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1. Essentials of Fire Fighting,
5th Edition
2. Firefighter II 151 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).
3. Firefighter II 152 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.
4. Firefighter II 153 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)
5. Firefighter II 154 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)
6. Firefighter II 155 Hoseline Selection Factors Fire conditions
Fire load, material involved
Volume of water needed
Stream reach needed
7. Firefighter II 156 Hoseline Selection Factors Number of firefighters available to advance hoselines
Need for speed, mobility
Tactical requirements
Ease of hoseline deployment
Potential fire spread
8. Firefighter II 157 Stream Selection Dictated by fire situation, capabilities of nozzle being used
Solid-stream nozzle projects water in more-or-less solid mass
9. Firefighter II 158 Stream Selection Combination (fog) nozzles project water in range of patterns
Straight and solid streams
Combination fog nozzles
10. Firefighter II 159 Converting Water to Steam Critical to heat absorption
Excess steam production can obscure vision, inflict steam burns
Appropriate water application methods critical
11. Firefighter II 1510 Class B Fires Those that involve flammable and combustible liquids, gases
Flammable liquids Flash points less than 100ΊF (38ΊC)
12. Firefighter II 1511 Class B Fires Combustible liquids Flash points higher than 100ΊF (38ΊC)
Divisions of flammable, combustible liquids
Hydrocarbons
Polar solvents
13. Firefighter II 1512 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
14. Firefighter II 1513 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
15. Firefighter II 1514 Actions and Precautions Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE)
Applying foam is most often used for flammable liquid fires
16. Firefighter II 1515 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
17. Firefighter II 1516 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
18. Firefighter II 1517 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
19. Firefighter II 1518 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
20. Firefighter II 1519 Traffic Guidelines When law enforcement personnel unavailable, firefighters should be assigned to direct traffic, control scene access
21. Firefighter II 1520 Traffic Guidelines Position fire apparatus uphill, upwind
22. Firefighter II 1521 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
23. Firefighter II 1522 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
24. Firefighter II 1523 Control of Gas Utilities Firefighters should have working knowledge of hazards, correct procedures for handling incidents involving natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas
25. Firefighter II 1524 Control of Gas Utilities Natural gas or LPG used for cooking, heating, industrial processes
Natural gas used as fuel for buses, motor vehicles
26. Firefighter II 1525 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
27. Firefighter II 1526 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
28. Firefighter II 1527 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
29. Firefighter II 1528 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
30. Firefighter II 1529 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
31. Firefighter II 1530 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
32. Firefighter II 1531 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
33. Firefighter II 1532 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
34. Firefighter II 1533 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
35. Firefighter II 1534 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
36. Firefighter II 1535 Flammable Gas Incidents If gas is burning, flame should not be extinguished
If necessary, use hose streams to protect exposures
37. Firefighter II 1536 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
38. Firefighter II 1537 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
39. Firefighter II 1538 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
40. Firefighter II 1539 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
41. Firefighter II 1540 Command First Due Engine Company Company officer will conduct rapid initial assessment of situation
Assessment determine further actions taken by first-due engine company
42. Firefighter II 1541 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)
43. Firefighter II 1542 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
44. Firefighter II 1543 Command First Due Engine Company Given a small interior fire, company officer usually assumes Command of incident
45. Firefighter II 1544 Command Other Companies Second-due engine company
Fireground support company
Rapid Intervention Crew (RIC)
Chief Officer/Incident Command
46. Firefighter II 1545 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.
47. Firefighter II 1546 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.
48. Firefighter II 1547 Summary Firefighters need to know how to use the fire fighting tools and techniques adopted by their departments.
49. Firefighter II 1548 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)?
50. Firefighter II 1549 Review Questions 4. What are the major differences in fires in vehicles transporting flammable liquids and fires in storage facilities?
51. Firefighter II 1550 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?