INEXPENSIVE PORTABLE LIGHTING
BY PAUL HELLENBERG
As is often the case at nighttime structure fires, firefighters are required to set up portable lighting. Often, firefighters have to carry heavy generators to the front of the structure or string hundreds of feet of electrical cord throughout. All of us have experienced carrying heavy generators–it can be a problem with today`s staffing levels, especially through debris, water, snow, and ice. Electric cords stretched through water can be a hazard, firefighters wearing SCBA masks will often trip over or become entangled in them, and at times cords get disconnected or generators fail.
Many larger cities use light companies that set up large exterior lighting to illuminate the scene, but firefighters walking out of the structure after the fire is knocked down are blinded by the lights` intensity. Telescoping lights on engines and ladder trucks have a similar effect.
We all know that flashlights have their limitations and are sometimes lost during firefighting operations. Flashlights are ideal for the initial attack but are not as practical during the overhaul or investigation phases and do not allow hands to be free for work. Portable electric lights come in many different shapes and sizes and for the most part do a good job, but you are always dealing with an electrical power supply and extension cords.
Several years ago, a captain in the Flagstaff (AZ) Fire Department developed a portable battery light that is durable, independent of power supply, easy to carry, water-resistant, inexpensive, and easy to build. The light will effectively illuminate the work area and last up to three hours. The portable light can be built in-house and is easy to maintain. After a couple of hours on slow charge back at the station, the light is ready to go again. The light will easily fit into apparatus compartments.
The portable light consists of a deep-cycle marine battery, a 12-volt vehicle light on a swivel, 14-gauge wire, a plastic battery box with straps, a toggle switch, and wire connectors. The light costs less than $100–the type of battery used will dictate the major ex-pense.
The portable light will effectively illuminate the work area for firefighters after knockdown of the fire and allows for safer and easier overhaul and fire investigation. The Flagstaff Fire Department has used the light for the past five years and has found it very economical and durable. Each of the department`s engines carries one; each ladder truck company carries two. n
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The portable light uses a deep-cycle marine battery, a 12-volt vehicle light on a swivel, 14-gauge wire, a plastic battery box with straps, a toggle switch, and wire connectors. The light costs less than $100–depending on the type of battery used. (Photos by Dave Manning, Flagstaff Fire Department.)
n PAUL HELLENBERG is a 23-year veteran of the Flagstaff (AZ) Fire Department and has been its training chief since 1991. He is an Arizona-certified fire instructor/evaluator, a member of the Arizona State Fire Training Advisory Committee, and a member of the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association.
