FIRE ENGINEERING
March 1985
Volume 138 No. 3
DEPARTMENTS
EDITORIAL 6
VOLUNTEERS CORNER 8
Positioning your elevating platform
TRAINING NOTEBOOK 10
Residential roof insulation—a new headache
DISPATCHES 20
Lethal agent in smoke
High-pressure cylinders in service
Grit-edge blade
Alert notice decal
Phase out of American LaFrance
INNOVATIONS/DELIVERIES
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 16
EQUIPMENT DIGEST 74
COMING EVENTS 78
APPARATUS 80
NEWS 83
NAMES IN THE NEWS 84
TRAINING AIDS 85
CLASSIFIEDS 89
READER SERVICE CARD 91
FEATURES
STRATEGY AND TACTICS
MODEL INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM 22
The importance of effective and efficient fireground communications is stressed in this eighth article on the National Fire Academy’s model incident command system, BY BURTON W. PHELPS and EDWARD J. MCDONALD
FIREFIGHTING BASICS
FORCIBLE ENTRY, Part 2 30
Unless fire forces can gain entry to involved structures or areas, fire losses will be severely increased. And with an escalating crime rate, firefighters are often faced with high security, “burglar-proof” devices. Here are some techniques that the authors have found successful for overcoming high security locking devices.
BY TOM BRENNAN and PAUL McFADDEN
FIRE REPORTS
NEW YORK’S MONTH OF FIRE 40
Last January, New York City experienced a concentrated rash of multiplealarm fires unknown by even the most seasoned veteran. FIRE ENGINEERING presents here a pictorial essay on several of the incidents.
PHOTOS BY WARREN J. FUCHS, BOB PRESSLER and GLENN D. USDIN
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL FUMES CAUSE MALL EVACUATION 48
A hazardous material response unit averted potential disaster by sticking to disciplined basics and pre-planning when a container of sodium hydroxide ruptured beneath a busy covered mall. BY OWEN MAGEE
HANDLING HAZ-MAT INCIDENTS, Part 2 60
Education, training, and equipment must all come into play in order to effect a properly prepared hazardous material response team. This month, the author concludes his discussion of valuable guidelines for conducting a safe, effective operation until a team is sufficiently prepared. BY FRANK L. FIRE
RESCUE
SCHOOL BUS EMERGENCIES, Part 2 54
Incidents involving handicapped persons present unique rescue challenges to emergency service personnel—and ones that personnel should be prepared for. This is the second in a series of articles that FIRE ENGINEERING will present on bus rescues and extrication procedures. BY RONALD E. MOORE
FARM EXTRICATION 68
The wide variety and intricacies of different models and types of heavyduty farm machinery make standardized removal techniques impractical. Here are some common procedures that will remain the same at the majority of incidents. BY GLEN BLACKWELL
