Fire & rescue journal

              JOURNAL
Fire & Rescue
A publication of the North Carolina Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal Spring 2010
What’s Hot Inside
OSFM Staffers Earn Honors.................................................. 3.........................................Guest Editorial: Preventing LODDs
Live Fire Training Revisited: Pennsylvania Fire Academy...... 4-5..................................................................Looking Forward
Looking Back:..................................................................... 6-7............................................ Pine Knoll Townes, Raleigh NC
Inspection Tips................................................................... 8-9................... Innovative Equipment Spotlight: Wilmington FD
Pyrotechnics Operators’ Permitting Requirements
in Full Swing
During the 2009 legislative
session, the North Carolina
General Assembly passed
Senate Bill 563 and created N.C.
General Statute 58-82A-1 aimed
at preventing pyrotechnic disasters
and tragedies from occurring in
North Carolina, like the Fourth of
July explosion on Ocracoke Island
that killed four operators and
injured another last year. The new
law requires anyone discharging
or operating pyrotechnics or
proximate explosives to attend
a training course and earn a
pyrotechnics operator permit
before conducting a pyrotechnics
display in the state. Beginning
Feb. 1, all pyrotechnic operators
in North Carolina must obtain a
permit before setting off indoor or
outdoor fireworks.
“After the accident on Ocracoke
Island I was shocked to learn that
North Carolina had no permitting
process for pyrotechnic operators.
I know this was upsetting to the
public as well. That’s why OSFM
staff immediately began working
with members of the General
Assembly to craft legislation to
resolve this,” said Commissioner
Goodwin. “We believe with
this new permit, the public and
fireworks professionals will be safer
in North Carolina.”
The new law requires anyone
who uses pyrotechnic (outdoor)
or audience proximate (indoor)
fireworks to submit an application
to the Office of State Fire Marshal,
attend a safety class and score a
passing grade of 80 percent on the
permit exam. Any event on or after
Feb. 1, 2010 in North Carolina
that involves pyrotechnics should
be conducted by a properly trained
operator with a North Carolina
permit.
Permit Requirements
Depending on the operators’
needs, several permitting options
are available; each permit has its
own requirements:
»» Pyrotechnic Operator’s Permit:
Minimum 21 years of age,
ATF Letter of Clearance, six
pyrotechnic shoots (three
as lead operator), three
references, training class
(APA, PGI, or other
substantially equivalent
class), passing grade
of 80 percent on test
administered by OSFM.
»» Proximate Audience
Operator’s Permit:
Minimum 21 years of
age, six pyrotechnic
shoots (three as lead
operator), three references,
training class (OSFM approved
class), passing grade of 80
percent on test administered by
OSFM.
»» Pyrotechnic Operator’s
Assistant Permit: Minimum
18 years of age, ATF Letter of
Clearance, three references,
passing grade of 80 percent on
assistant’s test administered by
OSFM.
»» Proximate Audience Assistant
Operator’s Permit: Minimum
18 years of age, passing grade
of 80 percent on assistant’s test
administered by OSFM.
There is an application fee of
$100, which will cover the
examination and permit’s costs.
Each permit is valid for three years.
There is one additional
type of permit designed to
accommodate assistants that
have not gone through the
assistant permitting process
with OSFM. This is referred to
as “on-site certification.” This
process involves downloading
the application from OSFM’s
Web site, completing the security
questions and safety questions on
the application. The assistant then
must bring photo identification
and the application to the local
code official at the time of the
discharge site inspection. The
code official will issue an on-site
certification card to the applicant
following his review of the
application. There is no charge for
this process, but the certification
will only be valid for that show or
group of shows.
Courses Scheduled
Operators are already taking
tests and getting their permits.
The first permitting course
took place on Feb. 2, in Raleigh
and was sponsored by Zambelli
Fireworks Internationalle. Other
courses have been scheduled in
order to give operators working
on upcoming events a chance to
get permitted. To view the course
schedule, visit
and click on the “Pyrotechnic
Operator Permitting Info.” banner
at the bottom of the page.
“We have reached out to the
pyrotechnic industry to inform
continued on page 2...
(Inset) A typically constructed paper mortar tube rack,
used to launch aerial shalles and salutes into the air. These
are very common at fireworks demonstrations. (Above)
Detonation of the mortar rack salute shell. Taken from a
distance of 225 feet, this picture shows the shrapnel that
was later found in a radius of approximately 100 feet from
the detonation site. This was caused by a 3 inch salute —
one of the smallest in the 1.3 G category.
www.ncdoi.com/osfm
The Fire & Rescue Journal
2
On July 4, 2009, North
Carolina faced a terrible
explosion on Ocracoke
Island that killed four pyrotechnics
operators and injured another. I
remember it vividly and resolved
then to use my role as State Fire
Marshal to help create a safer
environment for those watching
and participating in pyrotechnic
or proximate shows.
As you have read in the cover
story in this issue of the Fire &
Rescue Journal, just a few months
later, the North Carolina General
Assembly passed Senate Bill 563
and created N.C. General Statute
58-82A-1 aimed at preventing
another pyrotechnic tragedy from
occurring in our state. The new
law requires anyone discharging/
operating pyrotechnics or
proximate explosives to attend
a training course and earn a
pyrotechnics operator permit
before conducting a pyrotechnics
display in North Carolina,
effective Feb. 1.
My staff at OSFM has worked
extensively to develop a permitting
system in consultation with the
North Carolina Fire and Rescue
Commission. OSFM participated
in the rulemaking process through
the Office of Administrative
Hearings (OAH), received
public comment from Oct. 31,
to Dec. 14, 2009, and after the
rule was approved, we got to
work publicizing the application
rules, exam dates and locations,
and information on the proper
permitting (state and local) for
code official use.
This new requirement
is a major shift in the way
pyrotechnics have been handled in
North Carolina, and it will affect
countless numbers of July 4th
displays, concerts and other public
celebrations. We are working
very hard to make sure everyone
involved across the state is fully
aware of the new regulations so
that come the Fourth of July, no
one is left disappointed.
While your departments are
not responsible for enforcing the
permitting requirements, you are
looked to as community leaders
and experts in fire safety and
protection. In this role, please
educate your communities about
these new regulations and the ways
they make all of us safer. For more
information, go to
www.ncdoi.com/osfm or call our
OSFM staff at 919-661-5880.
North Carolina continues to be
a model for other states in many
areas of fire prevention and safety.
Let’s keep up the good work!
