HAZARDS FOR THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR
ARSON ’91
Fire scenes present a host of hazards for fire investigators. We all are aware that investigating the fire scene while it’s still hot offers many advantages. However, many dangers continue to exist after firefighting activities are completed, and the knowledgeable investigator must recognize these hazards.
The investigator must understand building construction. It will help him determine fire travel and how it influences fire spread and evaluate the possibility of structural collapse. Consider the age of the structure, type of occupancy, and geographical locations when determining what hazards may be present.
Clues indicating the presence of invisible hazards such as noxious or toxic gases often go unnoticed. Use the type of occupancy as a warning. A gardening or agriculture center probably has large quantities of fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides during spring, summer, and early autumn. Swimming pool supply stores house chlorine, acids, and calcium-hypochlorites. However, these are only a few obvious indicators of respiratory hazards to be aware of.
Realize, too, that these hazards also exist in less-obvious surroundings.
One is the common residential unit. Take a mental inventory of the items you store around your residence. List not only what you have but where it’s stored. In the garage you’ll find gasoline, oil, fertilizer, weed killers, insect sprays, charcoal, solvents, and swimming pool chemicals; in the kitchen are cleansers, bleach, ammonia, air fresheners, plastic plumbing pipes, pet sprays, and oven cleaners; and located in the basement are laundry soaps, bleach, ammonia, solvents, plastic plumbing pipes, paints, varnishes, and oil.
You may say to yourself, “There’s no problem; everything is stored properly and in a safe place.” However, fire changes the conditions we are faced with. Complacency has a way of creeping into our thinking, causing us to disregard minimal safety precautions.
When investigating a house fire, you may be entering a potentially hazardous environment. Some toxic gases that you may come in contact with include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, cyanide, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen cyanide.
Even with this awareness, how often do you investigate fires without using proper respiratory protection? Not using breathing apparatus can result in catastrophic health problems. Remember, these toxic gases aren’t alw ays singular—they can combine, causing a synergistic effect with possible lethal results. Some effects may be noticeable shortly after exposure, but serious health problems may not surface for several years.
There are some practical safety steps you can take.
- Wear some form of breathing protection, such as SCBA, a canister mask for organic vapors and particulate fibers, or a simple mask to filter out dust.
- When possible, use gloves other than leather, as leather cannot be decontaminated. The most adaptable is neoprene, which must be properly disposed of after use.
- Never eat or drink in and around the investigation scene. Leave the immediate area, then wash your hands and rinse your mouth with plain water before drinking. Don’t rub your face, eyes, or lips with gloved or bare hands—the contaminates left behind can enter the blood faster from these areas.
- Don’t forget the importance of cleanup after the investigation. Start by rinsing your turnout gear and personal clothing with clear water, then wash and dry them. Rinsing first will help rid the material of most particulate fibers. Then take a shower to remove any remaining fibers or dusts. A shower will, if nothing else, remove most of the foul odor created by the charred remains of a fire.
The need for safety is paramount. The safety-conscious investigator seeks the necessary knowledge in building construction, recognition and identification of hazardous materials, location of suspected hazards, and basic procedures for cleaning both body and clothing. The most important safety procedure is not to become complacent —the greatest danger is thinking “There’s no problem here.”
