Video of a flashover

[tonydahose]

http://e.blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplay ... blejs=true

[Fred Sanford]

Dang.

What is a flashover?

I'm glad that guy got out. You guys have a tough scary job.

[cyberspyder]

Dang.

What is a flashover?

I'm glad that guy got out. You guys have a tough scary job.

It's when the air gets superheated and explodes into fire.

[tonydahose]

the room gets hot enough and all the contents burst into flames...its a bad thing..roll over is when the smoke gets hot enough and bursts into flames you saw a lil bit of that at the edge of the window.. when it confined by the ceiling it is like watching rolling waves of fire instead of the ocean, that is the closest thing i can describe it to..it is one of the coolest things to see.

[java]

Flashovers are awesome in their fury (as long as you're not up close and personal)!

For even more poop-in-the pants thrills try a BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion).

Train car BLEVE

My previous experiences as a HAZMAT Tech and ERT Incident Commander at a major semiconductor manufacturing plant exposed me to a lot of knowlege and instilled a cautious respect regarding the chemicals we used. Pyrophorics like dichlorosilane; lethal gases like arsine (also a pyrophoric), phospine, and diborane; and all manner of highly reactive (and explosive in certain combinations) acids are commonplace in the industry. We had several equipment explosions (mostly from by-products in our "scrubbed" exhaust; a silane gas (pyrophoric) cabinet leak that made one heck of a learning experience; a truck running into our overhead hydrogen gas lines; and more acid spills than I care to remember. We trained with the local FD on a regular basis.

I got to hand it to all you firemen for facing these dangers on a daily basis. You never know what you're running into on any call and especially on industrial emrgencies. Thanks for puttin' it all on the line.



j

[DFD04]

That was a great video! Glad he got out of the window ok, keep doin those ladder bails fellas.

[Fred Sanford]

So is that standard procedure if you have to get the heck out fast? He did a good job of going down that ladder head first!

[DFD04]

So is that standard procedure if you have to get the heck out fast? He did a good job of going down that ladder head first!

I think it depends on the department, or even the individual rig and how they train. We had a ladder bail training a couple years ago on how to grip the ladder to come out head first and swing your body like the hand of a clock to face up and slide the rails. It leaves a mark on the arm when you do it over and over, but works well.

When all else fails just get the $%$% out.

[tonydahose]

I think it depends on the department, or even the individual rig and how they train. We had a ladder bail training a couple years ago on how to grip the ladder to come out head first and swing your body like the hand of a clock to face up and slide the rails. It leaves a mark on the arm when you do it over and over, but works well.

When all else fails just get the $%$% out.

hook 2 and grab 4?

[DFD04]

hook 2 and grab 4?

Yup, let go with the top hand and fall into the ladder.

[JspyEDC]

I think it depends on the department, or even the individual rig and how they train. We had a ladder bail training a couple years ago on how to grip the ladder to come out head first and swing your body like the hand of a clock to face up and slide the rails. It leaves a mark on the arm when you do it over and over, but works well.

When all else fails just get the $%$% out.

Extrication is the word that comes to my mind here. Extricate your %^* outta there pronto. And you guys do this for a living. The danger highlight of my day is opening Spyderco boxes from Golden with a sharp folder. All I can think of to say is....thanks.

[tonydahose]

Extrication is the word that comes to my mind here. Extricate your %^* outta there pronto. And you guys do this for a living. The danger highlight of my day is opening Spyderco boxes from Golden with a sharp folder. All I can think of to say is....thanks.

the thanks really should go to all the guys and gals in our armed services that allow us the freedom to stay at home and do the work that we love.

[steve andrews]

I have the utmost respect for all the World's firefighters, but I have to question the tactics employed in the vid.
Climb into a raging fire with no water? Expect to get burned.

Here is a good vid that shows the power of a flashover. Rooms in most houses will have a much higher fire load than the room in this experiment:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0a1_1224869360

[flipe8]

Going into an involved room without a line is definately very risky, but if there is someone in that room, the risk has to be considered. I think you'd have to decide if the person in that room is likely still alive before taking the punishment of going in without a line. Risk vs reward. I wonder if crews were already inside on the first level attacking?
Speaking of this, what are your departments policies on search without lines? I don't know how a primary search could be effectively performed while hauling a line with you.
Good video, though.

[steve andrews]

"Over here" every team entering will take at least a 19mm hosereel, unless there is a absolute certainty that they will not need one for their protection. Therefore, primary search is performed with water.
The first team will try to locate the fire, extinguish, suppress or isolate it, and then search from there. Second team will commence a search for casualties, but they will also take a hoseline.

[tonydahose]

in a perfect world there will be an engine with a line protecting the stairwell and one on each floor that the truck is conducting their searches but it isnt always a perfect world. it also depends how aggressive the department is in their strategies. alot of places imploy the surround and drown theory but that might be because they don' t have the manpower or the rigs and dont get there quick enough. Then there is the truss construction which is a death trap for all firefighters, many variables to think of but if you get a report of a kid trapped i am betting you would go looking with a line in place or not.

[steve andrews]

Persons trapped or not, we always take a hoseline.

I have my own kids that I would like to get home to.

[DFD04]

Downtown rigs have plugs in almost every intersection so the lays are pretty short. The pumper and the truckies are ususlly close. However in the newer parts of the city the lays become 500-1200 feet, and the truck goes past the plug catcher and the pumper. In this case, the pumper may take time to get their line inservice, so we have to go in ahead of the line.

Tatics depend on your location within the city, when I am roving to different parts of the city the logistics dictate how we operate.