Letters to the Editor
departments
Help Needed
Tulsa, Okla.
As an avid reader of Fire Engineering, I am writing to seek the assistance of others in the fire fighting field.
I am attempting to find a pumper for a small southeastern Oklahoma town that has absolutely no fire protection. There have been outbreaks of fire over the past year that have caused immeasurable damage and they are in need. Since they have no way to finance fire equipment, I am looking for donations to them.
My parents live in this town and own the general store there. They are afraid for their own business. As a former fire fighter (due to injuries received in the line of duty), I have offered my knowledge to them to set up a small volunteer department so that they may protect themselves.
I would appreciate any donations whatever. We would need a pumper with at least 500-gpm capacity and a fair size tank, preferably 1000 gallons, but anything would be better than what we have now.
Please write me at 5204 S. Lewis Avenue, No. 2006, Tulsa, Okla. 74105.
Bruce Wallace
Acid Spills
Burnaby, British Columbia:
The January 1979 issue of Fire Engineering has an article about a volunteer fire department using divers wet suits for dealing with an acid spill.
The article mentioned two motor cyclists being burned about the face, eyes and hand by splashing acid when they skidded into the spill. This shows the need for all motorcyclists to wear proper face and eye protection, as well as gloves. Here, in British Columbia we have a helmet law. All bikers must wear approved helmets and eye protection. A half-blind biker is a menace to himself and others on the road.
The use of wet suits is ill-advised for chemical spills. They are porous and tightfitting. A wet suit will fit only the person it was made for. Also, divers pay for their own suits and would not like using them for anything other than diving.
The cost of proper protective clothing or acid suits is not excessive. The Gray Lite series suits are priced from $175 to $690. The $175 suit is a rubberized coverall with boots attached. The hood costs $100 and suitable gloves about $20. Air packs or other breathing apparatus are worn outside the suit and hoses are brought up under the hood bib. The $690 suit is a completely enclosed suit with a back pouch to accommodate backmounted cylinders and breathing packs.
These suits are especially designed for acids and chemicals. Divers wet suits are not and, as mentioned earlier, must be individually fitted to the user. Also, ordinary clothes cannot be worn under it. The cost is reasonable—about $300 for the economy suit.
In a pinch, neoprene rain suits, fire service boots, neoprene gloves, a large plastic bag over the head and mask facepiece and under the helmet are quite good. Heavy rubber bands should be provided to seal the sleeves and pant cuffs. The mask body harness tends to seal the waist area. This outfit is more readily available and certainly more suitable for emergency control of hazardous materials. It is certainly much less expensive than divers wet suits. It is more suitable than turnouts since it is not liable to damage from acids and can be made airtight in the manner described.
Protective clothing is needed at a chemical spill to keep the liquid and solid material off the skin and personal clothes.
Injuries from hazardous materials are inexcusable. I still feel that all trucks carrying corrosives or other hazardous materials should be required to carry signs. Under present law, a truck carrying less than 1000 pounds of corrosives is not required to have signs. The truck in the article was carrying approximately 200 pounds.
H. D. Green
