Multiphase Study on Fire Fighter Safety and the Deployment of

Resources

NIST Technical Note 1661

Issued April 2010

Residential Fireground Field Experiments

Agenda

• Project Overview• Experiment Methodology• Experiment Results• Utilizing the Findings

Project Objectives

Optimize a fire service leader’s capability to deploy

resources to prevent or mitigate adverse events that occur in a risk/hazard filled

environment.

www.firereporting.org

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Project Objectives

Residential Fireground Experiment

• Part 1 – Design appropriate fuel load

• Part 2 – Fireground tasks experiments

• Part 3 – Enhanced fuel load• Part 4 – Fire modeling

Part I: The Live Fire

NFPA 1403 compliance:• Fuel package characterized by full scale compartment

tests at NIST (NIST FR 4022) for desired size and repeatability

• Fire: Four pallets with excelsior for simulated interior/exterior environmental conditions

Part II: Time to Task Tests

Burn Room

Burn Room

Part II: Time to Task TestsResponse:

• 3 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 Aide– Crew sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5

Effective Fire Fighting Force (EFF)

Crew Size # Fire Fighters Chief and Aide On-Scene Total

2 8 2

3 12 2

4 16 2

5 20 2

10

14

18

22

Part II: Time to Task TestsExperiments:

• Total of 24 experiments on 22 fireground tasks

• 2 scenarios for each crew size

– Close stagger

– One-minute ladder truck lag

– One-and-a-half minutes lag for each subsequent engine

– Far stagger

– Two-minute ladder truck lag

– Two-and-a-half minutes lag for each subsequent engine

• Each scenario ran in triplicate

Part II: Time to Task Tests

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Part II: Time to Task Tests

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Results: Time to Task Tests

Stop

at H

ydra

nt

Positio

n Eng

ine 1

Condu

ct S

ize-u

p

Engag

e Pum

p

Positio

n at

tack

line

Estab

lish

2-in-

2-ou

t

Charg

e Hyd

rant

Estab

lish

RIT

Gain/F

orce

Ent

ry

Advan

ce L

ine (

Wat

er o

n Fire

)

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Bac

k up

line

Advan

ce B

ack

up lin

e

Condu

ct P

rimar

y Sea

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Groun

d La

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s in

Place

Horz.

Ven

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r #3

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #2

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

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r #1

Horz.

Ven

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und

#2

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#1

Contro

l Utili

ties

(inte

rior)

Contro

l Utili

ties

(ext

erior

)

Condu

ct S

econ

dary

Sea

rch

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

walls)

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

ceilin

g)

Mec

hanic

al Ven

tilatio

n0:00:00

0:04:00

0:08:00

0:12:00

0:16:00

0:20:00

0:24:00

2-Person Crew

Stop

at H

ydra

nt

Positio

n Eng

ine 1

Condu

ct S

ize-u

p

Engag

e Pum

p

Positio

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tack

line

Estab

lish

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Charg

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rant

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lish

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orce

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ry

Advan

ce L

ine (

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)

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k up

line

Advan

ce B

ack

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e

Condu

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rimar

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rch

Groun

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Place

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

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r #3

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #2

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #1

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#2

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#1

Contro

l Utili

ties

(inte

rior)

Contro

l Utili

ties

(ext

erior

)

Condu

ct S

econ

dary

Sea

rch

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

walls)

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

ceilin

g)

Mec

hanic

al Ven

tilatio

n0:00:00

0:04:00

0:08:00

0:12:00

0:16:00

0:20:00

0:24:00

3-Person Crew

Stop

at H

ydra

nt

Positio

n Eng

ine 1

Condu

ct S

ize-u

p

Engag

e Pum

p

Positio

n at

tack

line

Estab

lish

2-in-

2-ou

t

Charg

e Hyd

rant

Estab

lish

RIT

Gain/F

orce

Ent

ry

Advan

ce L

ine (

Wat

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n Fire

)

Deploy

Bac

k up

line

Advan

ce B

ack

up lin

e

Condu

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rimar

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Groun

d La

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s in

Place

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #3

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #2

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #1

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#2

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#1

Contro

l Utili

ties

(inte

rior)

Contro

l Utili

ties

(ext

erior

)

Condu

ct S

econ

dary

Sea

rch

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

walls)

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

ceilin

g)

Mec

hanic

al Ven

tilatio

n0:00:00

0:04:00

0:08:00

0:12:00

0:16:00

0:20:00

0:24:00

4-Person Crew

Stop

at H

ydra

nt

Positio

n Eng

ine 1

Condu

ct S

ize-u

p

Engag

e Pum

p

Positio

n at

tack

line

Estab

lish

2-in-

2-ou

t

Charg

e Hyd

rant

Estab

lish

RIT

Gain/F

orce

Ent

ry

Advan

ce L

ine (

Wat

er o

n Fire

)

Deploy

Bac

k up

line

Advan

ce B

ack

up lin

e

Condu

ct P

rimar

y Sea

rch

Groun

d La

dder

s in

Place

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #3

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #2

Horz.

Ven

t. 2n

d Floo

r #1

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#2

Horz.

Ven

t. Gro

und

#1

Contro

l Utili

ties

(inte

rior)

Contro

l Utili

ties

(ext

erior

)

Condu

ct S

econ

dary

Sea

rch

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

walls)

Check

for F

ire E

xt. (

ceilin

g)

Mec

hanic

al Ven

tilatio

n0:00:00

0:04:00

0:08:00

0:12:00

0:16:00

0:20:00

0:24:00

5-Person Crew

Tim

e (h

r: m

in:

sec)

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Results: Time to Task Tests

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Part III: Room & Contents Fire• Focus areas

– Structural Tenability CO, CO2, O2

Temperature Smoke obscuration

– Impact on Victim Rescue– Fire Growth Rate– Arrival Time

Early arrival Late arrival

• Fuel Package– Living room configuration– Sufficient for flashover – Total of 16 experiments

Part III: Room & Contents Fire

Crew Size First Due Arrival Time

2-Person Early Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) – close stagger

3-Person Early Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) – close stagger

4-Person Early Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) – close stagger

5-Person Early Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) – close stagger

2-Person Later Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) – close stagger

3-Person Later Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) – close stagger

4-Person Later Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) – close stagger

No Response (Baseline) N/A

Part III: Room & Contents Fire• Tasks Causing Fire Behavior Change

1. Forced entry of the front door2. Water on fire 3. Second floor burn room window ventilated 4. Second floor front window, near corner ventilated5. Second floor front window, near front door

ventilated6. First floor window beside the fire ventilated 7. First floor window #2 self-ventilated at flashover

• NFPA 1403 Compliance– Ventilation performed from outside– Suppression performed via remote monitor

Part IV: Fire ModelingNIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS)

1. Slow growth rate fire

2. Medium growth rate fire

3. Fast growth rate fire

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Results: Parts III and IV

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Results: Parts III and IV

Approximate heat release for flashover in the 12’ x 16’ x 8’ burn room

Utilizing the Findings

• Understand the Report • Based on Science• Education is Key• Tailor Presentation to Your

Audience• Customize Use of Data• Remember the Goal

Questions or Comments