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Posted: Jul 1, 2018

Crews work to contain Conrad Fire in Yakima County

The Conrad Fire in Yakima has burned an estimated 4,000 acres as of 7:45 a.m. on Monday. It grew about 2,500 acres since Sunday night. Firefighters from across Washington state are battling winds and terrain. The fire is burning on Clemens Mountain outside of Naches Fire District in Yakima County. On Sunday evening, nearly 50 homes in the area of Box Canyon and Conrad roads were evacuated.
- PUB DATE: 7/1/2018 5:43:06 PM - SOURCE: KREM 2
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Posted: Jul 1, 2018

HME Model 34 Type 3 Wildland Fire Apparatus Delivery

ALAN M. PETRILLO

The Los Pinos (CO) Fire Protection District wanted to replace a 1986 pumper outfitted like a Type 3 engine with a dual-purpose engine to be housed in its dedicated wildland station, Station 5.

The apparatus committee visited neighboring departments and talked about the apparatus they had of a similar type and then talked with several vendors about their wildland products and how they might work in Los Pinos. The end result, says John Gilbert, Los Pinos’s captain who was on the apparatus committee, was that HME gave the district the best product at the best price.

The Process

Gilbert says the committee got the Model 34D CAL FIRE specs, which he characterized as “well-detailed and very involved specs. We got them from HME and, after reviewing them, decided to keep all the major components on the truck but wanted to change a few things.”

1 The Los Pinos (CO) Fire Protection District went to HME Inc. for this Model 34 Type 3 wildland pumper built on an International 7400 4x4 four-door commercial chassis with seating for four firefighters. (Photos courtesy of Fire Fighter Trucks of Colorado.)

1 The Los Pinos (CO) Fire Protection District went to HME Inc. for this Model 34 Type 3 wildland pumper built on an International 7400 4x4 four-door commercial chassis with seating for four firefighters. (Photos courtesy of Fire Fighter Trucks of Colorado.)

What attracted Los Pinos to the Model 34D Type 3, Gilbert points out, was its need for pump-and-roll capability and the ability to mount a 750-gallon-per-minute (gpm) midship pump that would classify the vehicle as an attack engine for structural firefighting by the Insurance Services Office. “We liked the Darley 1.5AGE 150-gpm auxiliary pump for pump-and-roll and went with a Darley LSPH-750 two-stage 750-gpm power takeoff (PTO) pump for the midship pump with a water tank of 750 gallons.”

2 The Model 34 Type 3 engine has a Darley LSPH 750-gpm two-stage midship pump, a Darley diesel-powered 1.5AGE 150-gpm portable pump for pump-and-roll, a UPF Poly 500-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon foam cell, and a FoamPro 1600 Class A foam system.

2 The Model 34 Type 3 engine has a Darley LSPH 750-gpm two-stage midship pump, a Darley diesel-powered 1.5AGE 150-gpm portable pump for pump-and-roll, a UPF Poly 500-gallon water tank, a 20-gallon foam cell, and a FoamPro 1600 Class A foam system.

Gilbert notes that changes the committee made to the specs included adding some

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Posted: Jul 1, 2018

Engine Preplanning: The Key to Operators’ Success

By ED COLLET


Whether the person who drives the engine and operates the pump is called an engineer, operator, or chauffer, he has one of the most important jobs on the fireground.

He must get to the scene while keeping the crew and public safe. At the scene, water must quickly be delivered from the tank to the hoselines prior to a water supply being secured. Various hoselines on the engine will provide options for the water flow to match the size of the fire. The operator will be able to get the correct flow to each line by using the labels and charts with operating pressures determined after testing. All this is done while keeping an eye on the scene, watching gauges, and listening to the engine to help ensure scene safety. That is a lot to do—especially in the early morning hours after being awakened from a sound sleep. Preplanning the engine is a key element in the operator successfully completing all the required tasks on the fireground.

1 A pump rating plaque. (Photos by author.)

1 A pump rating plaque. (Photos by author.)

Getting There

Getting to the fire safely is one of the most important duties of an operator. Doing this effectively involves knowing the physical aspects of the engine (pumper). The engine must be taken to a scale and weighed with a full tank of water, all its equipment, and a full crew complement. This provides the true weight of the vehicle, not just the design estimations of the gross vehicle weight. There are many things knowing the weight does for the operator. Routes may change based on bridge weight restrictions in the response area. Height is another limiting factor in planning response routes. Low underpasses in the response district will require alternate routes. Clearance from overhead wires is a consideration when ladders and towers are positioned but needs to be considered by engine operators as well. Some streets may not be wide enough for some engines during certain times of the week. How will the width of the engine impact response and access to the scenes during these conditions? With ladders being stored in racks over the hosebed, it is critical for the operator to know how much room is needed to drop the ladder rack. The ladders will not be useful if there is a car in the way of the ladder rack or it deploys over a deep ditch. The physical characteristics of the engine impact how the operator approaches driving the vehicle and how it is positioned at the emergency scene. This is the reason knowing the physical characteristics is an important part of the engine preplan.

2 An example of a mechanical throttle.

2 An example of a mechanical throttle.

Pump Capacity

The operator must know the capacity of the engine’s pump. A plaque is located on the pump panel indicating the results of the pump performance test when the engine was originally certified by the

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Posted: Jul 1, 2018

Using the Camera to Avoid Rekindles

CARL NIX
Carl Nix

News stories about structural fires make great TV coverage for the media. I’m sure you can quickly think of a recent news story that involved a fire of some type. Maybe it was a structural fire, car fire, or chemical fire.

