Recently, four people were found dead after a fire in a wood-frame dwelling in Irvington, NJ. Investigators announced that the four had been killed first and the fire was set to cover the crime. A few days later, a similar incident occurred in Lancaster, CA, where four people were killed and their home was set on fire to cover the crime. Arrests were made in both cases. Double trouble.
Last month, we reported in Advanced Rescue Technology on the prolonged extrication involving a MBTA trolley that struck a stopped trolley in Newton, MA, trapping the operator. This month, we take a first look at the recent commuter train crash in Los Angeles, CA, that killed 25 people and injured over 130 (see page 86). The train collided with an oncoming freight train. Numerous fire companies from Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills and Ventura County fire departments searched, located, removed, treated, triaged and transported the injured. The California incident, similar to the Massachusetts crash, was the deadliest train wreck in the U.S. in the last 15 years. Again, double trouble.
Hurricane Ike caused widespread damage over much of Texas and Louisiana due to high winds and severe flooding in many low-lying areas. I visited Galveston, TX, when I was flying out of Houston and had a few hours to spend. Much of the area is wetlands and is near Texas City, which has numerous refineries. In 1947, hundreds of people, including 28 firefighters, were killed in Texas City by an explosion aboard the S.S. Grandcamp, which was carrying ammonium nitrate. The fire and explosion destroyed the Monsanto Chemical Co. and much of the surrounding area.
Joe Berry continues his reports on lightweight construction this month with a discussion about pre-cast concrete foundations. This type of construction can save a builder up to 30%. Joe reports that when new innovations and technology have the potential to injure or kill firefighters, we must analyze our strategy and tactics. The old mentality of getting in there and making an aggressive interior attack is antiquated. The lives of firefighters come first.
In a related topic, Joe passed on a report from Tyco regarding a series of fire tests conducted with Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Composite wood joists were tested under realistic fire conditions. The test results concluded that flashovers occurred after three to five minutes, when many firefighters would be just entering the fire area. Collapses occurred between eight and 12 minutes after ignition. Sprinklers controlled the fire in from 3½ to 4½ minutes.
In New Jersey, the Community Affairs Commissioner, citing the costs of the retrofits as a deterrent, concluded that retrofitting of sprinklers in nearly 500 high-rise residential structures within four years would be too costly for the state's hard-working families and senior citizens. This state regulation would have been an increase in life safety for occupants and firefighters alike. But just like the building industry lobby, the dollar is always the overwhelming factor. The lightweight tests above confirmed that the introduction of sprinklers in lightweight construction provides life-safety advantages to occupants and firefighters. Building codes need to include and enhance safety to members of the fire service and other first responders.
Researchers placed vests on 56 members of the Indianapolis, IN, Fire Department to monitor their heart and breathing rates during a seven-month study that ended in July. "Our goal was to determine which aspects of their job cause the most dangerous stress," said Indiana University Professor Jim Brown, leader of the study and director of firefighter health and safety research at IU.
The researchers found the firefighters' cardiovascular stress -- caused by a combination of adrenaline and physical exertion -- was pushed to extremely high levels when they were at a fire scene. "We typically saw their heart rates rise to 85% to 95% of their predicted maximum heart rate for their age," Brown said. "If a firefighter with a heart problem pushed his rate that high, it could trigger a heart attack."
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