Essentials of Fire Fighting, 5th Edition

Chapter 15 — Fire Control

Firefighter II

Firefighter II15–2

Chapter 15 Lesson Goal

• After completing this lesson, the student shall be able to attack Class B fires and coordinate interior attacks following the policies and procedures set forth by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).

Firefighter II15–3

Specific Objectives

1.Summarize considerations for hoseline selection. 2.Discuss stream selection. 3.Discuss suppressing Class B fires.4.Explain why bulk transport vehicle fires are difficult incidents. (Continued)

Firefighter II15–4

Specific Objectives

5.Discuss control of gas utilities. 6.Discuss command at structural fires. 7.Extinguish an ignitable liquid fire. (Skill Sheet 15-II-1)

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–5

Specific Objectives

8.Control a pressurized flammable gas container fire. (Skill Sheet 15-II-2)9.Establish Incident Command and coordinate interior attack of a structure fire. (Skill Sheet 15-II-3)

Firefighter II15–6

Hoseline Selection Factors

• Fire conditions• Fire load, material involved• Volume of water needed• Stream reach needed

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–7

Hoseline Selection Factors

• Number of firefighters available to advance hoselines

• Need for speed, mobility• Tactical requirements• Ease of hoseline deployment• Potential fire spread

Firefighter II15–8

Stream Selection

• Dictated by fire situation, capabilities of nozzle being used

• Solid-stream nozzle projects water in more-or-less solid mass

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–9

Stream Selection

• Combination (fog) nozzles project water in range of patterns

• Straight and solid streams• Combination fog nozzles

Firefighter II15–10

Converting Water to Steam

• Critical to heat absorption• Excess steam production can

obscure vision, inflict steam burns• Appropriate water application

methods critical

Firefighter II15–11

Class B Fires

• Those that involve flammable and combustible liquids, gases

• Flammable liquids — Flash points less than 100ºF (38ºC) (Continued)

Firefighter II15–12

Class B Fires

• Combustible liquids — Flash points higher than 100ºF (38ºC)

• Divisions of flammable, combustible liquids– Hydrocarbons– Polar solvents

Firefighter II15–13

Actions and Precautions

• Avoid standing in pools of fuel/runoff water because there may be fuel floating on top of water

• PPE soaked with flammable/combustible liquids must be removed from service until cleaned (Continued)

Firefighter II15–14

Actions and Precautions

• Unless leak can be stopped, do not extinguish fires around relief valves/piping

• Try to contain pooling liquid until flow can be stopped

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–15

Actions and Precautions

• Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)

• Applying foam is most often used for flammable liquid fires

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–16

Actions and Precautions

• Class B fire fighting techniques also needed for fires in gas utility facilities/highway incidents involving fuel tankers

• Water can be applied in several forms

Firefighter II15–17

Using Water to Control Class B Fires

• Water alone ineffective extinguishing agent

• Using water as cooling agent

• Using water as mechanical tool• Using water as crew protection

Firefighter II15–18

Bulk Transport Vehicle Fires

• Follow preincident plans• Techniques of extinguishment

similar to fires in flammable fuel facilities

• Major differences in vehicles transporting flammable fuels, storage facilities

Firefighter II15–19

Traffic Guidelines

• Close at least one lane of traffic in addition to incident lane during initial emergency operations

• Avoid using road flares because of possible ignition

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–20

Traffic Guidelines

• When law enforcement personnel unavailable, firefighters should be assigned to direct traffic, control scene access

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–21

Traffic Guidelines

• Position fire apparatus uphill, upwind (Continued)

Firefighter II15–22

Traffic Guidelines

• Exit apparatus, work from the side away from traffic as much as possible

• Turn wheels of vehicles parked to protect firefighters so apparatus cannot be pushed into them if struck by another vehicle

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–23

Techniques

• Be aware of possibility of vehicle tires failing

• Know status/limitations of water supply

• Protect trapped victims with hose streams until rescue

• Determine exact nature of cargos

Firefighter II15–24

Control of Gas Utilities

• Firefighters should have working knowledge of hazards, correct procedures for handling incidents involving natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–25

Control of Gas Utilities

• Natural gas or LPG used for cooking, heating, industrial processes

• Natural gas used as fuel for buses, motor vehicles

Firefighter II15–26

Natural Gas

• In pure form is methane; flammable, nontoxic

• When delivered to customers, may contain trace amounts of ethane, propane, butane, pentane