Fires are newsworthy, and we in the fire service know that at any time we might be standing in front of a reporter answering questions about a fire we are battling. Recently, I saw a news story involving a structure fire at a local restaurant. The firefighting crew had left the scene thinking the fire was out, only to be called back when the fire reignited.

I’m sure we can all relate to this scenario, and it serves as a great opportunity to discuss the unseen dangers that hide within structures when the fire appears to be out. Keep in mind that fire is deceptive, which is why it’s so difficult to fight. A smoldering fire doesn’t always give firefighters clues to where the fire is hiding within the structure. The obvious visible signs that many firefighters look for when evaluating concealed fires include blistering paint and smoke emitting from a wall. Crackling sounds from combustion coming from the structure are another clue that a fire is hiding somewhere.

One of the most challenging fire conditions to control is the one we don’t see. The most critical tool in your arsenal during situations like this is your thermal imaging camera (TIC). A TIC helps you locate hidden fires. Firefighters need to be using this tool in every situation where hidden fires may exist. I recommend using your TIC to scan from a distance of at least 10 to 15 feet away, so you have a broad perspective of any hidden heat conditions that may cause a fire to reignite. Begin by using your TIC to scan the structure’s interior wall and ceiling surfaces for signs of abnormal heat. What do I mean by abnormal? To distinguish abnormal from normal, firefighters need to consider what an ordinary heat source could be and how it may be impacting thermal signatures. For instance, a fuse box or appliance on the other side of a wall, active heat ducts inside the wall, or outside sunlight affecting the area and warming it can impact what the TIC image shows.

1 Firefighters need to be mindful that environmental conditions can affect their TIC readings. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

1 Firefighters need to be mindful that environmental conditions can affect their TIC readings. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)

Firefighters should always look for anomalies in the thermal signature of surfaces that cannot be explained by ordinary heat sources that might be creating such a thermal anomaly. Keep in mind, just because your TIC shows you a hot spot doesn’t always mean there’s a hidden fire. Opening up a wall before further investigation could result in unnecessary damage to the structure. Always investigate thoroughly and rely on your firefighters’ experience and knowledge before drawing any conclusions. Your TIC is there to help guide you and should never replace your firefigh

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Posted: Jul 1, 2018

Padernales Fire Department Invests in Lake Assault Boats “V” Hull Fireboat

By SCOTT ANDERSON


Lake Travis, located on the Colorado River in central Texas, is a sprawling reservoir that serves as a primary water source for the city of Austin, Texas.

The lake is well known for its wide range of recreational activities, including fishing, boating, swimming, and SCUBA diving. “Because of its tremendous popularity, Lake Travis is also, unfortunately, one of the more deadly lakes in Texas,” explains Lieutenant Kyle Swarts of the Pedernales (TX) Fire Department. Portions of Lake Travis are included in the northern boundary of the department’s 55-square-mile protection area. All told, the department covers more than 200 miles of shoreline. “We were an all-volunteer department until 2003, when the first paid staff was hired,” Swarts said. Because of its proximity to Lake Travis, the department has always needed a fireboat in its apparatus fleet. “Our previous craft was left over from the volunteer department’s days, and it was retrofitted to give us a minimal level of capabilities. It finally got to the point where it couldn’t meet our requirements.”

1 The Pedernales (TX) Fire Department purchased a 28-foot fireboat featuring a modified “V” hull, a 63-inch hydraulically operated bow door, a davit crane, a fully enclosed pilothouse, and a full array of advanced electronics. [Photos courtesy of the Pedernales (TX) Fire Department.]

1 The Pedernales (TX) Fire Department purchased a 28-foot fireboat featuring a modified “V” hull, a 63-inch hydraulically operated bow door, a davit crane, a fully enclosed pilothouse, and a full array of advanced electronics. [Photos courtesy of the Pedernales (TX) Fire Department.]

The Pedernales Fire Department learned about Lake Assault Boats, a custom manufacturer located on the western edge of Lake Superior in Wisconsin. A neighboring department, Lake Travis Fire Rescue, had purchased a similar boat from the manufacturer a few years earlier. After a thorough evaluation process, Pedernales purchased a 28-foot fireboat featuring a modified “V” hull, a 1,500-gallon-per-minute (gpm) fire pump, a 63-inch hydraulically operated bow door, a davit crane, a fully enclosed pilothouse, and a full array of advanced electronics. The craft is designed to respond to a wide range of emergencies, including structural fires, on-the-water rescues, and wildland fires.

Structural Fires: A Case Study

In January 2018, the Pedernales Fire Department was called out to a fully involved structure fire involving a two-story, 5,000-square-foot home under construction just a few weeks away from completion. “We initially had two water tenders at the scene and a third from a mutual-aid department all feeding into a quint aerial,” recalled Swarts. “Most of our district doesn’t have fire hydrants, so we’re very dependent on tenders.” Firefighters quickly realized that they would not be able to keep up with the quint’s water demands. (The turnaround time to get one of the tenders to a hydrant was about 25 minutes.)

2 The fireboat features a 1,500-gallon-per-minute fire pump.
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