Fire Fighter Safety Quiz

1
Fire Fighter Safety Quiz

• By Gary Edwards

2
QUESTION

• To minimize risk of injury to fire fighters when
  fighting structure fires, fire departments should

3

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

4

• 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 victims carbon monoxide level at 51
  saturation. There was no notable trauma.

5
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

6
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

7
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

8
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

9

1. The span of two poles
2. The length of their fire apparatus
3. 100 feet
4. A 50 foot section of hose

10

• 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.

11
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.

12
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.

13
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 handNomex 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.

14
QUESTION

• When conducting extinguishment efforts for
  residential basement fires it is most important
  to

15

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

16

• 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 victims 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

17
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

18
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

19
(No Transcript)