Pyrotechnics Keep OSFM Busy
Wayne Goodwin, Insurance Commissioner & State Fire Marshal
Mark Edwards, Assistant Commissioner
Tim Bradley, Assistant State Fire Marshal
Executive Editor
Kristin Milam, Director of Public Information
Managing Editor
Chris Best, Supervisor, Research and Program Development
Editorial Assistant
Karen Holder
Graphic Designer
Trisha Tripp
The Fire & Rescue Journal is a quarterly publication of the
N.C. Department of Insurance Office of State Fire Marshal
1202 Mail Service Center • Raleigh, NC 27699
Questions, comments or story ideas should be directed to
Chris Best at 919-661-5880 x332 or chris.best@ncdoi.gov.
To sign up for the mailing list or to submit an address change,
contact
Trisha Tripp at 919-733-5238 or trisha.tripp@ncdoi.gov.
2,300 copies of the Journal, which is funded through a grant from the North
Carolina Association of Insurance Agents, were printed at a cost of $2,074.
by Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Wayne Goodwin
JOURNAL
Fire & Rescue
From the Commissioner’s Desk
...continued from page 1
them of these changes,” said
Commissioner Goodwin. “I
encourage you to take this
information back to your
communities and local inspections
departments to make sure
that they are also aware.” Like
with any new requirement, if
communities don’t know about it,
no one will benefit from the safety
precautions, Goodwin added.
For more information about
the pyrotechnic legislation and
requirements, a list of frequently
asked questions, course schedules
or more, visit www.ncdoi.com/
osfm or call Rob Roegner at
919-661-5880.
(Right) Damage resulting from the salute not properly lifting out
of the paper tube and instead detonating inside one of the tubes.
These pieces of wood and paper tubing are all that was left of the
tube rack seen in the inset photo on page 1.
Spring 2010
3
OSFM Staffers Earn Honors
Assistant State Fire
Marshal Tim Bradley
was recently appointed to
the International Accreditation
Society (IAS) Board, a subsidiary
of the International Code Council
(ICC). The IAS is involved with
many aspects of building safety
that reaches all of us in some
way. The Board has a forward-thinking
approach and vision
that encompasses growth in
many areas; it keeps the ICC
abreast of new developments
and informed on IAS initiatives
keeping pace with today’s Green
Construction and EPA licensed
product certification agencies.
Bradley is pleased to have
another opportunity to further
his commitment to life safety
initiatives.
To promote the goals of
ICC, the IAS Board deals with
program areas that offer services
to municipalities so that building
laws can be enforced. The
IAS has reached out into the
international community with
activities including international
laboratory accreditation in Egypt,
Abu Dhabi, Middle East, Asia and
the Pacific and is quickly growing
toward world -wide recognition.
Here at home the IAS works
through the National Cooperation
for Laboratory Accreditation
and the Center for Public Safety
Excellence. They are currently
working with FEMA’s Flood
Plan management program so
that IAS BDA accreditation can
assist in the evaluation of building
departments
Through a variety of means,
the IAS Board is upholding
safety standards and integrity
in the building industry: the
Accreditation Committee
works to hold accreditation
standards consistent as building
codes, materials and inspector
qualifications evolve around the
globe; the Technical Advisory
Councils are available for
expertise; and consistency in
assessment work is maintained
through the Assessor Forum.
Further, A new interactive Web
site identifies growth areas, offers
information and is promoting the
IAS in the building industry.
Jonathan Sowers, a training
specialist in the Fire and Rescue
Training and Inspections
Division, has been awarded
the Governor’s Award for
Excellence for Innovations. Sowers
developed a training program
called Understanding Building
Construction after 11 firefighters
died in two separate building fires
– nine in the 2007 Charleston,
S.C. Sofa Superstore fire and two
in the 2008 Salisbury Millwork
fire here in North Carolina.
In developing the course,
Sowers researched more than 20
years of data compiled by the
United States Fire Administration,
the National Fire Protection
Association, the National Fire
Incident Reporting System and
North Carolina-specific statistics.
He compared the number of lives
lost (civilians and firefighters) to
the building codes enforced during
the 20 year period, developing a
course addressing how building
codes and construction methods
affect the daily jobs of a firefighter.
As a result of Sowers’ commitment
to the citizens and the fire service
of North Carolina, the N.C. Fire
and Rescue Commission has
added an additional six to eight
hours of training to the Basic
Firefighter I and II programs. This
program is now one of the most
requested trainings offered by the
OSFM.
North Carolina is currently
the only state that has included
research from the Charleston, S.C.
and Salisbury, N.C. tragedies as
the basis for the development of
such course. The course has been
delivered more than 50 times
during the past two years.
Left to Right: Governor Beverly Perdue, Jonathan Sowers and Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin at
the Governor’s Excellence Award ceremony. Photo courtesy of NCDOJ.
Tim Bradley, Assistant State Fire Marshal
Each year the American fire
service experiences an average
of more than 100 line of duty
deaths. Furthermore, we know
that the number of “working
fires” is down approximately 66
percent in comparison to the
number reported in the mid-
1970s. So what is this score card
saying? I would suggest this can be
attributed to nothing more than
attitudes. We need to change our
attitudes. “There is nowhere in the
corporate world that you could
come in and give an annual report
that stated ‘we had a good year
— we only lost 100 employees’
that you would not be escorted
out the door before you could get
your personal items in a box.” Ron
Siarnicki of the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)
made this statement during a
NFFF presentation. Guess what?
He’s correct!
Why do we as leaders in this
profession continue to allow
these issues to occur? Why do we
continue to consider it an honor
to die in the line of duty? Why are
we so resistant to change? We call
it tradition! Well, as a fire service
leader I have to say: get over old
and bad traditions; start safe new
ones! If I stepped on some toes
here, good; they probably needed
stepping on. We cannot afford
to continue to allow the same
mistakes over and over again. At
some point, we have to start saying
that firefighter injuries and line
of duty deaths (LODD) are not
acceptable anymore on our watch.
We must change this culture, and
the time is now.
One area that we know we
can control the environment and
have good chances of preventing
a line of duty death is training.
But in 2005, we had 10 line of
duty deaths occur during training
events. This equates to 10 percent
of the total line of duty deaths for
that year. Secondly, responding
to and returning from emergency
incidents accounted for 26 line of
duty deaths or 59 percent. Deaths
in vehicle crashes continue to
account for a significant number
of these annual fire service
member fatalities. How many of
these could have been prevented?
How many were not wearing their
seat belts? How many involved
speed as a contributing factor? The
answer to the last two questions is
far too many.
Let’s look at how we can reduce
these numbers. We can begin
today by changing the thought
process as new firefighters enter
the fire training academies across
the United States. We can further
implement these positive changes
with our existing firefighter corps
by investing more of our time and
efforts to change the present day
fire service dinosaurs’ mindsets.
These mindsets tend to negatively
influence the new recruits freshly
deployed in the field and create
dinosaur eggs that then develop
into dinosaurs themselves.
