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Carcinogens and Fire Apparatus Cabs
Carcinogens and Fire Apparatus Cabs
Posted: Jan 26, 2018

Carcinogens and Fire Apparatus Cabs

keeping it safe robert tutterow
 
robert tutterow

This column is a continuation of the topic of exposures as they relate to fire department vehicles.

The genesis of this topic stems from the Fire Service Occupational Cancer Symposium conducted by the Fire Service Occupational Cancer Alliance, which is affiliated with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This month’s column focuses on cab interiors.

Seats

Seating is one of the primary focuses of cab exposure. The issue is compounded in that for most departments, it also exposes the public. How so? We sit in our seats while wearing contaminated gear. We go on EMS calls as first responders and sit in the seats that are cross-contaminated from the dirty personal protective equipment (PPE). We then go into public places and private dwellings to render aid and further spread our contamination.

How can this be prevented? Foremost, every effort should be made to keep contaminated PPE, including self-contained breathing apparatus, out of the cab. However, this may not always be possible. Furthermore, we do not have the ability to know “how clean is clean.” Research is currently underway to find the most effective ways to decontaminate PPE, but we must assume that it is probably not 100 percent effective. A caveat: Although cleaning may not be 100 percent effective, that should never be an excuse to not clean and decontaminate. Through science-based research, we know that cleaning is very effective, even if not 100 percent effective.

The attendees of the vehicles and exposures workshop at the Fire Service Occupational Cancer Symposium were asked to participate in a post conference survey. One of the questions was: “What changes/improvements are needed to make vehicle seats easer to decontaminate?” Responses included make them nonporous and steam-cleanable; less cloth; smooth nonporous surfaces that can be sprayed and wiped easily; nonabsorbent covers that are easily removed and cleaned; and no cloth seats.

Another possible solution was using seat belt covers. These could be disposable or easily removed for decontamination. If departments adopt this solution, they should have a clean second set available. It was noted that seat covers for personal vehicles are readily available for applications such as preventing sweat from getting on seats after a workout or long-distance run.

Cab Floors

Another question on the post symposium survey was: “What changes are needed in cab interiors to make them easier to decontaminate?” Cab flooring was one of the focal points. The responses included less texture; take examples from ambulances—i.e., flush, easy-to-clean materials; and possible drain holes in the floor so they can be rinsed.

Most cab floors in North American fire apparatus are a black textured material. The color hides dirt (contaminants), and the textured material provides needed slip resistance. Is it no longer wise to select flooring that hides contaminants? Is it time to look at floor coverings that are slip-resistant but not textured so they are easier to clean? Some departments currently specify aluminum diamond treadplate for the flooring. This seems to be a better option for detecting contaminants and for ease of cleaning. The European fire service often uses a light-colored flooring made of a semismooth slip-resistant vinyl. It is a prod

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Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Posted: Jan 26, 2018

Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See

 
Thermal Imaging Carl Nix
 

When you can see smoke and flames from a building on fire, it can help guide firefighters to areas that require immediate attention. Firefighters can quickly locate the fire and go to work extinguishing it. Most structural fire calls are from neighbors, bystanders, or occupants who see smoke coming from a structure. If we can see the fire, we can size it up and extinguish it.

What about the fires we don’t see? These are the calls that come in from concerned citizens reporting a smell or funny odor in their house or place of business. When responding to some of these calls, we can often quickly see where a fire is smoldering by identifying paint that is blistering or smoke coming from a wall. Those clues are vital to identifying the fire and combating it. Sometimes, however, we don’t have any clues, and that’s when the thermal imaging camera (TIC) can be the most valuable tool.

Call #1. A few years ago, a call came in from a commercial business to investigate an odor in the building. A section of the business was being renovated, and the construction crew had been working on site all day. When the firefighters entered the building, they could smell an odor but there were no visible signs of smoke or smoke-related damage. They used the TIC to scan the areas where the construction crew had been that day, and it showed a hot spot in the ceiling. The crew removed the ceiling panel to find a smoldering fire and quickly extinguished the fire with water.

Using the TIC in this situation not only saved the firefighters a great deal of time but it also helped them to extinguish a potential fire that could have significantly damaged the plant. One of the most challenging fire conditions to control is the one we don’t see. This fire was hidden and would have eventually ignited. The TIC most likely saved this manufacturer thousands of dollars in damage.

