Preparing for the worst

September 11 has undoubtedly changed the fire service forever. As I sat glued to the television for the majority of my shift, with tears rolling down my face, a million things ran through my mind. What if that happened here? Granted, Chesterton, Indiana, is nowhere near the size of even one borough of New York City, nor do we have any structures more than four stories in height. But you can’t help “what if-ing” everything.

Talks began to fly about logistics and about MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System). We continue to question our resources and logistics. My department is nowhere near capable of handling a mass-casualty incident, and mutual aid can’t do it all. We have the responsibility to be prepared for the worst-and you can’t get much worse than a commercial passenger plane crashing into an occupied high-rise. An incident of that magnitude on the local level would no doubt tap the resources of the entire county.

Training efforts must be at the multiagency and multiresource level. Just like prefire planning is part of training, predisaster preparation can and should be part of training as well. As many fire departments know, the police can do more than direct traffic around an incident. They can get down and dirty, too.

We are in the early stages of planning a multiagency drill with police, fire, EMS, street and sanitation workers, and our first-due mutual-aid companies. It will be a beneficial as well as a much-needed drill.

How would we, where would we, and could we handle a mass-casualty incident? Right now, the answer would have to be NO. Granted, training should be one of our main values; however, how can you train for something you have not prepared for?

Robert Wesley
Engineer
Chesterton (IN) Fire Department

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Facts about suppression system
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation is very concerned about erroneous information that appeared in “Firefighting Considerations in ‘Tech Hotels’ ” by Adam K. Thiel and Katherine Ivey Thiel (October 2001). The article contains some misinformation about FM-200.

1. FM-200 systems are designed to detect and suppress fire effectively and quickly.
2. FM-200’s mechanism of fire suppression is thermodynamic and chemical; it doesn’t work by reducing oxygen in the room. Therefore, FM-200 is not an asphyxiant!
3. FM-200 has never been “overwhelmed” by a fire in a “tech hotel.”
4. The authors do not understand the mechanisms of suppression of clean agents.
5. The authors do not understand decomposition of clean agents and overstate this topic.
6. The authors do not understand that using clean agents can minimize the amount of hazardous combustible materials produced in a fire.
7. The authors must understand the decomposition that occurs in Class A fires vs. Class B fires.
8. The authors must understand the size and scope of the fires detected and extinguished by FM-200 clean agent systems.
9. A distinction needs to be made between “passive” and “active” clean agents.

FM-200 is used in more than 70 countries. To date, there are more than 100,000 systems installed worldwide. FM-200 is designed and approved for use in occupied spaces and has been very effective in protecting high-value assets.

Although the article’s intent was very good, the misinformation about FM-200 systems may cause unnecessary firefighter and industry concerns.
Ken Blanchard
North America Manager
Great Lakes Chemical Corporation
Fluorine Specialty Chemicals

Adam and Katherine Thiel respond: We will address these points in order.

1. Nowhere in the article is any information presented to the contrary.
2. From Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Material Safety Data Sheet Number 00057 for FM-200, dated 4/7/98 (as referenced in the article sidebar and downloaded directly from the Great Lakes Web site): “Inhalation of high concentrations can be harmful or fatal due to oxygen deprivation and/or heart irregularities. Persons with preexisting cardiac, respiratory, or central nervous system disorders may be more susceptible to effects of an overexposure. Fire Fighting Instructions: Use a self-contained breathing apparatus if containers rupture or release under fire conditions. Accidental Release Measures: Evacuate the area and ventilate. Do not enter areas where high concentrations may exist (especially confined or poorly ventilated areas) without appropriate protective equipment including a self-contained breathing apparatus. Respiratory Protection: Wear a NIOSH/MSHA approved self-contained breathing apparatus in emergency situations. Toxicological Information: The human health hazards of this product are expected to be similar to other liquefied gases including N2, CO2, CFCs, HCFCs, and HBFCs.”

From the American Heritage Dictionary, Second Edition:
“Asphyxia-Unconsciousness or death caused by lack of oxygen.”
“Asphyxiant-Inducing or tending to induce asphyxia.”

3. Nowhere does the article suggest otherwise. The sentence to which Blanchard refers is a general one and not directed specifically toward FM-200 or any other single type of fixed fire protection system. We also think he would agree that past performance, however enviable, does not guarantee future results.
4. Without a specific reference, we cannot address this allegation. Recognize, however, that the intent of the article is not to provide a detailed scientific explanation of the mechanisms of suppression of clean agents. Given the numerous variables in the design and construction of data centers, we feel a detailed treatment of this topic would be of marginal value to most firefighters since, according to Great Lakes Chemical Corporation’s 1997 publication, Understanding Current Fire Protection Standards and FM-200 Performance (downloaded directly from the Great Lakes Web site): “The performance of the extinguishing agent in real-world fire situations is directly dependent upon many factors including system design characteristics as well as enclosure venting and geometry. All of these factors can influence the ability of the extinguishing agent to interact with the fire.”
5. From Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Material Safety Data Sheet Number 00057 for FM-200, dated 4/7/98 (as referenced in the article sidebar and downloaded directly from the Great Lakes Web site): “Known or Anticipated Hazardous Products of Combustion: Decomposition by elevated temperatures (fire conditions, glowing metal surfaces) may generate hazardous decomposition products common to other CFCs, HCFCs or HBFCs. These can include hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and others. Fire Fighting Instructions: Do not allow reentry into areas where this material has been released without first ventilating to remove products of combustion/decomposition. Unusual Fire and Explosion Hazards: Thermal decomposition will generate toxic and corrosive gases. Hazardous Decomposition Products: Thermal decomposition may produce the following: hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.”
6. Without a specific reference, we cannot address this allegation. Recognize, however, that the intent of the article is not to quantify the evolution of toxic products of combustion. The treatment of toxic atmospheres in the article is general and not directed specifically toward FM-200 or any other single type of fire protection media. We think Blanchard would agree that even a relatively “minimized” amount of hazardous combustible materials produced in a fire is a potential cause of concern for firefighters and building occupants.
7. Without a specific reference, we cannot address this allegation. Recognize, however, that a detailed discussion of the decomposition that occurs in Class A vs. Class B fires is beyond the scope of this article. Furthermore, Great Lakes Chemical Corporation Material Safety Data Sheet Number 00057 for FM-200, dated 4/7/98 (as referenced in the article sidebar and downloaded directly from the Great Lakes Web site), states, without making any distinction between Class A, B, C, or D fires: “Known or Anticipated Hazardous Products of Combustion: Decomposition by elevated temperatures (fire conditions, glowing metal surfaces) may generate hazardous decomposition products common to other CFCs, HCFCs or HBFCs. These can include hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and others. Fire Fighting Instructions: Do not allow reentry into areas where this material has been released without first ventilating to remove products of combustion/decomposition. Unusual Fire and Explosion Hazards: Thermal decomposition will generate toxic and corrosive gases. Hazardous Decomposition Products: Thermal decomposition may produce the following: hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.”
8. Without a specific reference, we cannot address this allegation. Recognize, however, that the intent

   We are pleased Blanchard found the intent of the article “very good.” If he feels information provided on FM-200 in the article was misinformation, it was not because of lack of research on our part.

   Rest assured that the only reason FM-200 was specifically referenced in our article is because while we were preparing our article, the phrase “FM-200 system” was repeatedly used by people working in data centers to describe their fixed fire protection systems. Since FM-200 has solidly entered the vernacular of network engineers, we felt it important that firefighters, when preplanning or responding to incidents in data centers, understand what building occupants are talking about with respect to on-site fixed fire protection.