Initiative 15 – Code Enforcement & Sprinklers
It’s no secret that a change for safety takes time. While seat belts were used in aircraft as early as 1930, the first seat belt in a vehicle was offered in a 1956 Ford, but they were not standard until 1968. Even though the fire sprinkler code was adopted in 1896, we are still wrestling with the requirement that sprinkler systems be installed in residential homes. The 15th Initiative addresses both fire prevention code enforcement and promoting residential fire sprinklers.
After reading the required weekly readings, and reviewing the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives section regarding Code Enforcement & Sprinklers on the website Everyone Goes Home, write a post that achieves the following:
1. Please read the Case Study below and answer the following questions:Case Study: One night, Engine 265 gets dispatched to a residential fire alarm. Most of the time these calls do not turn out to be much, but you are surprised to see white smoke from the front door and the family standing outside when you arrive. The family tells your lieutenant that they were awakened by the fire alarm and that they could see smoke in the kitchen and hear water spraying in the basement as they escaped. When you make it to the basement, you find a sprinkler head tripped over an office desk and computer. It looks as though a fire originated in or near the computer, spreading to a bulletin board before it was quickly extinguished. You place a couple of wedges in the sprinkler head and check the rest of the basement for fire extension. It never dawned on you that homes in this area had this type of active protection. A. How effective is a sprinkler head at stopping the progress of a residential fire? B. Is it likely that other homes in the neighborhood are also protected by residential fire sprinklers? C. Who made the decision to install it, and why did they decide to do it?
Initiative 16 – Apparatus Design & Safety
Safety is an evolution. Equipment seems to continue to become safer with each version. New technologies and innovations are available that can significantly reduce the potential for injuries and deaths related to fire service apparatus and equipment failures or shortcomings. It is important to understand and explore the technologies and innovations available today. The 16th initiative ratifies the belief that no firefighter should die in the line-of-duty due to apparatus or equipment related issues.
After reading the required weekly readings, and reviewing the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives section regarding Apparatus Design & Safety on the website Everyone Goes Home, write a post that achieves the following:
1. Please read the Case Study below and answer the following questions:Case Study: Your firehouse has been looking forward to the arrival of a brand new Engine 265 for quite some time now. It was delivered yesterday, and the salesperson is conducting training for all personnel. Although you are impressed by the new apparatus, some of the more senior members are complaining about the brightly colored chevrons on the rear, the speed governor that keeps the pumper under 60 mph, and the new positive-latch SCBA brackets. A. Why were the old designs changed? B. Who designed these new safety features to Engine 265? C. How high does safety rank in the design of new equipment and apparatus?
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#1
A. How effective is a sprinkler head at stopping the progress of a residential fire?
Sprinkler heads are very effective at stopping the progression of a residential fire. Sprinkler heads are sensitive to temperatures and activate early in the fires growth, as the case scenario describes, damage appears to be limited to the basement computer area.
B. Is it likely that other homes in the neighborhood are also protected by residential fire sprinklers?
It is likely that other homes in the neighborhood contain sprinkler system since most were probably built around the same time. Most residential areas are constructed by the same company and crew subject to applicable codes at the time.
C. Who made the decision to install it, and why did they decide to do it?
State, local, contractor, and owner could have made the decision to install for code requirements, insurance purposes or peace of mind. Installation is relatively cheap using similar plumbing needed for bathrooms and showers and with little maintenance required. The product is not a hard sell for home builder/buyers.
A. Why were the old designs changed?
Old designs were changed to incorporate safety initiatives and devices that are developed from lessons learned and engineering data in accordance with other safety codes that could apply, such as the chevrons on the rear of the Engine, IAW ASTM D 4956-06 Standard Specifications Retro-Reflective Sheeting for Traffic Control. The systems and technology already exist, departments only need apply them.
B. Who designed these new safety features to Engine 265?
The need for changes were identified by the NFFF in 2004 and made recommendations and initiatives based upon the findings. The U.S. Fire Administration released full guidance on how to improve departmental safety and requirements with FA-336: Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative.
C. How high does safety rank in the design of new equipment and apparatus?
Safety is now a primary concern for design engineers, buyers and users of the equipment.
References
U.S. Fire Administration. (2008). Home Fire Protection: Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems Saves Lives. Emittsburg, Maryland.
U.S. Fire Administration. (2014). FA-336: Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative. Emittsburg, Maryland.
#2
A. How effective is a sprinkler head at stopping the progress of a residential fire?
I would say they are quite effective. NFPA (n.d). provides solid data by sharing “If you have a reported fire in your home, the risk of dying decreases by about 85% when sprinklers are present” (Myths vs facts about home fire sprinklers.).
B. Is it likely that other homes in the neighborhood are also protected by residential fire sprinklers?
I would believe that other homes, if not all, would have a residential fire sprinkler system. This would lead me to go around the neighborhood and find out if my beliefs were true.
C. Who made the decision to install it, and why did they decide to do it?
This could have been the cities decision if they adopted codes such as NFPA that mandated new residential construction to be equipped with sprinklers. This could have also been a decision by the homeowner themselves if they preferred to have them installed when the home was built.
A. Why were the old designs changed?
Change in the idea of safety. A conference I attended recently stated that NFPA 1901mandates the installation of chevrons on the rear of the apparatus. The stripes must be red and either yellow, fluorescent yellow, or fluorescent yellow-green.
B. Who designed these new safety features to Engine 265?
The U.S. Fire Administration who have apparatus engineers that provided the data to the apparatus manufacturer.
C. How high does safety rank in the design of new equipment and apparatus?
Highly. Recent classes that I have attended show that injuries/deaths of firefighters on apparatus happen due to the lack of using the installed safety devices. New apparatus are equipped with buzzers that notify the driver/operator of someone not wearing a seat belt. SCBA clips help with alleviating moving/unsecured objects within the cab.
Myths vs facts about home fire sprinklers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Home-fire-sprinklers/Fire-Sprinkler-Initiative/Take-action/Free-downloads/Myths-vs-facts
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