Exam 2 Flashcards
What is asbestos
Naturally occurring silicate minerals that are widely distributed in rocks and deposits
From what year can we expect houses to not have asbestos?
Buildings built after 1990 are considered unlikely to have significant amounts of asbestos
containing materials (ACM) in-situ
What year was asbestos banned in Australia
December 2003
What is friability?
“Friability” describes the ability of a solid substance to be reduced to smaller pieces with little effort, such as through rubbing or applying pressure
Boil over
A tank of flammable liquid is ignited. It most commonly occurs in a crude oil tank due to layering of different products contained within the oil.
When the thermal layer (travelling at 0.3m to 1m an hour) reaches the bottom of the tank, the water is instantly vaporised (water to steam ratio of 1700:1).
This causes a piston effect which violently forces unburnt product up through the fire.
The burning product froths and pours down sides of tank and into the bunded area.
Slop over
A tank of flammable liquid is ignited.
Any pockets of water, for example, from ill directed cooling lines that are interspersed within crude oil will be instantly heated to boiling point and expand to steam.
The force of this expansion causes frothing of the top layers of the product which can then flow down the sides of the tank and into the bunded area.
Bunds
Are walls surrounding flammable liquid tanks and are designed to contain the spill should a leak occur. They are designed to hold 100% of tank’s contents, or the contents of the largest tank in the bund and are constructed of concrete or earth similar to dam walls.
What is DEBRiS?
DEBRiS is a process that enhances firefighter management, accountability and safety on the fireground. DEBRiS brings together a number of procedures that FRV already use into a single process.
DEBRiS Acronym
D econtamination of Firefighters
E ntry and Exit of hot zones
B reathing Apparatus (BA) Service areas
R ehab/AV monitoring of firefighters
i ncident accountability of all personnel
S taging area (Firefighters/Appliances)
Rapid Intervention Teams RIT
RIT teams are a designated rescue and relief crews, assigned for the purpose of emergency rescue of firefighters. They can be used as relief crews but must be replaced immediately.
Maximum Lift
Maximum theory lift is 10m
Maximum practical lift is 8m
Pump Protection Features
Pressure Relief Valve
Thermal relief valve
Recirculation Valve
Cavitation Protection
Automatic Primers
Friction loss DRISL
D Diameter of hose
R Roughness of hose
I Independent of pressure
When running a hose line
at a constant flow rate, the
friction loss will be the same
S Square of the flow rate
If the flow rate of water is halved, the loss
of pressure due to friction is reduced to
one quarter (¼).
L Length of hose
Products of LPG
Domestic 100% propane
Auto 50/50 propane Buthane
BA allowable pressure
250 to go on appliance
200 to go into fire
100 must come out
Air composition
79% nitrogen
21% oxygen
LPG expansion
1:270
3 states of matter
Solid
Liquid
Gas
4 stages of combustion
Incipient - no signs of smoke or heat
Smoldering - start to see smoke
Flame
Heat
4 stages of compartment fire
Developing
Flashover
Fully developed
Decay
Flashover
Is a thermally driven event. The sudden and sustained transition from the developing stage to the fully developed stage of a fire, within an enclosure.
An adequately ventilated fire.
Painful radiant heat
Lowering of the neutral plane with flames at ceiling height
Increased rate of pyrolysis
Backdraught
The sudden introduction of oxygen in a burning room full of unignited super-heated gas, which has been starved of oxygen (below 15%). The oxygen combines with
the superheated gases, creating an explosion of fire.
History of fire
Fire with limited or no ventilation
Lack of visible flame
Thick rolling smoke
Dirty brown smoke
Smoke pulsating through small gaps and openings
Air being drawn in
Heavy sooting
RECEO
Rescue
Exposures
Containment
Extinguish
Overhaul
Pyrolysis
Scientifically, pyrolysis is defined as the chemical breakdown of an organic substance by
heat, in the absence of oxygen.