Call #2. Another call where smoke was not visible but harder to detect occurred late at night in a residential neighborhood. Several neighbors had called reporting a smoky smell in their neighborhood but couldn’t identify specifically where it was coming from. When firefighters arrived on the scene, neighbors were outside but there was no smoke or flames coming from any of the houses. The firefighters grabbed the TIC and started scanning the houses, hoping to find any clues that might lead them to a hidden fire. While scanning the houses, they eliminated those that appeared gray on the TIC, but one house showed an area in an attic that appeared bright white. The firefighters now had something to investigate and found an attic fire. Had this fire gone undiscovered, the homeowners could have lost their home to a fire that would have eventually ignited through the roof. Smart thinking by neighbors to report an odor in their neighborhood and smart thinking by the firefighting crew to use the TIC to scan the houses prevented a significant fire and loss of property.

1 Firefighters should use a TIC to locate hidden fires to save time and property damage. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)
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Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Posted: Jan 26, 2018

Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See

 
Thermal Imaging Carl Nix
 

When you can see smoke and flames from a building on fire, it can help guide firefighters to areas that require immediate attention. Firefighters can quickly locate the fire and go to work extinguishing it. Most structural fire calls are from neighbors, bystanders, or occupants who see smoke coming from a structure. If we can see the fire, we can size it up and extinguish it.

What about the fires we don’t see? These are the calls that come in from concerned citizens reporting a smell or funny odor in their house or place of business. When responding to some of these calls, we can often quickly see where a fire is smoldering by identifying paint that is blistering or smoke coming from a wall. Those clues are vital to identifying the fire and combating it. Sometimes, however, we don’t have any clues, and that’s when the thermal imaging camera (TIC) can be the most valuable tool.

Call #1. A few years ago, a call came in from a commercial business to investigate an odor in the building. A section of the business was being renovated, and the construction crew had been working on site all day. When the firefighters entered the building, they could smell an odor but there were no visible signs of smoke or smoke-related damage. They used the TIC to scan the areas where the construction crew had been that day, and it showed a hot spot in the ceiling. The crew removed the ceiling panel to find a smoldering fire and quickly extinguished the fire with water.

Using the TIC in this situation not only saved the firefighters a great deal of time but it also helped them to extinguish a potential fire that could have significantly damaged the plant. One of the most challenging fire conditions to control is the one we don’t see. This fire was hidden and would have eventually ignited. The TIC most likely saved this manufacturer thousands of dollars in damage.

Call #2. Another call where smoke was not visible but harder to detect occurred late at night in a residential neighborhood. Several neighbors had called reporting a smoky smell in their neighborhood but couldn’t identify specifically where it was coming from. When firefighters arrived on the scene, neighbors were outside but there was no smoke or flames coming from any of the houses. The firefighters grabbed the TIC and started scanning the houses, hoping to find any clues that might lead them to a hidden fire. While scanning the houses, they eliminated those that appeared gray on the TIC, but one house showed an area in an attic that appeared bright white. The firefighters now had something to investigate and found an attic fire. Had this fire gone undiscovered, the homeowners could have lost their home to a fire that would have eventually ignited through the roof. Smart thinking by neighbors to report an odor in their neighborhood and smart thinking by the firefighting crew to use the TIC to scan the houses prevented a significant fire and loss of property.

1 Firefighters should use a TIC to locate hidden fires to save time and property damage. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)
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Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See
Posted: Jan 26, 2018

Using the TIC for Fires You Don’t See

 
Thermal Imaging Carl Nix
 

When you can see smoke and flames from a building on fire, it can help guide firefighters to areas that require immediate attention. Firefighters can quickly locate the fire and go to work extinguishing it. Most structural fire calls are from neighbors, bystanders, or occupants who see smoke coming from a structure. If we can see the fire, we can size it up and extinguish it.

What about the fires we don’t see? These are the calls that come in from concerned citizens reporting a smell or funny odor in their house or place of business. When responding to some of these calls, we can often quickly see where a fire is smoldering by identifying paint that is blistering or smoke coming from a wall. Those clues are vital to identifying the fire and combating it. Sometimes, however, we don’t have any clues, and that’s when the thermal imaging camera (TIC) can be the most valuable tool.

