LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Separate sensing and alarm unit for smoke detectors—possible?
My house was built in 1905 and remodeled in 1956. However, like most old houses built before the flu liner came into common use, the chimney was not well constructed in the attic, since it’s not seen there. If a chimney fire starts, it usually sets the attic on fire first.
In January 1977, Virginia had a very cold period, causing water pipes to freeze that have never frozen before. It became a common practice to thaw pipes with an electric welder. (In Virginia, it is a building code requirement to ground the electrical system to underground water pipes.) In an attempt to thaw my water line with a welder, the D.C. current from the welder followed into the electrical system of my home and made contact with the A.C. current, resulting in a fire of $30,000 damage. (The fire started in the attic.) The Elkton firefighters, with the help of the McGaheysville firefighters, did a fantastic job of saving my house and I was able to repair it.
I have contacted several smoke detector manufacturers and dealers, trying to obtain a smoke detector with the sensing unit in the attic and the alarm unit in the living area of my home (“a burnt child is afraid of fire”). This type of unit could save many lives and considerable damage in older homes because by the time the smoke detector in the living area of the home detects the smoke, it may be too late.
If any of your readers have any information on this type of smoke detector, I would greatly appreciate your sharing it with me.
H. V. Longley, Jr.
Administrative Officer(retired)
Elkton Volunteer Fire Company Inc.
Elkton, VA
Church groups may dovetail with fire prevention message
Referring to “An International View of Fire Prevention” (FIRE ENGINEERING, August 1985), I would like to emphasize several points that may be underpublicized keys to “selling fire prevention.”
Causing a fire in the United States does not result in the same extreme social stigma that it does in Japan and other countries. However, particularly in cases of gross carelessness, our sympathy might perhaps be better tempered with a message of a moral obligation not to let fire happen in the first place. Fire prevention education should include the fact that acts of carelessness hurt people and waste property.
A particular group of people who can relate to this type of message are those in the religious community. Fire safety information tailored to church groups would legitimize the need to practice fire prevention as a part of their teachings. When fires occur, efforts and resources normally spent to do the work of the church are then spent burying, healing, and correcting what could have been prevented.
We in the fire service who are also involved in the religious community should be looking for ways of tapping this large segment of our country and promoting the message that saving lives and property is the moral thing to do.
Vern C. Prentice
Senior Warden
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
and
President
L&P Safety Company Inc.
Woodbine, MD
Comments on several apparatus articles
I would like to offer some comments on several articles in FIRE ENGINEERING. You are putting out an excellent magazine for a highly specialized field, and I would like to see more articles concerning the firefighter’s No. 1 tool, apparatus.
Gene Carlson’s article in Volunteers Corner, “Pump Operators or Lever Pullers” (FIRE ENGINEERING, April 1985), was great. Training is very important to properly operate and get the maximum efficiency from equipment. Several times, I have seen equipment unnecessarily damaged because the operator didn’t have proper training.
I can remember one service call that was placed because of low pump pressure. This “problem” was corrected simply by setting the pressure higher on the relief valve. Part of preventive maintenance is proper operator training.
To answer Royce Ballew’s letter to the editor concerning equipment design (Letters to the Editor, FIRE ENGINEERING, April 1985), may I suggest that detailed specifications be written by his department before the purchase of their next vehicle? This might eliminate some of his objections mentioned, also it would not be a $100,000 experiment. Most manufacturers are willing to help rural fire departments, but they have to know what the departments want.
Last but not least, I have several reservations about premixing foam (“Control Flammable Liquid Fires by ‘Premixing,'” FIRE ENGINEERING, February 1985). The disadvantages were not covered in enough detail.
Corrosion is a by-product of foam, and proper flushing is necessary to stop this action in the apparatus—which may not be possible with premixing. Therefore, there’s a danger of premature rust (and resultant failure) developing with premixing.
Second, packing in valve assemblies may be affected by the foam mixture residue to the point that repacking will be necessary. This, too, will generally be futile because residue buildup within the tank will again affect the new packing.
Premixing is risky to apparatus and really should not be attempted unless your repair budget is healthy—and then wouldn’t eductors be a better investment?
I have based my opinions on my profession as an apparatus mechanic. I suggest that if anyone has questions concerning my comments or concerns on their apparatus and equipment that they contact their apparatus manufacturer or repair facility.
Dennis D. Saam
Field Service Representative
W. S. Darley & Co.
Melrose Park, IL
A point of safety
I just couldn’t help bringing a point to your attention about the August 1985 issue of FIRE ENGINEERING. I have no doubt that firefighter safety is uppermost in your mind, so I suspect that someone just missed the fact that the cover photo depicts a firefighter (top of the photo) wearing what appears to be the orange plastic gloves that tend to fuse to the hands when hot and that have been outlawed by the fire service.
Bruce E. Scott
Past President
New Jersey State Fire Chiefs’ Association
Wyckoff, NJ
You are correct! I have had too many mattress springs and ropes burn through to my own hands to have missed this one.
I require the cover selection to provoke thought or discussions for lessons or ideas for the fire service. I guess I was too occupied with the excellent roof operation and missed the safety message. Thanks.
Tom Brennan Editor