In firefighter terms, pyrolysis is the decomposition of a substance through application
of heat.
Search and rescue
Primary search – a rapid initial search of all safely accessible places in and around the fire, to ascertain the safety of occupants. This search is undertaken during the
early stages of an incident.
Secondary search – conducted more thoroughly after fire suppression is completed.
Firefighting priorities
1 - Safely protect people.
2 - Safely protect property.
3 - Safely help restore normality.
Heat transfer
Convection
Conduction
Radiation
Routes of Entry – chemicals etc.
- Inhalation
- Absorption
- Ingestion
- Injection
Primary Search
The primary search is a rapid but thorough search of all areas which can be entered safely.
The purpose of this search is to find and remove all occupants to safety.
Secondary search
A secondary search occurs once the situation is under control and the fire has been contained. It is a way to confirm the presence of casualties and to account for all occupants. The emphasis in a secondary search is on thoroughness.
Asbestos risk assessment
Visual inspection of building
Buildings approximate age
The likelihood that the building contains asbestos
Likelihood of the asbestos being disturbed
Asbestos management process
Safe person approach Dynamic Risk Assessment
Zoning of Incident
Decontamination process conducted onsite and offsite
Asbestos contaminated waste management
Personnel notification of positive test results
Types of flames
Diffused (yellow)- In a diffused flame, combustion with volatiles takes place at the flame surface only
Premixed (blue) - In a premixed flame, gas or vapour is able to mix with oxygen and provide a mixture within the flammability limits
Debris hygiene/PPE
Flash hoods are single use, to be replace with a new one on every entry into the hot zone
If contaminated, PPC to be placed into a yellow laundry bag, goose necked, taped and sent to laundry.
Red bag if exposed to Asbestos.
Dekonmate wipes to be used in the first instance to clean your body, shower ASAP
Fire gas ignition
Fire gas ignition is an event that usually occurs in a separate compartment
It can happen by conduction of heat from the fire compartment to other compartments
Leakage of fire gases from the compartment that is on fire
Construction of the premises will influence the possibility of a fire gas ignition
6 sided search
Systematic from the doorway.
Identify obstructions requiriung further searching
Floors, 4 side walls, ceiling
3 Steps
Life, surroundings, fire?????
FLIR K65 has 5 operating modes
**TI Basic NFPA mode **
− Yellow starts at 150 °C
− Orange starts at 300 °C
− Red starts at 450 °C
− Dark red (saturated value) > 650 °C
Black and White Firefighting mode.
- This mode is designed for fire services that do not want to use the heat colourisation feature
TI Basic Plus NFPA mode
- Crosshair temperature gauge
Search and Rescue mode
- Yellow starts at 100 °C
− Orange starts at 125 °C
− Dark red (saturated value) > 150 °C
Heat detection mode
- search for people in
water and open landscapes.
- Hottest object only is red
TIC limitations
Reflections, glass, steel, water
Depthe perception
Stairs
Moving too fast
Through walls and bulidings
3 categories of infrared emitters
Passive : Absorbs heast from another source. Hand or heater on an object
Active: Generat own heat. Humans and animals
Direct: Generate heat in large amounts. Fire/heater
Thermal Current
Is the movement of the thermal layer.
Using the TIC, the layer is visible in shades of grey.
Viewing of the thermal current assists in identifying the:
◼ Direction of the fire – (current moving away from the source).
◼ Intensity of the fire – (current speed).
◼ Volatility of the fire – (current surges/‘storm clouds’ leading to flashover)
Transfer of energy/heat
Convection – occurs via gases. An energy source will heat the gases, aiding in the
transfer of the energy on air currents. Ducted heater
Conduction – occurs in solids or liquids.
