Primary Firefighter Safety Hazards - Fire Department



Purpose:To establish a procedure for the use of the Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) to primarily assist in the determination and location of fire extension and secondly to use in specialized situations. Also, to establish a procedure for the care and maintenance of the thermal imaging camera.Scope:This procedure shall be used by all members of the Shelbyville Fire Department to ensure that every reasonable precaution is taken to confirm that the fire and/or overheating condition has been fully extinguished during fire suppression, salvage, overhaul and fire watch activities. This standard operating procedure also pertains to the Bullard Eclipse, Bullard LDX, and Bullard T3 series models we currently have.General:Some of the many uses of the TIC include search and rescue, scene assessment, locating the seat of the fire, determining the spread of the fire, locating hot spots, identifying potential flashover situations, determining ventilation points, determining entry/exit points, overhaul, hazmat, wildland firefighting, incident investigation, and training.Notes:Using the TIC is not a technology designed to replace current firefighting tactics. Rather it is a tool that allows the firefighter to be more effective and to make better decisions.Procedure:In regards to this policy TIC is same as thermal imaging camera.2.The TIC shall only be used as it is designed to be used.3.The TIC shall be deployed on every structure fire, smoke odor, or fire alarm by a crew member of the engine company that is engaged in interior operations and use it as part of size up and continuing fire evaluation or:There is a possibility the fire has breached and penetrated the surface covering of a wall, ceiling or floor.There is any possibility the fire may have traveled through a concealed air space to an adjacent portion of the building.There is a possibility the fire may have extended to other portions of the building through conduction, convection or direct flame contact.There is any possibility there is a need for search and rescue operations.On fire alarms and investigations with no signs of fire, the TIC shall be affixed to one of the entry team responder’s coat.4.The TIC may be called to a scene to assist in the location of a fire or in some cases, the cause of the problem. For example, an overheated motor or bearing on a particular piece of machinery or overheated electrical equipment.5.The TIC may be utilized at scenes where determining differentials in surface temperature may be advantageous to the mitigation of the incident operation:Although the TIC is hardened for structural firefighting environment, it is a sensitive piece of electronic equipment and should be treated with as much care as possible. This will ensure that the TIC is fully functional every time is it deployed.In order to help prevent dropping the TIC, the shoulder strap shall be carried attached to the TIC and used any time it is deployed.The TIC will be operated in accordance with the instruction manual.All firefighters should follow up their theory and practical training with a thorough review of the operator’s manual.Experience will demonstrate many uses for the TIC, however, it is primarily an aid to navigation and all other standard operating procedures respecting safety, search and rescue, the buddy system, etc. remain in effect.Crews should not enter into an IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) situation with less than a fully charged battery.When exiting a structure due to low air supply and if re-entry into an IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) environment is necessary, the battery should be replaced with a fully charged battery. If you change your self-contained breathing apparatus cylinder you should change your TIC battery. NOTE: Although the battery has a 3 hour battery life (when fully charged), this is a good policy. The T3 series has a 2.5 hour battery life.Partly used batteries may be used during overhaul when relatively safe conditions exist.Under no circumstances should a firefighter remain in a hazardous environment after the low battery (LED) indicator turns red or the low battery display shows on the screen of the TIC (on units with annotation/accutemp)Upon entry into a smoky structure, use the TIC to acquaint yourself with your surroundings. Look left, right, up, down, behind, and in front of you to give yourself a mental picture of your surroundings should the camera become inoperable.Upon entering a heated structure, use the temperature sensing option to landmark the Thermal Layer. Any sudden drop of the Thermal Layer should be a strong indicator of an impending flashover.The TICs are equipped with a high heat colorization that features different heat levels in various color hues. Starting at 500 degrees heated objects are tinted yellow and gradually transition to orange and then