Chapter 06

Copyright © 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning

Introduction to Fire Protection 3rd EditionRobert Klinoff

Introduction to Fire Protection3rd Edition



Chapter 6

Fire Department Resources



Objectives

• List fire department facilities• List advantages of a department having its own

facilities• Describe the purpose of each of the fire

department facilities• Describe the types of fire apparatus and their

functions• List the types of tools carried on fire apparatus



Objectives (con’t.)

• Describe the use of the various tools carried on fire apparatus

• Describe the different types of personal protective equipment firefighters use

• Describe the types and uses of aircraft in fire fighting



Introduction

• The modern fire department relies on facilities and equipment as resources

• Some facilities are not available at every fire department due to need or budget constraints

• Equipment has evolved over a period of many years– Varies in fire departments according to situations

and types of fires



Fire Department Facilities

• Includes the following:– Headquarters

– Automotive repair facility

– Training center

– Warehouse/central stores

– Communications center

– Fire stations



Headquarters

• Houses managerial/command staff• Concentrates decision makers in one location• May be located at main fire station or at other

location



Automotive Repair Facility

• Fleet maintenance• Apparatus build up• Mechanical expertise for fire equipment



Training Center

• Training center– Specially constructed or improvised

– Drill tower (see Figure 6-4)• Ladder training (ground/aerial)• Hi-rise training• High angle rescue



Training Center (con’t.)

• Burn building– Search and interior attack drills

– Fire environment demonstrations

– Ventilation drills

– Hazardous materials drills, including simulated drug labs

Safety Note: Follow NFPA 1403 standards for live

drills




• Classrooms– Equipment

• VCR, TV, white boards

– Clean/controlled environment• Lighting, seating

– May be shared with other agencies

• Storage rooms– Apparatus, equipment, supplies




• Drafting pit– Operating training

• On-site hydrants– For drill tower and burn building

– Testing on hydrant hookups

• Driver training/testing course– Emergency stops, high-speed lane changes



Training Center (con’t.)• Hazardous materials props

– Plumbing props, railroad tank cars, large tanks

– Useful for confined space rescue training

• Studio– Create and duplicate training materials

– Produce closed-circuit TV programs

• Offices– Instructor support

– Library of training materials



Warehouse/Central Stores

• Stock day-to-day needs, from toilet paper to PPE

• Keep items readily available• Maintain equipment

– SCBA and medical oxygen refill

– Hose repair



Communications Center

• Receives calls for emergency assistance• Relevant 911 calls routed to fire department

dispatcher• Dispatcher enters call information into CAD

system• CAD system displays information to dispatch

required units• Enhanced 911 and CAD systems give incident

address and equipment information



Fire Stations

• Began as apparatus storage sheds• Provide living quarters, office space, and

apparatus room• Accommodate women in the fire service• Provide handicapped access• Blend in with neighborhood



Fire Stations (con’t.)

• Keep well maintained• Occupy a large, secured lot• Supply room for maneuvering apparatus to

perform drills• House equipment for vehicle maintenance

– Motor block heater, electric and air hose reels, air compressor, hose tower

• Store turnouts in ventilated storage cabinets



Fire Apparatus

• Many types required• Build up from cab and chassis

– Commercial or custom cabs

• Meet NFPA 1901 Automotive Fire Apparatus requirements

Safety Note: Wear seat belts, remain seated and

belted in until told to exit



Cab and Chassis

• Tour of cab– Large mirrors

– Air brake pressure gauge

– Oil pressure gauge

– Fuel level gauge

– Manual or automatic transmission



Cab and Chassis (con’t.)