When a heat source is in direct contact with a material it transfers energy directly
through the material. Fire on metal
Radiation – energy is emitted in the form of electromagnetic waves which travel through the air and transfers the energy to objects they strike
What are the uses of TIC
Size up
Search and rescue
Hazard assessment
Building assessment
Navigation
Fire attack
Overhaul
Wildfire/bushfire
Incident control/command
Hazardous materials
Post-incident investigation
Friction loss
Is the loss of pressure created by turbulence of water moving against the interior of a hose or pipe
Loss of friction in each hose @ 500l/m?
38mm 220kpa
50mm 75kpa
65mm 25kpa
90mm 5kpa
The water supply for firefighting may come from
A static/open source such as a dam, creek or swimming pool.
A pressurised source such as a hydrant, the pump of another firefighting appliance or
an elevated tank.
2 main parts of pump
Volute - part of the pump casing itself and is shaped like the shell of a snail
Impeller - circular disc (the back shroud) with curved vane
Advantages of Centrifugal pump
Steady flow
Operates at variable pressures
Simple construction and operation
Easily maintained and less likely to be damaged
Pumps dirty or gritty water with minimal damage to pump
Small and compact
Flow can be interrupted without stopping engine
Can be connected to an internal combustion engine by direct drive
Disadvantages of Centrifugal
A centrifugal pump cannot displace air and needs to be primed if no water is present in the pump casing
An additional pump is required to do this, one that is able to displace the air and introduce water into the main pump casing
Requires different design features, rotation speeds and engine power combinations compatible with pumping water efficiently
Types of centrifugal pumps
SIngle stage
Multi stage - Series
- Parralel
Compound gauge - green
The compound gauge shows atmospheric pressure.
Measures pressure on the inlet side of the pump. Can be positive when pressurised water is entering the pump
Can be negative (red) when air is being displaced by the primer (such as when using tank supply or drafting from a static supply) or water supply is being overrun
Low pressure
Main pump
Orange MK5
Blue HEAVY
Shows the water pressure in the main pump or low pressure pump casing in kPa.
Gauge is labelled ‘low pressure’ as it is the outlet of the first impeller, which is a lower pressure than the outlet of the second impeller which is connected in series
Maximum operating pressure of the main pump is 1400kpa
High pressure - RED
Always red and linked to the hose reels
Maximum is 4000kpa
Mk5 2000kpa
Heavy 3000kpa
Safety margin on compound
100kpa
HEAVY pumper details
Godiva WTB 4010 rear mounted Multi-Stage Pump
Water Tank Capacity 2000 litres.
Foam Capacity ‘B’ Class 200 litre
Low Pressure 4000 L/min at 1000 kPa
High Pressure 750 L/min at 5500 kPa – periphal pump
Maximum Flow Capacity 6200 L/min
No pump and roll
HEAVY pumper engagement
Stop the vehicle
Apply the park brake
Select N (neutral) on the transmission. The instrument cluster will display N-N.
EXT switch
Engage PTO (centre console) by rotating the switch clockwise.
Select Drive (D) on the Transmission The green OKAY TO PUMP light illuminates and the instrument cluster will display 4-4.
MK5 Pump specs - Pump KPA, Tank volume, LPM
Height: 3.10 metres.
Width: 3.00 metres over mirrors
Length: 8.10 metres.
Vehicle Mass 16.00 tonnes).
Main Pump: Darley KSPAH 1000 mid-mounted single stage centrifugal pump with a 2nd stage high pressure.
Pump capacity: 3800 L/min at 1000 kPa.
Primer: Two (2) positive displacement vane type pumps.
Foam System Capacity 3% Foam 3800 L/min 6% Foam 2650 L/min
Water Tank Capacity: 1300 litres.
Foam Tanks Capacities: ‘A’ Class 25 litres. ‘B’ Class 300 litres.
Monitor Water 3800 L/min
MK5 Pumper tanker engagement
- Apply the park brake and place the transmission in neutral.
- Switch on the pump master electrical switch – Pause.
- Switch on the 2nd stage pump switch – Pause.
- Switch on the main pump switch – Pause.
- Place the transmission in drive.
