Redundancy vital for fire protection
I am responding to Dominick Kass’ rebuttal (Letters to the Editor, June 2006) of Jack J. Murphy’s Fire Commentary “Speak Up! Tradeoffs Are Jeopardizing Your Safety on the Fireground,” in the November 2005 issue. Murphy encourages firefighters to become more active in the International Code Council process.
Kass appears to believe that Murphy was attacking the sprinkler industry. In fact, the second paragraph of Murphy’s article specifically states: “The fire service has advocated for fire sprinklers and will continue to champion their cause.”
Some individuals tend to view a balanced approach to fire protection (which Murphy advocates) as an anti-sprinkler position. I agree with the following points made by Kass: Certified professional installers should be required to guarantee the systems were installed as designed, and many people are alive today because of fire sprinklers.
The very essence of a balanced approach is that you must be able to rely on the fact that all of the components will operate with each other to accomplish the firefighting goals of “locate, confine, and extinguish.” If one component fails, it is the responsibility of the other components to provide protection until the fire department can respond.
I disagree with the Kass claim that an adequate number of fire professionals are involved with the code process. As a career firefighter, I started to attend various meetings concerning the codes. I was astonished at the lack of representation for the fire service and the misunderstanding of the real-life effects of fire on structures. While computer modeling can give an idea of the effects of fire on a brand new building, they are not indicative of the real world. In reality, when these buildings lose their luster and have been left to time, components break down or are not maintained. That is where redundancy is important.
I find it hard to believe that a “tailboard rider” for 31 years would advocate eliminating redundancy. We have sacrificed numerous firefighters over the years in the battle for redundancy in our protective gear. Would Kass advocate eliminating redundancy in our breathing apparatus? In fact, breathing apparatus now have three forms of notification when the air supply begins to get low-audible bell, vibration, and visual pop-up display. We also have bypass valves in case our regulators fail in a hazardous atmosphere. We are moving forward in the redundancy of our protective gear; why not in our work environment?
There are times when the best designed and installed systems will fail. On August 14, 2002, we experienced an extended blackout in the Northeast, which prevented the pumps to the municipal water supply from supplying the hydrants. With millions of gallons of water on our shore, the City of Cleveland had to request water tankers from as far south as Dayton, a four-hour drive. With no water, the sprinklers were also useless. This is not a criticism of the sprinklers, just an example of a failure that goes beyond the design of any system.
Properly designed, installed, and maintained sprinkler systems are doing a great job in protecting the public, but what about the systems not being maintained? Human nature being what it is, there inevitably will be sprinkler systems that are not properly designed, installed, or maintained. Where is the redundancy to provide adequate fire safety to people in those buildings as well?
As a result of municipal cutbacks throughout the United States, fire departments are being asked to do more with less. We have cut back our resources to inspect every building in a proper timeframe. A system of redundancy allows for extra protection. A longtime fire service member can’t really be advocating that the fire service sit back and not take the steps to ensure safety in our work environment. The members of the fire service need to take an interest in their working environment and not in the artistic concerns of architects and engineers. I have faith in their ability to design spectacular buildings within the safety requirements.
Since the first day of training, firefighters are taught a balanced approach to attacking a fire-locate, confine, and extinguish. We should insist on this balanced approach to fire protection.
Sean DeCrane
Captain
Cleveland (OH) Fire Department
Nozzle settings for attack lines
We would like to respond to the June 2006 Roundtable relative to nozzle settings for attack lines. We have read with great interest the responses of the participants and can’t believe this is still a point of discussion and how far apart the responses are geographically and technically. The answer to the question of how much water to put on a structural fire is a simple one: enough to put it out! It seems that how to do it is the subject of debate.
First, those Roundtable respondents who said, “We must kill it [the fire] before it kills us” and “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight” are right on the money. If all you need is 95 gpm to put out a fire and you have a line capable of delivering 180 gpm, how do you get 95 gpm to come out? Just operate it for 32 seconds.
Shouldn’t the control of how much water is applied to a fire be in the hands of the firefighters with their faces in it? If property conservation is the issue, isn’t it easier to clean up water damage than fire damage? If a 180-gpm flow is too much for one firefighter to handle alone, where is the other firefighter who responded with him? If he is off somewhere searching, leaving one person to handle the line, what happened to two-in/two-out?
The last obvious question is, Have any of the respondents actually tested the actual flow of the lines with a meter? We have seen remarkable differences in flow attributable to factors that range from brand of hose to age to location of the discharges on the apparatus that make theoretical friction loss calculations barely more than a wild guess.
Jerry Knapp, Chris Flatley
Instructors
Rockland County Fire Training Center
Pomona, New York
Katrina special issue
This is just a note to say how impressed we are here at the USFA with the Katrina issue (May 2006). From what really happened, challenges, heroic efforts, outcomes, and lessons learned to the shear enormity of what happened there and its effect not only on all emergency services but also on all levels of government and what needs addressing, well done! I plan to quote some of the information in the articles in my presentation at the Washington State Fire Chiefs Conference.