• Pump transfer case– Transfers power to pump

• Automatics equipped with brake and throttle pedals

• Diesel may have “jake brake”– Turns motor into air compressor for braking

– Saves vehicle brakes from wear/overheating




• Switches for lights and siren• Light bar on cab includes alley and red lights• Air horns in front bumper• Electronic siren with several tones• Radio system has multi-channel capability

– Administrative and emergency operations channels

– Communications with other jurisdictions




• Intercom system allows intra-cab communications

• SCBA mounted in cab for quick donning• Mobile Data Computer (MDC) connect to

CAD and AVL• Global positioning system (GPS) allows

vehicle tracking and relay of position to aircraft• Double battery setup for startup power and

warning lights



Motor

• Diesel becoming most common– Long life and durability

– Abundance of torque

– Turbo and/or supercharged

– Oversized alternator

– High idle switch keeps amperage up



Modular Apparatus

• Cab and chassis• Replaceable buildup

– Flat bed with skid unit

• Allows greater flexibility



Pumper/Engine

• Triple combination most common– Hose

– Water tank

– Pump



Water Tanks

• Various sized water tanks– 200 to 1,500 gallons

• Baffles to prevent sloshing and weight shift• Plastic gaining popularity as tank material

– Unharmed by foam

– Does not rust



Foam Systems

• Foam systems– Class A

• Superior knockdown on ordinary combustibles

– Class B• For hydrocarbon fuels• Often uses flow meter

– CAFS• Uses compressed air



Pumps

• Main purpose is to lift water• Centrifugal most common as main pump• Construction

– Impeller is the vaned wheel inside case

– Suction inlets introduce water into eye of impeller

– Impeller spins, forcing water outward against walls of casing



Centrifugal Pumps

• Casing uses volute area to convert centrifugal energy to pressure

• Volute discharges water into plumbing• Plumbing connects to various outlets

(discharges)



Centrifugal Pumps (con’t.)

• Relief valve– Reroutes excess pressure to suction side

– Prevents pressure surges

• Pressure governor– Controls motor speed

– Less speed = less pressure

– Prevents pressure surgesSafety Note: Should always be set at a safe operating

pressure to provide firefighter safety




• Advantages– Can spin without discharging water

– Take advantage of pressure from inlet side

– Can pump dirty water

– Equipped with screens to limit size of debris entering pump

Safety Note: If no water is discharged, it can reach

scalding temperatures




• Disadvantages– Can only act on the water that enters

– Cannot draw water from a static source

– Cavitation can occur if the discharge exceeds intake pressure

– May damage pump impeller



Positive Displacement Pumps• Types include rotary gear, piston and

diaphragm• Discharge volume equals intake volume• Used to “prime” centrifugal pumps

– Evacuates air from pump housing

– Creates vacuum

– Atmospheric pressure forces water into pump

• Used in some high pressure applications



Positive Displacement Pumps (con’t.)• Advantages

– Self-priming (can pump air)

• Disadvantages– Must keep a discharge open at all times due to

pressure buildup

– Cannot pump debris

– Heavy and expensive



Aerial Ladder and Elevated Platform Apparatus

• Two basic configurations– Tractor/trailer with tiller

– Straight chassis

• Ladder types– Extendable with flies

– With or without basket/platform

– 108 feet of ground ladders needed to qualify as a ladder truck



Aerial Ladder and Elevated Platform Apparatus (con’t.)

• Additional features– Articulated boom

– Intercom system

– Breathing air system in platform

– Plumbing for elevated streams

– Remote controls in platform



Quint

• Quint apparatus ladder truck/pumper combination includes:– Pump

– Water tank

– Hose bed

– Aerial ladder

– Ground ladders



Squads

• Specialty vehicles to serve department’s special needs

• Examples– Special lighting vehicle

– Medical and hazardous materials vans

– Tactical command post and support

– Rehab

– Terra torch (for wildland firefighting)



Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF)

• Large water tank• Foam and dry chemical extinguishing systems • All-wheel drive for off-runway operation• Turret and ground sweep nozzles• Pump and roll capability• Hand lines and ladders for fuselage access



Fire Tools and Appliances

• Includes the following:– Hose

– Nozzles

– Ladders

– Fittings

– SCBA

– Hand Tools

– Wildland Firefighting Hand Tools



Hose

• Come in various sizes and construction types• Use couplings• Carried in apparatus hose beds• Used for various applications

– Attack

– Supply



Figure 6-37

Hose lines, 2 ½ inch, three-inch, and four-inch diameter, laid in hose bed.



