Expensive
• 3-5 year transition

23

• Questions?