We need to develop and
implement comprehensive health
and wellness programs. These
programs need to include physical
training, medical evaluations and
mental conditioning. With more
and more firefighters perishing
due to heart attacks and strokes
(44 in 2005) we need to make
sure that we are in the best
physical condition to do this job.
I further think that the statistics
are somewhat skewed. When we
experience line of duty deaths of
older fire service members who die
after emergency responses and did
continued on page 8...
Are You Prepared to Prevent a Line of Duty Death?
The Fire & Rescue Journal
4
Vernon Ward, Fire Rating Inspector,
Ratings and Inspections — Vernon
Ward has more than 35 years
of experience in the fire service,
ranging from firefighter to training
officer, instructor and fire chief.
He joined the Pinecroft-Sedgefield
Fire Department in February
1974 as a volunteer and was
hired as a paid firefighter for the
department in November 1976.
He progressed through the ranks
of the department and became
chief in January 1990. After 17
years as Chief, he retired in August
of 2007. Ward has been with
OSFM as a contractor since 2007,
but was hired permanently this
year. In addition to his service
as fire chief, he has also served
as president and treasurer of
the Piedmont Firefighters
Association, president of
the N.C. State Firemen’s
Association and served on
the Volunteers Workers
Compensation Board.
OSFM Welcomes New Employee
Vernon Ward
Live Fire Training Revisited:
Pennsylvania State Fire Academy; 2005
Opened in 1955, the
Pennsylvania State Fire
Academy is a tenured
institution with a remarkable
track record of professionalism.
The Academy’s staff includes
an administrator, a curriculum
specialist, two full-time instructors,
80 adjunct instructors, a
certification manager and three
field education supervisors.
Seven buildings are situated on
the 11 acre campus, including the
current class ‘A’ burn building,
which opened in 1993. Consisting
of both commercial and residential
structures, the all-inclusive
building’s burn rooms were
outfitted with high-temperature
linings in 2001 during renovation
of the building.
In October of 2005, a
routine Suppression Instructor
Development course was taking
place at the Academy. This 40-
hour class is designed to develop
and evaluate the instructional skills
of instructor candidates. Graduates
of the course become state certified
as fire suppression instructors. The
course had one resident instructor,
nine adjunct instructors, one
field supervisor, one curriculum
specialist and 16 students. The
student makeup included a mix
of career and volunteer firefighters
from across the state. The program
consisted of 16 evolutions with
the fatal event occurring during
the last evolution of the five day
course.
The instructors held a staff
meeting early that morning to
discuss the six evolutions that
would take place in the residential
burn building that day. The
evolutions involved not only
extinguishing fires, but also a
series of simulated emergencies.
The purpose of these simulated
events was to evaluate the students’
ability to respond and effectively
manage various emergency
situations. The lead instructor
had at his disposal two teams
of four adjunct instructors in
addition to two academy staff. The
adjunct instructor teams rotated
participating in the evolutions,
working in the burn building
one run and writing student
evaluations during the next.
Prior to the instructor
meeting, the students were
given assignments to prepare
for the upcoming drills. The
first five evolutions of the day
were completed that morning
without incident. The incident
command structure during
the training consisted of the
students serving as the Incident
Commander (IC), Safety Officer
and Rapid Intervention Team
(RIT) members, all monitored
by the course instructors. The
victim completed evolution 12
by evaluating students in the
basement. On evolution 14 he was
outside the building evaluating
the student IC, and on the 16th
and last evolution (when the fatal
event occurred) the victim served
as an instructor in the basement as
well as performing as the ignition
officer for the basement burn
room.
The final evolution began
around 12:45 p.m. The victim
went to the basement alone while
another instructor went to the
second floor of the burn building
to place more pallets on the fire
and then evaluate the students
as they began their suppression
activities. To this end, the
instructors were only supposed to
be in the fire rooms long enough
to add pallets before retreating to a
safer, more tenable location.
A third instructor entered the
burn building to monitor the
basement crew. This instructor
went in the front entrance
and awaited the crew’s entry,
encountering good visibility and
some smoke. After approximately
two minutes, the instructor heard
the basement door open and saw
the victim come over and lay flat
on the floor while moving around
in his bunker gear seeking relief
from the heat his turnout gear had
absorbed while operating in the
basement.
The instructor asked the victim
twice if he was OK, the victim
only responding that, “It’s hot as
hell down there!” The instructor
asked if the victim wanted to go
outside and again asked if he was
OK. The victim responded “No,
I’m OK.” As the victim sat up, the
instructor said “I really think you
need to go outside.” The victim
responded “No, I’m all right”,
got up and said, “Yeah, I’m fine I
will see you down there” prior to
descending the basement steps to
continue adding pallets to the fire
in the burn room.
Minutes later, three students
advanced a hose line to the
basement for their evolution.
They encountered low visibility
and moderate heat at the base of
the basement stairwell. As they
approached the burn room they
could hear a person moaning.
They subsequently found the
victim struggling on the floor
in the corner of the burn room.
The victim’s PASS device was
not sounding, indicating that he
possibly was still moving just prior
to being located. Immediately after
the incident, once the victim’s gear
was removed, the PASS device
began sounding and could not be
deactivated due to heat damage.
The device continued to sound for
more than two days.
The students were
understandably surprised to find
the victim in this position and
location, creating initial confusion
about whether this was a training
scenario or a real emergency. One
of the students radioed “mayday,
mayday, mayday, firefighter down!”
The IC immediately deployed the
RIT team, but the students in the
basement went ahead and quickly
carried the victim up another
stairwell that lead to an exterior
exit where medical care was
administered by an EMS crew that
had been on site for the exercise.
The victim was transported
by ambulance to a community
hospital where he was stabilized
prior to helicopter transport to
a regional trauma/burn center.
He ultimately succumbed to his
injuries two days later. The county
coroner’s office reported the cause
of death as thermal trauma, and
found no medical reason for the
victim to have collapsed within the
burn building.
It is hypothesized that excessive
heat in the burn room caused a
catastrophic failure of the victim’s
SCBA facepiece lens. The failure
occurred as the victim was carrying
pallets in the burn room to add
to the existing fire. The victim
subsequently dropped the pallets
and fell forward into the fire prop,
then struggled to the ground,
before crawling towards the exit.
Many components of the
victim’s SCBA suffered severe
continued on page 11...
How many times have you operated in an acquired
structure or burn building alone? How long would it
take for someone to realize that you are missing
or in distress in such a situation?
Spring 2010
5
A tradition that many
experience at New Year is to
sing “Auld Lang Syne.” If
you’re like me you had no idea as
to the reasons behind the phrase
or the song symbolically sung
as the clock strikes midnight on
Jan. 1 of every year. It occurred
to me that I should investigate its
origins, and as a matter of fact,
I wasn’t even spelling it right.