Charlie Dickinson
Acting U.S. Fire Administrator
Remembering Tom Brennan
Congratulations to Editor in Chief Bobby Halton on his excellent and heartfelt tribute to Tom Brennan and the cover of the June 2006 issue. The cover is simply great.
Halton’s statement “If you spent time with Tom, you are richer for it” is so true. I would like to share how I met Tom.
In 1984, a container truck lost its brakes and broadsided a fully loaded gasoline tanker in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The impact caused a tremendous explosion and fire involving several buildings. I arrived within minutes and took some great photographs, which I forwarded to Fire Engineering. Several months later, Fire Engineering’s front cover showed the Chelsea incident with fire investigators walking through the scene after the fire had been extinguished. I was not real upset, knowing that Fire Engineering reflected the technical side of firefighting and not always the fire itself. Months later, I received a letter of apology from Tom Brennan, which I have kept for 21 years. Needless to say, a long friendship quickly developed.
In 1989, when I was considering publishing my first book, I met Tom at his Manhattan office. He reviewed it and gave me the encouragement and confidence to go forward.
Like Tom’s letter (below), the June issue of Fire Engineering will be kept in a special place in my collection of fire memorabilia.
Peter Aloisi
Chariot Publishing Co., Inc.
Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Dear Mr. Aloisi,
This has got to be one of the most embarrasing letters I ever had to write. Do you know, I was a career firefighter for 22 years, a volunteer for 14 years. In all that time, I never once misplaced a victim or lost track of one of my men. I could make a thorough search of a room in which I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face … mask … okay, okay, I wore a cheater. Yet, I always found my original means of entry. Therefore, rather red-faced, I have to admit that in a fully lit office, with not even so much as a smoky haze, I misplaced nine four-color shots.
I honestly don’t know how to apologize, and if you’d ever again like to submit photos, I promise that I wouldn’t let four major holidays pass before getting back to you.
-Tom Brennan, Editor
I had the honor and privilege of meeting Tom back in 1991 while serving as president of a firefighters union. We kept in touch through the years; our last encounter was at the FDIC in Indianapolis a few years ago. I was saddened to learn of Tom’s passing and penned a letter to some of my brothers here as well as our labor attorney, who was involved in a labor dispute in which Tom had lent us his expertise. The feelings and sincerity expressed by Bobby Halton had me shaking my head in affirmation, knowing how true they were. A legend has left us. May he rest in peace. Thanks for the efforts to remember Tom and honor his dedication and commitment to this life calling.
Daniel Sullivan
Captain
Executive Officer
South Orange (NJ) Fire Department
Bobby Halton’s comments in the June issue are a great tribute to Tom Brennan. Tom was well established at Fire Engineering in 1986 when I joined Fire Command magazine. I looked forward to meeting him with ambivalence: He was already a legend, but he was also a friend of every firefighter, someone I wanted to meet. But I was just a newbie. He welcomed me to the trade and offered to help in any way he could. That first meeting was 20 years ago, but I remember it as if it were last week. He was cordial then and remained so through the years. We will miss him.
Clint Smoke
Asheville, North Carolina
I have been a subscriber to Fire Engineering since I got involved with the fire service in 1985. I have been turning to the “last page” since Chief Brennan started writing Random Thoughts. When I was a young volunteer firefighter who waned to do his very best and make his dad proud, I was reading Chief Brennan’s work (I am a third-generation firefighter). Soon after when I began to really fall in love with this line of work, I sought out seminars that Chief Brennan was offering and kept waiting for that next installment of Random Thoughts.
After a few years as a volunteer, I thought it would be a great thing to make a career out of the fire service. I began studying for entrance exams and oral interviews. I used my vast collection of Random Thoughts for my preparation in the event that I was lucky enough to get that interview and a shot at a career job in the fire service.
As it turned out, I was given that opportunity, and was well prepared for the moment of truth. I attained a childhood dream and was accepted by a solid and aggressive fire department. Many a late night, especially during quiet times, I would go over in my mind scenarios I might face in the next few minutes if the bell were to hit. I would pick up Chief Brennan’s Random Thoughts and see what he had to say. I was sure that the material I was reading would keep me at my best and most prepared.
Some years went by, and I began thinking about making a run at a promotion. The first resource I turned to was Chief Brennan’s Random Thoughts. I studied as hard as I could for my promotional exam, all the while keeping an eye on the monthly edition of Random Thoughts. I distinctly remember the last thing I did in preparation for my promotional oral. I read a Random Thoughts installment that dealt with the qualities a new fire officer needs. I took that information and other things I learned from Tom Brennan into my interview and had a very positive outcome. I achieved another dream and was promoted.
I still rely on my collection of Random Thoughts each time I need a drill topic or want to discuss fire service issues with my crews.
I owe a great deal of my success to Chief Brennan. I met him only a few times, but he made an impact on me that I carry with me each time I step onto the apparatus for a run. Our proud fire service has lost an icon, one who will continue to make an impact on our job for many years to come. I know that I will carry his lessons with me for the rest of my career, as will others who are “interested and aware.”
Joseph V. Coppola
Lieutenant
Norwalk (CT) Fire Department
