Monday, September 1, 2014

Leatherhead Mafia- Vehicle Fires/ Special Dangers

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Vehicle Fires – Are We Doing It Right?

Vehicle Fire Featured

Vehicle fires are a routine thing for us in the Fire Service. It can almost be said that it’s one of the most basic things we do. But the question is… Are we doing it right? Most of us would answer yes. But I’d like you to hold on to that answer until after you read this.

Vehicle Fire 1
We are given PPE, including an SCBA, to use during car fires. We can sit here and discuss the techniques for putting out car fires and hose line management all day; but that’s not what I want to talk about. I want to discuss the use of the SCBA during a car fire. Do you know how many carcinogens and chemicals are produced during a care fire?

In 2010, the CDC-NIOSH evaluated the exposures to firefighters while extinguishing vehicle fires. They burned several vehicle and measured the chemicals that were produced by the smoke and the effects these can have, both short and long term, on firefighters. What did they find? “Our findings indicate a potential for acute overexposure to formaldehyde, CO, and isocyanates during vehicle fire suppression. A potential for fine particle exposure can occur at any point during fire suppression operations. The intensity and duration of both the chemical and particle exposures depends on the wind speed and direction. Therefore, we recommend that fire fighters wear SCBAs until completing overhaul.” (CDC, 2010)

These are just 10 of the selected volatile organic compounds found in the vehicle fire smoke measured during the evaluation:
  • Benzene1
  • 3-Butadiene
  • Toluene
  • Naphthalene
  • Styrene
  • Acrolein
  • Methyl methacrylate
  • Acrylonitrile
  • Acetonitrile
  • Ethyl benzene
Vehicle Fire 2

All of these in small concentrations have been known to produce adverse effects, including cancer. In large concentrations they have been known to produce up to death.

How simple is it to not expose ourselves to these chemicals? Very Easy! Simply put …WEAR YOUR SCBA!!!! DON’T Drink the Koolaid. Stop using the old school mentality that wearing it isn’t cool. Dying isn’t cool. So which is better, dying from the cancer or other disease caused by exposure because we succumb to peer pressure? Or outliving the guy who told us we weren’t cool?

Another aspect of not wearing your SCBA is the protection that it offers your face. We are always told to protect our airway, yet by not wearing our mask we have opened up our face, including our mouth and nose, to injury. Take a look at the video below. We have all heard about the violent effect magnesium while burning and coming in contact with water. This person learned how wearing his SCBA and mask could have protected him.

Remember DDTK, Don’t Drink The Koolaid!!
References:
CDC: Evaluation of Chemical and Particle Exposures During Vehicle Fire Suppression Training
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