“Auld Lang Syne” was a poem
written by Scottish writer Robert
Burns in 1788. The poem turned
into song lyrics to the tune of a
traditional folk song and many
believe that the Burns poem had
portions that were similar to that
of James Watson’s “Old Long
Syne” which was printed in 1711.
There is also a version of this song
sung in pubs and bars across the
British Isles as well as the United
States. The meaning of “Auld Lang
Syne” is old long since or for old
time’s sake. This means that it is
meant to reminisce about times
and occurrences of the past, or to
reflect upon them. It has come to
be associated with the excitement
of starting a new and fresh year.
Here is a complete English
translation of Auld Lang Syne.
Should old acquaintance be
forgot, and never brought to
mind?
Should old acquaintance be
forgot, and old times since?
CHORUS: For auld lang syne,
my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint
cup! And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness
yet, for auld lang syne.
We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a
weary foot, since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the
stream, from morning sun till
dine;
But seas between us broad, have
roared since auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty
friend! And give us a hand o’
thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will
draught, for auld lang syne.
Last year in North Carolina we
continued a recent trend of an
elevated number of emergency
service line of duty deaths. If
we reflect upon the times of the
past year, it simply must renew
upon each of us the desire to see
everyone come home from every
call. Traffic fatalities and heart
attacks continue to plague us as
responders, yet we must remain
vigilant to safety during on-scene
operations. Many departments
have never experienced a line of
duty death, yet those that have
would share with you it is an
experience that shakes the very
foundation of the organization.
While we have all placed the
protection of community as
the framework of our duty,
protecting our own must share
equal consideration in our daily
activities. As we start the New
Year our staff here at the Office
of State Fire Marshal, along with
the National Fallen Firefighter
Foundation, the N.C. Fallen
Firefighter Foundation, state
and national fire and rescue
organizations, all ask that you put
safety and health first. “Everyone
Comes Home” must be the
mindset with which we begin each
training session and emergency
response.
OSFM has provided responder
safety information to all of our
state’s certified instructors and has
asked them to begin each class
with a review of safety initiatives.
We have provided occupational
safety and health standards that
not only provide the basis for
standard operating guidelines,
but assist career departments in
meeting OSHA requirements.
In conjunction with the N.C.
Department of Transportation
and highway safety agencies we
developed and distributed traffic
safety DVDs aimed at making
highway incidents safer for the
first responders and the motoring
public. We have certification and
training programs for every level
of responder, including Emergency
Vehicle Driver classes and
certification that covers not only
department vehicles but personnel
vehicles as well. Last year we
added a new section to our Web
site called “Pocket Tools Training,”
which provides safety messages
and drills for everyday operations.
In addition we’ve worked with the
Volunteer Safety Workers Comp
Fund and other state organizations
such as the Chiefs’ and Firemen’s
Association to promote safety
initiatives.
We will happily provide
anyone, upon request, copies
and methods to each of these
programs. In addition to these
programs, and programs provided
by other organizations, there is a
wealth of information available
to your department to help you
do your job more safely. None of
them, however, will be effective
until you and the leaders in your
department take a serious stance
toward making sure everyone
comes home.
As we start the second decade
of the 21st century please
make responder safety as big a
commitment to your department
as protecting your community.
Start every meeting and training
session with a review of safety
initiatives. Adopt and enforce
safety guidelines, including strict
adherence to driver training and
safety. Make a decision to get
yourself and members of your
department physically fit for the
demanding nature of our work.
When someone doesn’t come
home, everyone suffers, and as
such, everyone should be serious
about the goal of seeing that
everyone does.
Welcome to 2010
Looking Forward
by Assistant State Fire Marshal Tim Bradley
The 35th Annual Piedmont Fire Expo
was held in Winston Salem Jan. 15-16. With more
than 75 vendors and 2,500 attendees, this year’s
Expo was definitely a success. The Expo also had
an assortment of seminars including a continuing
education opportunity for fire inspectors, LPG live
fire training, vehicle extrication demonstration,
OSFM “Debunking the Myths” workshop and a
course on positive pressure ventilation. “Most
cities are still struggling with budget reductions,”
said City of King Fire Department Chief Steven
Roberson. “However, with another budget year
looming around the corner, this Expo certainly
helps with budget requests and bids.”
The Fire & Rescue Journal
6
North Carolina’s Capitol
City was created in 1792.
A planned city of one
square mile, early Raleigh was
shaped by fires that burned entire
blocks in the first decades.
The last great fire in 1851
destroyed over 17 buildings.
Resulting public safety
improvements created the first
incarnation of the Raleigh Fire
Department.
Over 150 years later, the city
was challenged by fire again.
Weather conditions, building
construction, and another major
fire four miles away contributed
to a “perfect storm” on Feb. 22,
2007.
The Buildings
Pine Knoll Townes was a
developing subdivision located six
miles north of downtown Raleigh.
Fourteen two-story, wood-frame
townhomes had been built so far.
They averaged 5,715 square-feet
with four units each. Most were
completed and occupied.
The main street, Oneonta
Avenue, ran north to south, with
five buildings on each side. Their
vinyl siding extended to the
ground; their lawns were covered
with pine straw. The buildings
were 16 to 19 feet apart.
The weather that Thursday
afternoon was 73 degrees, with
8 percent humidity and winds
gusting at 30 – 37 mph.
Brush Fire
At 3:03 p.m., a brush fire was
reported at 3535 Oneonta
Avenue, the middle building on
the west side. Second-due Engine
19 was dispatched. Closer units
had already been dispatched to a
structure fire four miles south —
eleven companies were committed
on that call. Five more were out of
service for training.
Pine straw was burning on
Oneonta, and flames spread to
the building. Embers also started
fires at two other buildings, which
callers reported at 3:05 p.m.
The incident was upgraded.
Two more engines, a ladder, a
rescue, and a Battalion Chief were
en-route.
The First Unit Arives
A second Battalion Chief
had seen the smoke and was
first on scene at 3:11 p.m.
Battalion 4 parked at the north
end of Oneonta and established
command.
Looking south down the
street, the BC saw a huge volume
of smoke moving east to west,
vertically and horizontally.
It obscured the area, but he
saw multiple grass fires on its
perimeter. Unable to determine
exactly what was burning, he
walked into the smoke. Seeing a
burning structure on the west side
of Oneonta, he declared a working
fire.
Continuing south, he saw
multiple buildings burning on
Oneonta. Most of the fire was on
the west side of the street, but roof
lines were also catching on the east
side. Grass fires continued to burn
up to the east-side buildings.
Second Alarm
Battalion 4 requested a second
alarm. Five more companies and
another chief were added to the
call. Half of the city’s 28 engines
and most of eight ladders were
now involved.