Nozzles

• Numerous sizes and designs• Combination

– Fog or straight stream patterns

• Straight tip/smooth bore • Bail handle turns on and off

– Designed to turn itself off if dropped



Nozzles (con’t.)

• Foam inductors– Based on venturi principle

– Draws concentrate from pail and introduces it into the hose stream

– Must follow manufacturer’s instructions or quality foam will not be produced



Fittings

• Connect hoses and appliances– Allows versatility

• Reverse direction of hose lays• Change hose size or thread type• Combine or divide hose lays



Ladders

• Attic ladder: folding 10-foot most common• Roof ladder: 14-foot with fold out hooks• Extension ladder: bed ladder with one or more

flies, various lengths

Safety Note: Ladders used must be designed for

firefighting use



SCBA

• Self-contained breathing apparatus• Four main components

– Face mask

– Air bottle

– Backpack

– Regulator

• Low pressure alarm



SCBA (con’t.)

• Protect firefighters from– Low oxygen concentration– Toxic byproducts– Smoke– Superheated gases

• Regulator operates in positive pressure mode to prevent toxic gases from entering face mask



Hand Tools

• General and specialized tools for cutting, forcing, lighting, tightening– Hose tools (spanners)

– Hydraulic rescue tools

– Air bags

– Axes

– Circular saws

– Chain saws



Hand Tools (con’t.)

• More tools– Sledge hammers

– Pike poles

– Rubbish hooks

– Power fans

– Smoke ejectors

– Salvage covers/rolled plastic

– Fire extinguishers



Hand Tools (con’t.)

• More tools (con’t.)– Medical aid equipment– Automatic external defibrillator– Electrical generator– Lights/power cords– Shovels– Thermal imaging camera

• Many other tools are carried depending on needs



Wildland Firefighting Hand Tools• For cutting and scraping

– McLeod

– Pulaski

– Axes

– Shovels

– Chain saws

– Fusees (for road flares)



Wildland Firefighting Hand Tools (con’t.)

• Other tools– Flagging tape

– Canteens

– Portable pumps

– Tanks

• Other specialized tools are availableSafety Note: Cutting tools are very sharp; use great

care!



Heavy Equipment

• Bulldozers create firelines– Scrape earth

– Knock down trees

• Pumper Cat has water tank on board• Special foam units for oil firefighting



Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Includes the following:– Station/work uniform

– Structure fire PPE

– Personal alarm/personal safety system

– Proximity suits

– Wildland PPE



Station/Work Uniforms

• May be flame-resistant material, cotton or cotton blend

• Cotton underwear• Additional layers help to protect from radiant

heat

Safety Note: Any clothing made of nylon or related

synthetic fabrics can melt to your skin



Structure Fire PPE

• Designed as a system– Helmet and hood or ear protection

– SCBA

– Coat

– Pants

– Boots and glovesSafety Note: PPE must all be worn every time to

provide proper protection



Personal Alarm / Proximity Suits

• Personal Alarm Device (PAL or PASS)– Required to carry on SCBA suit

– Emits signal when no motion is detected for approximately 30 seconds

• Proximity Suits– Used to approach flaming fuel

– Not designed for walking in flames



Wildland PPE

• Designed as a system– Hard hat, ear and face protection, and goggles

– Fire shirt with T-shirt underneath

– Flame-resistant pants

– Lace-up boots with lug soles

– Gloves

– Fire shelterSafety Note: Never leave vehicle without shelter



Emergency Medical PPE

• Universal precautions– Moisture-resistant long-sleeved shirt

– Latex or vinyl gloves

– Eye, nose, and mouth protection



Aircraft

• Fixed wing– Lead plane

– Air tankers

– Smoke jumper transport

• Rotary wing– Troop/materiel transport

– Water dropping

– EMS transport



Summary

• Tools and equipment constantly developed or adapted for firefighters– Equipment varies according to department

needs – New tools make job easier and safer– Do not become so dependent on power tools

that you are ineffective without them• Facilities in this chapter are only a

representative sample • Most important resource: the firefighter

Business

Chapter 06