• Lighter than air

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–27

Natural Gas

• Nontoxic, but an asphyxiant• No odor of its own, but odor added• Distributed from gas wells to point

of use by pipes• Explosive between 5-15 percent in

air

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–28

Natural Gas

• May be compressed, stored, shipped in cylinders marked as compressed natural gas (CNG)

• Shipped, stored as liquid (LNG) and subject to BLEVE in this form

• Emergencies involving natural gas

Firefighter II15–29

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• Bottled gas• Refers to fuel gases stored in liquid

state under pressure• Two main gases in this category —

Butane and propane• Propane

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–30

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• About 1.5 times as heavy as air

• Explosive in concentrations between 1.5 and 10%

• Shipped from distribution point of usage in cylinders and tanks on cargo trucks (Continued)

Firefighter II15–31

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• Stored in cylinders, tanks near point of use

• Supply of gas may be stopped by shutting valve at tank

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–32

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• LPG leak will produce visible cloud of vapor that hugs ground

• Cloud of unburned gas may be dissipated by fog stream

• All LPG cylinders, tanks can BLEVE

Firefighter II15–33

Flammable Gas Incidents

• Incidents involving both CNG, LPG distribution systems most often caused by excavation equipment striking underground pipes, causing a break

• Contact utility company immediately

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–34

Flammable Gas Incidents

• Approach from, stage on upwind side even if gas not ignited

• First concerns are evacuation of area immediately around break, evacuation of area downwind, elimination of ignition sources

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–35

Flammable Gas Incidents

• Check surrounding buildings for odor of gas because service connections near break may have been damaged

• Follow departmental SOPs regarding crimping off gas line to stop leak

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–36

Flammable Gas Incidents

• If gas is burning, flame should not be extinguished

• If necessary, use hose streams to protect exposures

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–37

Flammable Gas Incidents

• In many structure fires, an important task is locating gas meter and turning off gas supply to involved building

• In some industrial, institutional occupancies, critical equipment and processes depend on uninterrupted supply of natural gas(Continued)

Firefighter II15–38

Flammable Gas Incidents

• In most homes and businesses, meter is located outside building and often visible from street

• If the gas meter involved in fire, firefighters assigned to turn off gas should be protected by hoseline set on wide fog pattern

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–39

Flammable Gas Incidents

• Flow of gas into building can be stopped by turning cutoff valve to closed position, which is set at right angle to pipe

Firefighter II15–40

Company-Level Fire Tactics

• Standard tactical priorities — Life safety, incident stabilization, property conservation

• Order of priorities same, but actions taken on fireground may/may not be performed in that order

Firefighter II15–41

Command — First Due Engine Company

• Company officer will conduct rapid initial assessment of situation

• Assessment determine further actions taken by first-due engine company

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–42

Command — First Due Engine Company

• If by taking immediate action company can save 1+ lives, will do so even if not enough firefighters on scene to form rapid intervention crew (RIC)

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–43

Command — First Due Engine Company

• If no obvious, immediate life-safety concerns, and fire threatening to extend to another nearby structure, officer may order lines pulled to apply water to exposure

• Officer may call for more resources

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–44

Command — First Due Engine Company

• Given a small interior fire, company officer usually assumes Command of incident

Firefighter II15–45

Command — Other Companies

• Second-due engine company• Fireground support company• Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC)• Chief Officer/Incident Command

Firefighter II15–46

Summary

• Attacking fires early in their development is an important aspect of a successful fire fighting operation. Likewise, selecting and applying the most effective fire attack strategy and tactics are also important.

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–47

Summary

• Failing to do any of these things can result in a fire growing out of control, an increase in fire damage and loss, and possibly in firefighter injuries.

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–48

Summary

• Firefighters need to know how to use the fire fighting tools and techniques adopted by their departments.

Firefighter II15–49

Review Questions

1.What are three factors to consider in hoseline selection?2.When would combination fog nozzles be used?3.What is a boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE)?

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–50

Review Questions

4.What are the major differences in fires in vehicles transporting flammable liquids and fires in storage facilities?

(Continued)

Firefighter II15–51

Review Questions

5.What questions does the company officer of the first-due engine company ask when conducting a rapid initial assessment of the situation?