First-arriving Engine 27
advanced a line into a west-side
building, trying to stop the fire
from spreading north. Second-arriving
Engine 19 laid the supply
line and advanced another line.
Third-arriving Engine 7 was
assigned RIT.
The interior attacks proved
futile. The fire was spreading
extremely fast. Attic spaces were
soon involved, as fire spread
through plastic soffits. Within
about five minutes, Battalion 4
saw roofs burning through.
More Alarms
A second Battalion Chief arrived
and met face-to-face with
Battalion 4. They split operations
on either side of Oneonta, each
with a radio channel.
The first arriving ladder was
deployed on Pine Knoll Drive,
between the buildings facing east
on Oneonta and the rear of a
shopping center facing Capital
Boulevard.
As second-alarm companies
arrived, they were assigned attack
and exposure control on the east
side of Oneonta. The volume of
fire seemed to grow exponentially,
and Battalion 4 requested third
and fourth alarms.
On the west side and now in
defensive mode, crews attacked the
fire on its north and south leading
edges. At least six buildings were
burning, and flames were still
spreading.
Incident Comanders
Fire Chief John McGrath was
approaching on Capital Boulevard.
He saw the smoke and knew
that more than one building was
burning. Arriving from the other
fire was Division Chief Frank
Warner. He’d been monitoring
the radio, but didn’t know exactly
what was burning. Together they
walked to the command post
where McGrath assumed Incident
Command, and Warner was
assigned Operations Command.
Radio traffic was halted, so
crews and assignments could be
mapped out. Four alarms had
Looking Back:
Pine Knoll Townes; Raleigh, N.C.
© Photos by Lee Wilson and Mike Legeros.
Spring 2010
7
been dispatched, with two-dozen
companies involved. A fifth alarm
was later requested.
Command divided the
fireground into four divisions,
and directed units onto a single
radio channel. The divisions were
each assigned a Battalion Chief.
Firegro und
On the north end of Oneonta,
Engine 27 and Engine 19 were
pumping. Each had their own
hydrant, and supplied a deck
gun and numerous hand lines.
Crews were aided by incoming
companies, as well as recruits from
the fire academy.
On the south end of Oneonta,
crews concentrated on protecting
the last building on the east side.
Engine 22 pumped to Ladder 22,
operating a reserve platform.
On the south end of
Londonville Lane, one block
west, two buildings had caught
fire. Ladder 26 was already there,
directing its stream onto Oneonta.
Aerial operations were stopped,
and lines were brought into both
buildings. Most of the units were
saved.
Comand Concerns
At the command post, Chief
McGrath had three concerns.
First was life safety. Primary and
secondary searches were initiated
as soon as resources and conditions
allowed.
Second was protecting the rest
of the city. Extensive move-ups
were needed, and he was reassured
to learn that an off-duty Battalion
Chief was already coordinating
coverage.
Third was water supply. The
subdivision was a cul-de-sac. Was
the system on a closed loop? Were
all mains and hydrants active?
Chief Warner, meanwhile, was
functioning more as a resource
manager. His eyes and ears were
the Battalion Chiefs. “Companies
kept requesting help,” he
remembers of that first hour, “but
we didn’t have help to send. They
hadn’t arrived yet.”
Everybody Helps
Members from all divisions
responded, along with off-duty
“B” and “C” shift personnel.
The Accountability Officer came
from Fire Prevention. The PIO
was the Asst. Chief of Training.
The Field Communications Unit
was brought by the IT team.
Suppression personnel alone
numbered 150. “Our ‘esprit de
corps’ really showed that day,”
McGrath recounts.
The Wake New Hope Fire
Department handled the grass
fires started by blowing brands,
and contributed personnel for
structural work.
Other departments answered
calls inside the city, and provided
units for coverage. Twelve Wake
and Durham county departments
supplied eight engines, four
ladders, and a Telesqurt at city
stations.
Fire is Coraled
Around 4:00 p.m. the fire
was corralled. Three of twelve
threatened buildings had been
protected, and suffered only
partial damage. Fires continued to
burn in the other nine, and even
in driveways. At least six vehicles
were destroyed.
No other exposures were
threatened, but crews faced a
long road ahead. Relieved crews
reported to rehab. Wake County
EMS operated medical monitoring
and rehabilitation. Their
assets included six paramedic
ambulances, and three district
chiefs.
Evening and After
By sunset at 6:02 p.m., the fire
was largely under control. Salvage
and overhaul operations were in
progress. Fuel was being delivered
to apparatus. Reporters had toured
the scene. Food service had even
arrived — Barry’s Café served
90 hamburgers and 90 chicken
sandwiches to personnel.
Command was transferred to
Operations Chief Warner, who
was soon relieved by Battalion 4.
Company officers took command
about 11:00 p.m. Companies were
rotated overnight, and the last
engine cleared two days later.
Aftermath
No injuries were recorded, but
the property loss was staggering:
32 homes seriously damaged or
destroyed; 29 families and 72
people displaced. Damage costs
exceeded $4 million. Investigators
determined that a carelessly
discarded cigarette was the likely
cause of the fire.
The city would commission
an engineering study of the
incident. Changes recommended
in the 189-page report included
prohibiting combustible soffits for
townhomes, and adopting a wild
land-urban interface code.
North Carolina
Building Code has
since been changed
to prohibit combustible
soffit materials in
new townhomes, and
the city continues to
evaluate the use of
combustible landscape
material.
LESSONS LEARNED
The sheer scope of
Pine Knoll Townes was
an important lesson
to the Raleigh Fire
Department. “We don’t
have a lot of big fires,”
says Chief McGrath,
“and that’s a good
thing.”
It reinforced
the importance of
training for larger fires,
including early use of
master streams and
other “big water,” and
incident command
strategy and tactics at
the company officer
level.
Chief Warner cites
his own lesson learned.
“If I am going to an
incident that is or may
escalate to a major fire,
I’ll request additional
radio channels for
staging and EMS ahead of time.”
The department drills
more frequently on major fire
operations, with live scenarios
at the training center. Full
assignments are used, to practice
with several arriving companies.
One year later, on another dry
and windy February afternoon,
incident commanders drew upon
their experience of Pine Knoll
Townes. Their strategic planning
and use of resources helped
mitigate three major brush fires
that threatened structures in
different parts of the city.
Mike Legeros is the historian of
the Raleigh Fire Department. Learn
more at www.raleighfirehistory.org.
The Fire & Rescue Journal
8
Why are 9S Inspections Required?
Why does my department have to go through a 9S
inspection, especially when our department has a lower
than 9S rating?