Call #1. A few years ago, a call came in from a commercial business to investigate an odor in the building. A section of the business was being renovated, and the construction crew had been working on site all day. When the firefighters entered the building, they could smell an odor but there were no visible signs of smoke or smoke-related damage. They used the TIC to scan the areas where the construction crew had been that day, and it showed a hot spot in the ceiling. The crew removed the ceiling panel to find a smoldering fire and quickly extinguished the fire with water.

Using the TIC in this situation not only saved the firefighters a great deal of time but it also helped them to extinguish a potential fire that could have significantly damaged the plant. One of the most challenging fire conditions to control is the one we don’t see. This fire was hidden and would have eventually ignited. The TIC most likely saved this manufacturer thousands of dollars in damage.

Call #2. Another call where smoke was not visible but harder to detect occurred late at night in a residential neighborhood. Several neighbors had called reporting a smoky smell in their neighborhood but couldn’t identify specifically where it was coming from. When firefighters arrived on the scene, neighbors were outside but there was no smoke or flames coming from any of the houses. The firefighters grabbed the TIC and started scanning the houses, hoping to find any clues that might lead them to a hidden fire. While scanning the houses, they eliminated those that appeared gray on the TIC, but one house showed an area in an attic that appeared bright white. The firefighters now had something to investigate and found an attic fire. Had this fire gone undiscovered, the homeowners could have lost their home to a fire that would have eventually ignited through the roof. Smart thinking by neighbors to report an odor in their neighborhood and smart thinking by the firefighting crew to use the TIC to scan the houses prevented a significant fire and loss of property.

1 Firefighters should use a TIC to locate hidden fires to save time and property damage. (Photo courtesy of Bullard.)
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Protecting Firefighters for the Long Term
Protecting Firefighters for the Long Term
Posted: Jan 26, 2018

Protecting Firefighters for the Long Term

chief concerns richard marinucci
 

Everyone agrees that firefighters are the most valuable resources in a fire department.

Service cannot be provided without human resources, and the quality of what is delivered depends on well-trained and healthy firefighters. The job can be very challenging when dealing with the thermal insult and toxic fumes generated by a fire. Further, the work environment, aka the building, can collapse in the middle of an operation. These hazards do not even include those present for other job responsibilities in emergency medical services, hazardous materials responses, and technical rescues.

The hazards present to firefighters are more prevalent today, and the list of risks seems to be continually growing. It is not just short-term danger but the threat of harm later in life. Most specifically, it is the increased risk of contracting certain types of cancer. This can be attributed to the increasing danger of the products of combustion on the human body. But, cancer is not the only threat. Firefighters must be protected from a wide range of injuries and illnesses. If departments are serious about protecting their most valuable resources, then they must take a comprehensive approach to minimize the risks to their firefighters, including health and wellness programs and quality protective clothing.

Research Your Choices

Everyone should be aware that there is more protection for firefighters than ever before. This includes improved personal protective equipment (PPE), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and ancillary equipment that helps such as air monitors and thermal imaging cameras. While most of the products you see offer protection, some are obviously better than others. It will pay dividends to do your homework. Products have differing degrees of safety and protection for firefighters. Make sure the product you are looking at will do what it is supposed to do within a price range you can afford. This is especially true when new products are developed to address specific issues. I recall that the first few generations of PASS devices did not operate as fire departments expected. There were many false alarms to the point that firefighters were ignoring their signals, and the noise was affecting communication. Subsequently, integrated PASS devices have proven to be much more reliable and effective.

Regarding protective equipment, the best options are to follow National Fire Protection Association standards and manufacturers’ recommendations regarding maintenance and upkeep. This only works when a standard exists. As new products are developed, it takes a little time for the standards to catch up. There could be other options from other industries using similar products, or there may be some governmental regulations. Just check to see what is available when researching products. You may also need to pay more attention to the science behind a product. This was brought to my attention recently by a colleague who makes sure I know what I am talking about regarding certain products. I was discussing one in particular, and he cautioned me to wait until the “jury decides” before extolling the virtues of a magic cure-all. As they say, “caveat emptor,” or let the buyer beware.

Beyond PPE

There is only so much that equipment and safety items can do to protect firefighters. Regardless of their quality and effect

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