- Listen to hear the pumps engage.
- Exit the appliance and check that both the main pump and 2nd stage pump lights are illuminated on the primary pump panel.
To disengage the main pump and second stage:
1. Place the transmission in neutral.
2. Switch off the main pump – pause and wait for the light to go out.
3. Disengage the 2nd stage pump – pause and wait for the light to go out.
4. Switch off the pump master electrical switch
MK5 pumper engagement
- Apply the park brake and place transmission in neutral.
- Switch on the pump master electrical switch (pause).
- Switch on the 2nd stage pump switch (pause).
- Switch on the main pump switch.
- Listen to hear that the pumps have engaged.
- Exit the appliance and check that both the main pump and 2nd stage pump lights are illuminated on the primary pump panel.
To disengage the main pump and second (2nd) stage:
1. Switch off the main pump – Pause and wait for light to go out.
2. Disengage the 2nd stage pump – Pause and wait for light to go out.
3. Switch off the pump master electrical switch.
4. Listen to hear whether pumps have disengaged
MK5 pump protection
Suction Relief Valve
Discharge Pressure Relief Valve
Should be set when operating a pump in any mode, but is particularly important when operating in manual mode
Emergency Stop Button
Pump Overheat
Low Water Level Warning
Impeller Cooling
This is the provision of constant bleed lines from the main pump discharge and 2nd stage discharge, to bleed a small quantity of water to the water tank.
HEAVY pump protection
Pressure Relief Valve
Diverts water with excess pressure into the low pressure side of the pump
Thermal Relief Valve
Temperature of the water inside the pump increases to 45-50 degrees
Recirculation Valve
There is a small cooling line between the low and high pressure stages of the pump
There is a manually operated recirculation line between the pump outlet and water tank.
Cavitation Protection
The governor will automatically drop the engine RPM to idle when there is insufficient water
Automatic Primers
The twin piston primers activate automatically when delivery pressure falls below 150kpa
Siting considerations
Wind direction
Proximity to the incident
Proximity to the water supply
Good operating procedures
Panel direction
Pump operator’s view
Oncoming appliances
Park clear of power lines or trees that may be affected by the fire
3 steps after pump engaged
1 – Get water into pump. From tank.
2 – Water out to fire, hose, reel, roof monitor
3 – Revs/KpA
Blitzfire ground monitor
Water capacity of 2000L/Min at 700 kPa
Elevation angle of 10 degrees to 50 degrees above horizontal
Horizontal 20 degrees either side of centre angle
Protek ground monitor
Operating pressure of 700 kPa
Selectable flow from 360, 476, 750 or 950 L/min
Ground monitors in appliances
Blitzfire - MK5, Heavy
Protek - Heavy
4 precautions when using Blitzfire ground monitor
Monitor must be crewed at all times
Monitor should not exceed 1200 kPa
Should be tied off when possible
Before operating ensure that the monitors legs are fully extended
Boost high rise
Connect deliveries to the booster connection and open the booster valve to allow water to enter the installation
Check delivery and max install pressure, which will be labelled at the booster connection point
Open pump deliveries to introduce water into the installation
Use the low pressure gauge to set the delivery pressure as per label
Do not exceed the max install pressure on the gauge
Operation of primer - MK5
Pull primer lever all the way out to close the 24v elec circuit
Hold open until water discharges from the primer pump exhaust port
Operate primer in intervals
Flushing procedure
Water tank full of clean water
Ensure tank to pump valve is open with pump master on
Ensure there is no pressure in the pump casing
Operate the primer until fresh clean water is expelled from the primer exhaust hose
Respiratory hazards - HOTS
H - High Temperature
O - Oxygen deficiency
T - Toxic Atmospheres
S - Smoke
BA fault reporting
Notify OIC
Remove BA from service
Complete BA Fault tag and attach to BA
Complete damaged/ fault report and send to BA department
Arrange for replacement BA set through relevant district/ ops commander
Rescue order of priority
Occupants most severely threatened
Largest group of occupants
The remaining occupants within building involved
Occupants in exposed areas
Level A PPC
Fully encapsulated gas tight suit and BA
OPP - 023
Level B PPC
Chemical protection suits (Splash Suit) and BA
Provides protection from liquids and solids to a point
Is splash resistant but is not gas tight
Level C PPC
Splash suit and respirator or filter mask
Level D PPC
Normal work uniform and Structural firefighting clothing, coveralls, boots
Donning gas suit
Prepare airline trolley
Prepare BA
Prepare comms
Prepare the suit
Prepare to don the suit
Don BA and lower half of suit
Set the variable ventilation system control
Don upper half of suit
Finalise donning of suit
LPG characteristics
LPG is colourless and odourless.