The 9S inspections are preformed to ensure that all
departments in North Carolina maintain the minimum
requirements for a 9S rating. Even a department
whose rating is lower than a 9S rating can benefit from
the inspection and identify areas of improvement. A department
must maintain a minimum rating of 9S to remain eligible for state
benefits for firefighters and to maintain a reduced insurance rating
for the property owners in their district. These inspections help each
department achieve this minimum rating, while also giving OSFM
an opportunity to update data connected with each department and
county.
During the inspection the inspector will review a number of items
that departments do not normally review or update. The department’s
Articles of Incorporation will be reviewed to ensure they state what
the department is actually doing. Many departments have not updated
their Articles of Incorporation in years, and they may simply state the
department was formed to provide fire protection for a community.
In many areas, departments are now providing much more than fire
protection, such as medical aid, rescue, haz-mat response and more.
Another area that will be reviewed is the department’s fire insurance
district map. This is an area where we see many problems. Each rural
fire protection district must have a map that is approved by their
governing body, typically the county commissioners. This map can be
a hand-written map with a description or a GIS map which requires
no written description. Some of the common problems seen are the
addition of roads, a new highway that redirects or cuts off roads or
moving a fire station’s location. Any of these can cause areas to be
more than five miles from the station. These issues must be addressed
and corrected.
Contracts will also be reviewed to assure they are up-to-date and
in force every where they are needed. In North Carolina there are a
number of areas where small towns have been formed, but they don’t
form their own fire departments. These towns are allowing the fire
department that has been covering their area to continue protecting
them. If this is the case, the department must have a contract with the
new town and county.
A very common mistake found during inspections is a lack of
adding personnel to the State Association roster each time a new
firefighter is added. Some departments have a practice of only
updating their State Association roster once a year when dues are
required. Other departments will not put firefighters on the State
Association roster until they have served some type of probation. The
purpose of the State Association roster is to certify that the firefighter
is a member of your department and to assure that if firefighter is
killed in the line of duty, he or she will receive the in line of duty death
benefits and other benefits provided through the State Association. If
a firefighter is not added to the departments roster when they join or
until after they complete a probationary period, and they are killed in
the line of duty during these times, their family receives none of the
benefits of the State Association. Another common roster mistake is
not putting a firefighter on the department’s roster because they are
on the roster of another department. Firefighters must be on the roster
of every fire department they volunteer or work for, to ensure the
payment of all benefits due them.
The 9S Inspection is more than a review of equipment and test
records a department is maintaining — it’s a tool and way of helping
each department review, obtain or update the needed documents and
equipment to keep the department in compliance to operate in North
Carolina.
Vernon Ward, is an ratings inspector with the Training and Inspections
Division.
Inspection Tips
Q:
A:
...continued from page 5
not directly engage in fire
suppression activities, should
it be questioned whether or
not these individuals have
already experienced cardiac
related medical issues that
should be considered “red flags”
concerning their readiness for
this type of duty? How many
departments are providing and
requiring comprehensive medical
evaluations (NFPA 1582) for all
of their members? If you are not,
you should explore ways to make
this part of your overall safety
plan. Many times comprehensive
medical evaluations have
uncovered health issues that would
have otherwise gone undetected.
These types of physical evaluations
need to be conducted at least
annually. Simply as your
grandmother would say, “an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.”
Further, we need to evaluate
and support physical fitness
(NFPA 1583). Each firefighter
must be encouraged and
assisted to set personal fitness
goals because each individual is
different. Department physical
fitness goals and standards should
be created to provide for every
member’s established fitness
needs so they may perform core
job responsibilities safely and
effectively. Lastly, we must have
qualitative and quantitative testing
of physical fitness. This testing
should never be used punitively,
but as a teaching and learning
tool.
Training is paramount. We
must continue to enhance our
training in every aspect. We often
read NIOSH reports that basic
and routine components of our
profession are not performed
adequately and these factors
directly contribute to line of
duty deaths and injuries. So why
can’t we perform the basics? Is it
because we have the mentality
of “been there - done that, and I
don’t need to do that anymore”?
Next, we need to focus on
realism. We must deal with the
adverse mentality of “that wouldn’t
happen to us” or “that’s the big
city stuff; it’s not going to happen
here.” Well, last time I checked
fire and other types of emergency
situations do not discriminate.
It doesn’t matter who you are or
where you are from. Reality check
— who would have thought that
an aircraft with terrorists on board
would crash in rural Pennsylvania?
We must train hard, train
realistically and train often. By
doing this we stoke our tool boxes
with the right tools for the job.
In closing, we must have
the courage to say “no” and the
courage to be safe. We must do
the right thing for ourselves,
our firefighters and our families.
Prevent a line of duty death by
changing the attitudes and culture
in your departments and have the
courage to be safe! The families
at home depend on us all to be
strong advocates for the safety of
their loved ones. Become part of
the solution. Support the National
Fallen Firefighters Foundation and
the fire service quest of “everyone
goes home.”
Douglas K. Cline is a 29-year fire
service veteran serving as training
commander with the High Point
Fire Department. Cline also serves
as administrative assistant chief
with the Ruffin Volunteer Fire
Department and as a member of the
NCFFF Board of Directors.
Get over old and bad traditions;
start safe new ones!
Spring 2010
9
On June 25, 2007, the
Wilmington Fire
Department placed
into service a 2007 MetalCraft
Marine FireStorm 50 fire boat
manufactured by MetalCraft
Marine in Ontario, Canada.
The vessel named Atlantic VI.
Atlantic VI is 50 feet long with a
beam width of 15 feet, 10 inches.
With a top speed of 38 knots
(approximately 42 MPH) when
fully loaded and drafts of only
25 inches of water, it is powered
by twin 885HP Caterpillar C18
Diesels and is jet driven by twin
Hamilton 364 Jets. The Atlantic
VI also has a fuel capacity of 460
gallons.
The suppression equipment
on Atlantic VI consists of two
Hale fire pumps rated at a total of
6,000 GPM; however, the pumps
have been tested at 7,500 GPM.
It is also equipped with a Foam
Pro System with 500 gallons
of foam concentrate on board.
Atlantic VI utilizes two remote
monitors with one being located
on the bow and one located on
the cabin’s roof. There are also
numerous discharges that can be
utilized during supply/suppression
operations. Atlantic VI is also
equipped with breathing air via
a cascade system. It utilizes a full
ensemble of electronics including
radar, FLIR, GPS, chart plotters
and more.
Atlantic VI is manned by a
minimum of three personnel
including the captain. In order
to be a certified operator, a
CFCC Safe Boating: Navigations
and Seamanship course must
be completed or the captain
must possess a current and
valid USCG six pack captain’s
license. The captain must also
complete a training program
which encompasses safe boating,
maneuvering, pump operations
and day/night operations.
