Shelter of Last Resort
Active safety is concerned with protecting the cabin interior. One measure includes watering the window panes and tires of the FFE with a mist distributor powered by an independent hydraulic system. The water tank always holds 70 gallons so it is ready for use. The system also must be powered by a different source than the one supplying the fire pump. Four firefighters died in 2003 because the engine broke down and the pump couldn't run the mist diffusion system.
| Related Articles | ||||||
|
The misting system must be able to operate whether the FFE in is motion or standing still. The water must protect the windows and front face of the truck by sprinkling water directly or on the upper half and allowing the water to run down. The tires must be protected as well. The rate of flow must not be under 15 gpm, and the misting system must reach peak efficiency within one minute.
Active safety also covers firefighters' ability to breathe in a smoky environment. The Breathable Air System must meet European Regulations that require 10 minutes of autonomy and 8 gpm per person. Options include individual breathing kits or a collective compressed air system with individual masks. In the latter option, the cabin is equipped with compressed-air bottles and individual air masks. The bottles must be easy to open. The over-pressurized cabin is supplied air from a single bottle operated by the driver.
Finally, active safety includes a FFE Geographical Positioning System. GPS allows the control room in the headquarters to alert and guide aircraft and/or reinforcements to the fire entrapment location.
Passive safety is concerned with protecting the windows. One measure includes positioning an isolating film on windshield and panes of the cabin to prevent them from exploding and to delay breaking.
Passive safety also concerns the hydraulic system and the hydraulic and pneumatic circuit. The electrical circuit, the gasoline circuit and battery compartment must be heat-resistant up to 270°F for a 10-minute period. An emergency hand drive must be available in case of pneumatic breakdown and isolated.
Finally, passive safety includes protecting the cabin from crushing. Anti-crush roll bars are situated inside the cabin between the cabin and the main water tank.
In 2006, a fire laboratory in Southeast France tested the resistance of an FFE in real conditions. The engine was fully equipped with sensors (thermocouples and flux meters) and positioned with one side facing an incoming fire to show the efficiency of the cabin as a shelter for a fire crew put into danger, as well as testing several specific protections of engine vital organs.
Of course, fire training has been updated and included into national standards. Every firefighters learns sheltering into the cabin in emergency drills at the first step in qualifying to become a wildland firefighter. Being able to remain calm and clear headed inside the FFE and keeping doors and windows closed while the fire to pass over is critical.
Nevertheless, the question of what can be done to prevent unprotected FFE from going onto the field remains. The answer must combine economy, sensitivity, balance of risk, command and management. But for now, awareness is key.
Col. Eric Peuch is director of the fire and rescue department of the Charente-Maritime in Southeastern France. He has been especially interested in firefighter protection during entrapments and has spoken on this topic at the IAWF Wildland Fire Safety Summit in 2005 and at the Wildland Fire Conference 2006 in Seville, Spain, and in Figuera du Foz, Portugal.
Acceptable Use Policy blog comments powered by Disqus
