FIRE ENGINEERING
July 1985
Volume 138 No. 7
DEPARTMENTS
EDITORIAL 6
Safety takes an active voice
VOLUNTEERS CORNER 8
Protective gear—a suit for all seasons
TRAINING NOTEBOOK 10
Electrical power lines—a live threat to tower ladders
DISPATCHES 20
Flashlight retrofit program Fire association sued Scholarship competition Evacuation distances questioned Life safety code adopts home criteria Counterfeit UL labels on fire doors Tragic training evolution Arson newsletter
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 12
COMPANY NEWS 62
APPARATUS 65
INNOVATIONS/DELIVERIES TRAINING AIDS 67
EQUIPMENT DIGEST 70
CLASSIFIEDS 72
COURSES/COMING EVENTS 74
READER SERVICE CARD 75
FEATURES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
H2 LEAK CONTROLLED BY SOUND STRATEGY 14
Burning with an invisible flame and having the potential to create a severe combustion explosion, a leaking hydrogen trailer parked in a chemical storage yard presented responding firefighters with the possibility of a major catastrophe.
BY JOHN GILLOTTI
SAFETY
RESULTS OF SAFETY QUESTIONNAIRE 22
Achieving safety through training and the use of proper equipment are major concerns of firefighters. Other areas of interest common among fire departments are hazardous materials and the use of self-contained breathing apparatus. This information and more was gleaned from reviewing your responses to the first part of our safety questionnaire, which appeared in the December 1984 issue of FIRE ENGINEERING.
BY HUGH J. CAULFIELD
SAFETY RESEARCH
FIREFIGHTER VISIBILITY—A LOOK AT CONTACTS 29
A first-hand, “real world” study of contact lenses in fire and smoke-filled atmospheres was conducted by the authors of this article. Could the use of contact lenses inside self-contained breathing apparatus aid firefighters’ visibility in their working environment? To better learn the pros and cons of this issue, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is circulating a questionnaire, a copy of which appears on page 33. Please take the time to fill it out and mail it back to the lab. Your input could help alleviate some of the misinformation and rumors that have been raging for years.
BY JOHN M. MOSCHELLA and DAVID A. KUPERSTEIN
EQUIPMENT
BUYERS’ GUIDE 37
The 1985 Buyers’ Guide is a listing of firefighting equipment and the various manufacturers. Also included is a directory containing the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the manufacturers.