Atlantic VI can be utilized in
any water emergency. Operations
may consist of structure fires
along the water front, marine
fires, search and rescue and
water recovery. Atlantic VI has
mutual aid agreements with the
U.S. Coast Guard, Wrightsville
Beach Fire Department, Carolina
Beach Fire Department and
New Hanover County Fire-
Rescue; it is available to other
agencies upon request. Atlantic
VI protects billions of dollars
worth of property including the
historic downtown Wilmington
district and one of only two North
Carolina State Ports; its coverage
area includes the Northeast Cape
Fear River, from the mouth of the
Brunswick River to the Navassa
Bridge, the Cape Fear River, and
the Intracoastal Waterway to the
sea buoy.
The Wilmington Fire
Department is the first fire
department in North Carolina to
have a fire boat — Wilmington
has utilized a fire boat since
1906 due to the amount
of infrastructure along the
waterfront. The first fire boat,
the original Atlantic, was bought
and built new at a cost of $2,000.
Atlantic VI cost a total of a total of
$1.5 million, which was funded
by a Homeland Security Grant
and other funding from the city.
Atlantic VI is only the second new
fire boat for Wilmington and has
the longest recorded water delivery
for MetalCraft Marine, which
utilized WFD personnel, with a
total of 1,660 miles traveled. The
Wilmington Fire Department also
has a 32-foot fire boat in service,
which is docked at Wrightsville
Beach.
Captain Ian S. Tedder is with the
Wilmington Fire Department.
(Above) The Atlantic VI demonstrates its fog nozzles
capabilities. (Right) The Atlantic VI crew prepares
for a demonstration at the recent Marine Shipboard
Firefighting class.
Innovative Equipment Spotlight:
Wilmington Fire Department’s Atlantic VI
Assistant State Fire Marshal Bradley presents Commissioner Goodwin with his State Fire Marshal helmet.
June 9, 2010
Fire and Rescue Commission Board Meeting
Pinecroft-Sedgefield Fire Department
10 a.m.
May 5-8, 2010
N.C. Society of Fire Service Instructors Conference
Asheville, NC
2010 Calendar of Events
The Fire & Rescue Journal
10
Initiative 9 — Thoroughly
investigate all firefighter fatalities,
injuries and near misses.
For years some departments
have swept their mistakes under
the rug of denial. In doing so,
many more injuries or fatalities
may have occurred that could
have been prevented had the
information from previous
experiences been available. Every
firefighter breaths and has a heart-beat,
consequently, logic tells us
that they are all human. Logic
also tells us that humans make
mistakes. These mistakes can no
longer be hidden and kept quiet.
Departments are morally and
ethically obligated to report and
share their fatalities, injuries and
near misses.
»» Implement investigations
without delay, so learning can
begin immediately.
»» Be familiar with NIOSH,
FEMA, USFA, CDC, NFPA
reports. They can be studied to
increase safety.
»» Encourage the collection of
“near miss” data. Near miss
incidents provide excellent
learning and training tools.
»» Look for “Fatal Chains of
Error.��
Initiative 10 — Grant
programs should support the
implementation of safe practices
and/or mandate safe practices as
an eligibility requirement.
There is grant money available
for you to begin implementing
these initiatives. Grants should,
however, be tied to increasing
safety measures. No safe
practices,no grant.
If you ask for a grant to
improve health and wellness, for
example, recommendations should
be made and implemented as a
condition of future grants.
Take time to learn how to write
grants professionally, beginning
with the identification of granting
sources. (Is this the source of the
money?)
Initiative 11 — National
standards for emergency response
policies and procedures should be
developed and championed.
In addition to national
standards, local policies and
procedures should be developed
for emergency response. The
bottom line is that emergency
apparatus are often driven too
fast and can become part of the
problem rather than part of the
solution. Departments should
evaluate their current SOPs
and update them to include the
following recommendations:
»» Adopt safe driving rules and
enforce them.
»» Secure loose objects in cabs and
on vehicles.
»» Respond to emergencies using
emergency response SOPs; no
red lights and sirens to routine
calls.
»» Make sure all vehicles meet
current safety standards.
»» MOST IMPORTANTLY –
MANDATE SEAT BELT USE!
Initiative 12 — National
protocols for response to violent
incidents (including terrorism)
should be developed and
championed.
Fire and EMS workers deserve
to have policies which will reduce
their exposure to all threats of
violence.
Promote policies to “stage”
violence incident responses,
removing the pressure to react
immediately. SOPs should include
“GO” and “No-GO” criteria.
Learn all you can about
responding to terrorist incidents,
regardless of your department’s size
or proximity to predicted targets.
Initiative 13 — Firefighters
and their families must have access
to counseling and psychological
support.
Firefighting is a high-risk
occupation which, from time to
time, can put the employee and
his or her family under extreme
stress. They deserve access to
mental health care.
If you are feeling stress
(depression,anxiety or physical
symptoms) seek help from a
physician, Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) counselors,
religious or other sources of
support.
Don’t “tough it out;” this could
cause problems for you and your
family.
Stress awareness should be part
of firefighter training at all levels.
Help a buddy you see struggling
with stress-related problems.
Initiative 14 — Public
education must receive more
resources and be championed as a
critical fire and life safety program.
Hard economic times have
unfortunately fallen on the
country and the fire service. Many
fire departments have been forced
to make drastic budget cuts. Not
surprisingly, one of the fist lines
to take cuts is the prevention and
public education line. While a
great number of departments work
hard to provide quality prevention
and public education programs,
the reality is that the majority of
departments see it as a nuisance.
However, prevention is the key to
saving lives. Education is the only
way to make people understand
the dangers that they face.
»» Make communicating the
fire prevention message to the
community a priority.
»» Utilize U.S. Fire Administration
(USFA) resources and materials.
They are free and excellent.
»» Become an ambassador for
community safety in your
church, children’s schools,
volunteer groups, etc.
»» Become an advocate for code
adoption and enforcement.
Initiative 15 — Strengthen
advocacy for the enforcement of
codes and the installation of home
fire sprinklers.
The widespread use of
residential sprinklers will save lives
and decrease firefighter injuries
and LODDs.
Ensure all firefighters
understand how sprinkler systems
operate and the value they bring to
reducing LODDs.
Actively advocate for
residential sprinkler laws and their
widespread adoption.
If you build a home, consider
the installation of a sprinkler
system. Lead by example.
Initiative 16 — Safety must
be a primary consideration in
the design of apparatus and
equipment.
Departments must make
safety their number one priority
in everything they do, including
the purchase of apparatus
and equipment. Substandard
equipment and low bid purchases
have no place in today’s fire
service.
»» Form an apparatus committee
and help set your department’s
policies on equipment and
apparatus purchases.
