Letters to the Editor
departments
Arson Alarm
Olympia, Wash.:
We were pleased to read the article in the September issue of Fire Engineering about Washington State’s Arson Alarm program. We are, of course, very proud of the program and pleased with the enthusiastic support it has received from fire departments across the state.
Virtually every city in Washington State stands to benefit from this program. When our office developed the coordinated statewide concept, we felt it imperative that those taking advantage of the experimental program have some financial stake in its success. The $26,073 cost for the Arson Alarm program has been (and I think this is very important) shared by the Washington State Insurance Council, the Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs, the Safeco Insurance Group, the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office, Allstate Insurance, the Northwest Fire Investigation Association, Unigard Insurance Group, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of King County, Insurance Company of North America, and Mutual of Enumclaw.
Arson has long been a puzzling crime for fire fighters and we are now beginning to develop advanced detection and prevention methods. Publications such as Fire Engineering go a long way toward helping fire fighting professionals exchange information and technical expertise regarding arson and other areas. Keep up the good work!
Tom Brace
Chief Fire Marshal
Handling Pesticide Fires
Frederick, Md.:
I am writing with regard to Chief Warren Isman’s article in the October issue entitled “Could You Handle a Pesticide Fire?”
The fire which occurred in the Laytonsville area of Montgomery County, Md., occurred in a nursery. This is not the only place where these emergencies can and pesticides are found in drug stores, grocery stores, lumber yards, hardware stores, or any place where there are large quantities of shrubs, trees or crops, including homes and farms. The quantities on hand may not be as large as in the Montgomery County fire, but it is not necessary with these substances to have large amounts before they pose a sizable health hazard.
Perhaps the greatest reason for concern is the fact that these products can be absorbed through the skin, as well as orally by the vapors which they generate. Many insecticides and pesticides are specifically listed as contact-type products such as those in the chlorinated hydrocarbon category. Because they are absorbed through the skin, the longer they are allowed to remain in contact with it, the more dangerous they become and the more difficult to remove. A fire fighter can become contaminated with little or no warning.
Many of these insecticides have a cumulative effect whereby the poison builds up in the body. The effects of these products can be greatly changed in a fire situation because they are absorbed more quickly at elevated temperatures. A normally safe product may become extremely toxic. Be alert to the fact that if several different products are involved in a fire and become mixed, the possibility of personnel contamination is greatly increased.
Should such an incident occur, be able to recognize the signs of poisoning such as blurred vision, abdominal cramps, dizziness, headache, nausea, diarrhea, perspiration and convulsions. The more seriously poisoned victim may go into a coma or lose control of all reflexes, at which time life saving measures such as CPR or advanced life support will be necessary. Bear in mind, too, that the effects of these chemicals may be delayed for up to 12 hours.
The only way that we, as fire fighters, can adequately cope with the special problems of insecticide fires is by preplanning. In order to preplan, it is important to know the chemicals with which we are dealing. Since there is little information readily available, preplanners should refer to the manufacturer for assistance particularly as to the active ingredients in the product and for what action should be taken if someone is contaminated. Another source of information is the National Agricultural Chemicals Association.
The need to understand the special problems of pesticide fires is apparent. It is a problem facing all of us in the fire service and is not confined to any size fire department. These products originate at one location and terminate at another and there is always the danger of a transportation accident at any point in between. The quantity involved may be a 5-gallon can or an entire tractor trailer load. Who is prepared to handle such an incident at almost any place in your response area?
Richard E. Himes
Lieutenant
United Fire Company
Congratulations!
Wilmington, Dela.:
Let me be among the first to offer you my congratulations on the success of Fire Engineering as it enters its second century of publication.
I believe that any magazine that can span over a century in print attests to the fact that its editor and his staff have maintained a superior degree of quality throughout the years. There is no doubt that Fire Engineering has always been and will continue to be a source of excellent technological material for anyone involved or concerned with the fire service field.
James P. Blackburn
Chief
Woman Apparatus Driver
A former Texas policewoman, Alana M. Steel, has passed a stringent series of tests to qualify as Durham’s—and apparently North Carolina’s—first salaried woman fire apparatus driver.
Mrs. Steele has been a public safety officer since August of last year, when she began spending much of her off-duty time training as a fire apparatus driver.