to solid red at 1000 degrees.Primary Firefighter Safety Hazards:Separation of crew:It would be easy for the lead person using the TIC to move faster than the others in the entry team can follow. The entry team must remain in close voice, visual, or touch contact to avoid getting separated.The TIC person should keep others in the team updated verbally with observations and/or direction changes.Over-dependence:The TIC is a tool and therefore, subject to failure of battery depletion. Firefighters must keep a mental picture in their mind of where they are and continue to be aware of secondary escape routes and over-extending their air supply.Use of the TIC will permit safer movement that could lead to penetrating a building past a point of no return. Firefighters must be vigilant in monitoring their air supply and anticipating exit time.Watch your step:It is possible to become overly focused on the TIC and its image. Maintain an awareness of your peripheral vision and watch your step.Beware of Heat:The TIC will safely allow forward progression in a more erect posture. Be careful not to expose your upper body to excessive heat in a descending thermal layer. As it should, heat will dictate a lower posture. Actions during a Fire Watch:The fire area, any areas adjacent to the fire area, and any areas to where it is suspected the fire may have extended will be scanned using the TIC every 10 minutes until the fire watch is terminated.After use:Clean the outside of the TIC with mild soap or detergent.Wipe the lens with a soft cloth.Clean the display with a soft cloth.Check screw tightness on display cover.Remove battery and thoroughly clean and dry battery compartment.Recharge batteries or replace with charged ones if the TIC has been used for an extended period of time and/or batteries are low.To charge the T3 series batteries utilize the wall charger located in the radio rooms.Ensure the Eclipse and LDX models are placed back in the vehicle charging system on the apparatus, the charger is plugged into the TIC, and the spare battery is placed in the charger and charging.The battery charger is automatically activated when the TIC is inserted.Battery charge condition is indicated by the color of the light emitted by the “Bullard” button on the truck mounted chargers. A pulsing red light indicates that the battery is being charged. A solid green light indicates that the battery is fully charged and its charge is being maintained by the charging unit.If the charging indicator light flashes between green and red for longer than 15 minutes the battery is damaged and should be disposed of properly (pertaining to the Eclipse and LDX models only).Maintenance, Inspection and Testing:The TIC will be inspected, tested and maintained during daily apparatus checks. The batteries will be inspected for signs of physical damage. Each battery shall be inspected for signs of leakage, corrosion and to ensure the date codes have not expired. The external surfaces of the TIC, case and harness assembly shall be visually checked for signs of physical damage. The lens shall be checked to ensure that it is clean. If the lens requires cleaning, it shall be cleaned with a soft cloth and soapy water as required.To ensure adequate battery life charge each of the batteries every 2 weeks or keep the batteries charged in the apparatus mounted charger for the Eclipse and LDX models only.To extend the potential life span of batteries fully drain and charge each battery monthly for all models.Service and Repair:The authorized agent shall perform service and repair other than those specified in the operating guidelines. Do not attempt to disassemble the TIC because doing so will avoid all warranties.Responsibility:It is the responsibility of the firefighters to ensure that they maintain their skills in the use, care and maintenance of the TIC in various environments according to the manual. It is also the responsibility of the officer or senior firefighter to ensure that the TIC is deployed before dismounting off the apparatus when it is suspected that it will be utilized.It is the responsibility of the shift personnel to ensure that regular maintenance is conducted on the TIC. This also includes fully drain and recharge each battery monthly.Cautionary Notes:Thermal imaging will not penetrate glass or water. Thermal imagers do not “see through walls”, etc. They only see heat.Thermal imaging does not improve impaired vision.Do NOT point the TIC at the sun or any other source of extreme radiant heat.The TIC is not intrinsically safe and therefore, cannot be used in a suspected environment.Do not submerge the unit under water or subject the unit to high pressure water.References:Bullard Eclipse Thermal Imager User ManualBullard ECLLDX Thermal Imager User ManualBullard T3 series Thermal Imager User ManualEclipse Powerhouse Charging Station User Manual ................
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