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Post by 3105 on Nov 6, 2007 5:31:53 GMT -5
I'd like to start a another thread for those of us who have taken the "Reading Smoke" training program and would like to practice our powers of observation. Keith recently sent this clip which (IMHO) invalidates everything I learned: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uny2I5cACXgTo be perfectly honest, I would have never predicted the flashover and it's extent based on the smoke emitting from the attic area...it's pretty spectacular as well as scary how quickly a situation can turn ugly. |
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Post by thelurker on Nov 6, 2007 6:49:08 GMT -5
Is that a flashover, of massive amounts of fire being pushed out of the attic by a collapsing roof??
P.S. Watch the guy in the bucket duck, bet it got hotter than hell in that bucket real fast.
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ENG27SQ
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Post by ENG27SQ on Nov 6, 2007 10:08:47 GMT -5
Is that a flashover, of massive amounts of fire being pushed out of the attic by a collapsing roof?? P.S. Watch the guy in the bucket duck, bet it got hotter than hell in that bucket real fast. Thats one thing I noticed right as the roof collapsed and it flashed on the bucket. Good thing he ducked, at least he was aware enough to be at the ready. |
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Post by opsoverkill on Nov 17, 2007 16:57:25 GMT -5
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Post by 3105 on Nov 18, 2007 5:11:13 GMT -5
A classic bit of video...still makes me pucker watching it, although I'm remain a little skeptical about it being a full-blown backdraft and not a floor collapse in conjunction with a backdraft, especially in light of the structure type (ordinary construction).
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ENG27SQ
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Post by ENG27SQ on Nov 18, 2007 10:34:57 GMT -5
That video still scares me to this day. I know, I know, on the fire ground things are hectic but there has to be somebody, (Safety Officer would be my guess) checking operations and making sure things are running as safely as possible. My question is and I'm not saying Id see this right off the bat or anything being a year out of FFI but...how did NOBODY see the smoke rolling BACK INTO the building? Thats a mix for disaster such as what happened. Here's another smoke video.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1_u-eAq5QU |
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Post by 3105 on Nov 19, 2007 6:07:27 GMT -5
With apologies to all those who have suffered through my Reading Smoke presentation, the worse place to read smoke is up close...it's literally a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. That's why (IMHO) the Ops officer MUST be outside and back away from the building to keep of much of the scene within immediate sight as possible. Changing smoke conditions - especially rapid ones, are the harbinger of really bad things about to happen.
As far as a Safety Officer, everyone who knows me is aware of my interest in promoting this valuable ICS position. In my opinion, the role of Safety Officer is often misunderstood or assigned to another chief officer with little to no formal training. The Fire Department Safety Officers Association (FDSOA) has put together a 16 hour ISO class that is ten times better than the very old and tired NFA class. Now that I'm stepping down as BC, I hope to start promoting a more professional approach to training and appointing personnel to fulfill this important role at every working job. Many chiefs are still unaware that appointment of an ISO at a working job is MANDATORY under the New Jersey Fire Code (clearly stated in the ICS section). This is one of the violations cited against Gloucester City by the Department of Labor.
In my opinion, every fire officer should be required to complete formal Incident Safety Officer training so that they can fill the role if needed.
Lastly, ISO's should not be "safety Nazis" or egotistical morons drunk with authority...it is essential that they function as an IC's assistant in making sure unsafe conditions are noticed and appropriate action taken. They need to work with Command, not run around telling people to put their gloves on.
I could go on and on....
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