So it can be detected (‘rotten cabbage’ smell) is added.
Boiling point (Propane -42°C; Butane 0°C)
Expansion ratio 270:1
Flammability limits (LEL 2% - UEL 10%)
Low flashpoint (-104 to -60°C)
Vapour density: 1.5 (Air = 1)
Specific Gravity: 0.5 (Water = 1)
LPG Hazchem codes
UN Number: 1075
Hazchem Code: 2YE
Dangerous goods class: 2.1
BLEVE - vessel explosion
B - Boiling
L - Liquid
E - Expanding
V - Vapour
E - Explosion
Hazards of LPG
Very flammable and dangerous as it evaporates or boils at ambient temperature.
Volatile concentrations exist before visible cloud or mist.
Contact with skin will result in severe cold burns.
Considered bulk storage when vessel has >500 litre water capacity.
Flame will flash back to source.
Large leaks may pool in low lying areas.
BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion).
Components of MSA G1E BA
Carrier frame
Cylinder
Cylinder valve
Excess flow safety valve
Harness
Pressure reducer
Mechanical low pressure warning whistle – below 55 bar +-5
Battery – 5 segments, battery indicator in mask and handheld module
Buddy lights – Green is 300-100bar
Yellow 99-60
Red 59-0
Piezo alarm speaker
Control module
Face mask
Demand valve
Voice projection speaker
BA modes of operation
No power
Sleep mode
Active mode
BA expectations
BA is to be donned at any alarm of fire or hazardous incident prior to investigation of the call
Don in fresh air
Work in 2
Select channel on radio
Deposit BA tally tags at a BA entry prior to entering
Check pressure of cylinder
Exit with partner
PACT - BA check
P - PPE, PPC, Equipment
A - Air, Partner, HUD lights, Positive test
C - VPS working, Radio channel, BA team
T - Tally tag, task, tactic
Critical pressure BA
Above 250 for stowing on appliance
Above 200 to enter fireground/hot zone
Under 100 - exit
Tally tag details
Station number
Name of wearer
Set no.
Cylinder pressure
Time in (to be entered at BA entry point
Air compositoin Inhaled
79% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, trace carbon dioxide
Air compositoin Exhaled
79% nitrogen,17% oxygen, 4% Carbon dioxide
BA stage 1
Are implemented BA operations are limited and not complex
No more than one entry point
BA stage 2
IC determines
Long duration
More than one entry point
Will have BA BACO control officer
BA Change of shifts check – Visual inspections
Battery module
Buddy breather
Control module
Carrier frame/harness
Demand valve
Face mask
Search and rescue techniques
Work in pairs. Check each others buddy lights
Use plant and sweep. One hand in front. Use back of hand
Progress on hand and knees.
Communicate and mark any unsafe areas.
What is fire
Fire is the rapid combination of oxygen with fuel in the presence of heat,
typically characterised by flame, a body of incandescent gas that contains
and sustains the reaction and emits light and heat
Lifting pressure loss
At 7m you loose 50% of the maximum lift
At 3m you can lift the capacity of the pump
What is Negative Pressure Plane?
Is the point where poitive and negative pressure meet.