»» Read professional journals and
attend conferences where new
innovations in apparatus and
equipment are demonstrated.
»» Learn National Fire Protection
Agency (NFPA) standard 1901
regarding apparatus safety
standards.
Where are we now?
The Everyone Goes Home
program hit the streets in 2004
and immediately called for a 25%
reduction in LODDs by the year
2009. While this was a great goal,
there has yet to be a reduction in
these needless losses. Part of the
problem is that some departments
lack the understanding of what it
takes to make these reductions.
The other issue is that some feel
that safety is being overstated and
that we need to get back to the
way that we used to do things.
There are some fire service leaders
who recently spoke against the
need for change. These leaders
should look at the statistics of
injuries and LODDs in this
country versus those of other
countries. The United States leads
the world in fire service LODDs.
Emergency services
organizations can make a
difference. They can reduce
injuries and fatalities within
their jurisdictions. Conduct an
organizational assessment and
see which of the above areas are
lacking. Encourage and reward
positive changes towards safety.
Implement these initiatives
and encourage neighboring
departments to do the same.
Matt Thorpe is a training
specialist in OSFM’s R&PD section.
Realizing the Value of the 16 Life Safety Initiatives
The Fire and Rescue Journal is providing an in-depth look at 16 Life Safety Initiatives developed by fire service leaders from around
the country. We published the first eight initiatives in the last issue, and the final eight are highlighted in this issue below.
After identifying six focus areas and carefully
examining the root causes of line of duty deaths, fire
service leaders wrote 16 initiatives that would assist in
reducing the number of these deaths each year.
Spring 2010
11
North Carolina has long line of committed, dedicated and
determined fire chiefs from both the paid and volunteer setting.
With this in mind, the North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs
recognized the chiefs who stood out for their outstanding
commitment to the fire service:
Chief Wesley Hutchins with the Walkertown Volunteer Fire
Department was named the Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year.
Pictured left to right: Hutchins’ daughter Mallory, son Reid, wife
Mary and Chief Hutchins.
Chief Dennis Presley with Skyland Fire and Rescue earned the
Career Fire Chief of the Year title.
Pictured left to right: Chief Dennis Presley is pictured with his wife
Lisa, daughter Katie and son Chad.
Congratulations to Chief Hutchins and Chief Presley!
The North Carolina Association
of Fire Chiefs, in conjunction
with the Wrightsville Beach Fire
Department and New Hanover
County Firefighters Association,
held their annual Mid-winter
conference in Wrightsville Beach,
Feb. 5-7. This year’s conference
combined informative seminars
with exceptional networking and
communication.
The biggest topic of
discussion was a roundtable
discussion entitled “Volunteer to
Combination – Panel Discussion.”
This discussion was moderated
by North Carolina Association
of Fire Chiefs’ Executive
Director Kenneth Mullen, and
the panel included a variety of
experienced members representing
the career and volunteer fire
service, Volunteers’ Workers
Compensation Fund and other
fire service-related experts. The
main purpose of this roundtable
discussion was to offer a diverse
representation of proven answers
to a growing challenge facing
communities today of volunteer
departments with a need to change
into combination departments.
This session allowed chiefs from
departments of all sizes in N.C.
to receive detailed information
and potential solutions for the
problems their communities face
related to the transition from
a volunteer department to a
combination department.
Additionally, the conference
included information on current
events from the International
Association of Fire Chiefs, the
South East Association Fire
Chiefs and the North Carolina
Association of Fire Chiefs. Of the
numerous seminars offered this
year, each allowed participants
to gain valuable information on
current topics and trends. The
seminars offered include: Risk
Watch: Preventing Firefighter
Suicides; Hazardous Materials
Fusion Center; Managing Stress in
an Ever Changing Environment;
and Start Safe Program from the
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill Burn Center.
The goal of the North Carolina
Association of Fire Chiefs is “to be
rather than to seem” and to serve
the North Carolina Fire Chiefs
and Fire Officers in the most
beneficial way possible. Be sure
to make plans now to attend the
2011 Mid-winter conference in
Concord, Feb. 4-6, 2011.
N.C. Association of Fire Chiefs Holds Mid-winter Conference
Participants in the Volunteer to Combination Panel Discus-
...continued from page 4.
damage from exposure to the
extreme heat. The lens, molded
polycarbonate plastic, transitions
to a soft state in the range of 293-
302°F. At higher temperatures,
the plastic begins to melt outright.
The lens material of the victim’s
facepiece appears to have reached
temperatures possibly higher than
that of 300°F. This is supported
by the charring of the voicemitter
tubes which are made of neoprene
rubber, which begins to decompose
around 647°F. The polycarbonate
buttons on the two upper head-harness
attachment points were
covered by the protective hood, as
were portions of the lens. These
components appear to have been
heated well in excess of the glass
transition temperature but did not
reach melting temperature.
All of these events evoke the
question: What would have been
the outcome if the victim had a
partner with him at the time of
the equipment failure? Though
injury would have likely been
unavoidable given the conditions,
one could argue that the odds of
survivability would have increased
significantly had someone been
there to assist the victim from
the burn room. How many times
have you operated in an acquired
structure or burn building alone?
How long would it take for
someone to realize that you are
missing or in distress in such a
situation? How much faith do
we place on that thin, man-made
plastic lens that separates us from
the dark hell that dwells on the
other side?
Once again, we lost someone
inside of a burn building. This
time it was not an uninitiated
rookie. This time it was an
experienced officer that had earned
the opportunity to teach at a
prestigious academy based on his
knowledge and ability. Regardless
of whether we have one year or
100 years of experience, there is
no substitute for having another
set of eyes on us when operating
in any live fire environment. It is
easy to find complacency when
operating in a burn building.
The complacency that we find
eventually leads to the life that we
lose.
Kevin McArthur coordinates the
Live Fire Qualification program for
OSFM. He can be reached at
kevin.mcarthur@ncdoi.gov.
The Fire & Rescue Journal
1202 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1202
(919) 661-5880
www.ncdoi.com/osfm
The Crystal Coast Fire Academy Class was
held on Feb. 9, with the graduation
ceremony occurring on Feb. 12.
(Right) Morehead City Fire/EMS Chief Wes Lail
and Deputy Chief Jamie Fulk
pin Firefighter Cadets Roderick Adams,
Andrew Akines and Niko Annazone.
Guilford Technical Community College hosted the
inaugural North Carolina Thermal Imaging School
Feb. 26 – 28. (Above–Left) A student prepares to
enter with TIC during a Vent/Enter/Search evolution.
(Above–Right) Students observe TIC images transmitted from Scott TIC inside the flashover simulator.
(Far Right) A complement of cameras and batteries provided by various TIC manufacturers.