Ch15 Salvage, Overhaul, and Property Conservation

Question 1

What can firefighters do to minimize damage?

Answer 1

Protecting property requires that firefighters to practice good loss control techniques throughout an incident.

Question 2

Describe overhaul…

Answer 2

Overhaul refers to all operations conducted after the main body of the fire has been extinguished and includes the following activities: searching for and extinguishing hidden or remaining fires, placing the building and contents in a safe condition, determining the cause of the fire, recognizing and preserving evidence of arson.

Question 3

True or False.
Toxic gases that continue to be produced from a smouldering fire are a significant threat to firefighters during overhaul operations. Even if the air in a structure appears free of smoke, toxic products of combustion can exist in dangerous concentrations.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

True or False.

Wear protective clothing including SCBA until overhaul is complete and you have exited the structure.

Answer 4

True

Question 5

Firefighters can often detect hidden fires by sight, touch, sound or with a TIC….

Answer 5

Sight - Discoloration of materials, peeling paint, smoke emission from cracks, cracked plaster, rippled wall paper, and burned areas.

Touch - Heat felt through the walls.

Sound - Popping or cracking of fire burning, hissing of steam.

TIC - Heat signatures

Question 6

To locate possible fire extension into the wall cavity, inspect openings such as…

Answer 6

Electrical receptacle
Electrical switches
Return air ducts
Heating vents
Telephone connections
Cable connections

Question 7

Overhaul typically begins with the area with the most severe fire involvement… p744

Answer 7

The IC and the lead fire investigator should coordinate when overhaul should begin. Looking for fire extension should begin as soon as possible after the IC gives the order.

Question 8

When pulling any ceiling, do not stand directly under the area to be opened. Position yourself between the area being pulled and a doorway to keep the exit route from being blocked with falling debris… p745

Answer 8

Always wear full PPE including respiratory protection when pulling ceilings.

Question 9

Investigators may want pictures of the furniture in place before it is moved for extinguishment. Scorched or partially burned items may help and investigator in determining the cause of the fire… p745

Answer 9

Firefighters need to work in close coordination with the fire investigator to ensure potential evidence is not disturbed.

Question 10

Covering openings… p755

Answer 10

You should cover openings to prevent further damage to the property from weather and trespassers. Doors or windows that have been broken or removed during suppression activities should be covered with plywood, heavy plastic, or some hinges, a hasp, and a padlock can be used to make a temporary door. Opening in roofs should be covered with plywood, roofing paper, heavy plastic sheets, or tar paper. Covering openings cut in floors or upper stories or over basements and crawl spaces is very important. These openings must be covered with lumber or thick plywood that will support a person’s weight.

Question 11

Permitting canvas salvage covers to dry when they are dirty is not a good practice because carbon and ash stains can rot the canvas… p755

Answer 11

It is usually acceptable to dry these covers outdoors, but avoid doing so on windy days.

Question 12

Moving materials to a safe location… p763

Answer 12

You should not gather or handle evidence unless it is absolutely necessary in order to preserve it. If you handle, move, or gather evidence, you become part of that chain of custody for that evidence. You must document all actions associated with that evidence.

Question 13

Wetting agents such as Class A foam should be used to extinguish hidden fires. The penetrating qualities of wetting agents facilitate extinguishment in cotton, upholstery, and baled goods. p745

Answer 13

The only way to ensure that fire are out in large items is to pull them apart and and extinguish hidden fires.

Question 14

Abnormal behavior of fire when water is applied… p761

Answer 14

Observe how the fire behaves when water is applied to it. Flashback, reignition, several rekindles in the same area, and an increase in intensity of the fire may indicate accelerant use.

Question 15

Dewatering devices… p749

Answer 15

Dewatering devices are pumps used to remove water from basements, elevator shafts, and sumps.

Question 16

Catchalls are constructed from a salvage cover placed on the floor to hold small amounts of water.

Answer 16

The catchall may be a temporary means to control large amounts of water until chutes can be constructed to route the water outside the structure. Properly constructed catchalls can hold several hundred gallons of water and often save considerable time during salvage operations.

Question 17

The area of origin is the general location where the fire began.

Answer 17

It will contain the precise point of origin.

Question 18

Control of all evidence must be maintained as part of the chain of custody in required legal cases.

Answer 18

As part of the suppression team, you may become part of the chain of custody. It is important to remeber what you see, smell, and hear during an incident.

Question 19

There are several guidelines for establishing a perimeter of the proper size…

Answer 19

Explosions - the perimeter for explosions should be 1.5x the distance from the farther piece of debris found. As the investigation continues, this perimeter may be expanded.

Structure fires - the perimeter should extend beyond the farthest piece of evidence located during the exterior examination of the structure. If no evidence is found outside the building, it may be sufficient to restrict access into the building or an area of the building.