Fall Issue -- 2001
Page 1
Slips and Falls Related to Protective Clothing
Ensemble
ATF and Kinston, NC Fire and Rescue Burn to Learn
Page 2
New Instrument Measures Smoke Obscuration in Building Fires
Role of the Fire Service Recognized in Fire Protection Design
Page 3
NASA Brings Spacesuit Technology to Fire Fighting
Nanoparticles increase Foam Effectiveness
Page 4
NIJ Releases Five Equipment Guides for Fire Responders
The role of the fire fighter protective clothing ensemble in slips and falls was investigated by Chief Donald Adams while working at King’s Point Volunteer Fire Department and the City of Orlando Fire Department in Florida. The paper resulting from this study was one of the six award winners in the U.S. Fire Administration, National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer’s Program’s in the year 2000. The paper discusses research that was performed to learn more about the slips and falls experienced by firefighters when they wore protective clothing ensembles. The effects of the center of gravity (COG) and balancing ability when wearing a station uniform vs. protective clothing ensembles, including wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus were studied.
The major findings were that slips and falls account for 25 percent of fireground injuries to firefighters, and that protective clothing ensembles impair balance. Further, it was recommended that more research using computer-based assessments to evaluate protective clothing be performed. The complete award-winning paper may be downloaded from the National Fire Academy’s web site: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/tr_ora.htm.
For additional information, contact Chief Donald R. Adams, Sr., currently with the Osceola County Fire Rescue Department, Kissimmee, FL, telephone: 407-343-7000 or e-mail: dada@osceola.org
For information on the Executive Fire Officers Program, contact Chuck Burkell, 301-447-1072, chuck.burkell@fema.gov
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| Sway and Position of COG in Protective Clothing Ensemble |
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| Effect of Protective Clothing Ensemble on Balance |
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) uses buildings of opportunity to conduct fire investigation research and training for agents in the Certified Fire Investigator Program. ATF has developed a unique partnership with the City of Kinston, North Carolina, and particularly the Kinston Department of Fire and Rescue (KFD) to use flood damaged buildings for controlled fire experiments. Chief Greg Smith, in cooperation with other city officials, has made available to ATF an entire neighborhood of homes that are part of a FEMA buyout of the flood-damaged properties along the Neuse River. This large
area of homes, with the city infrastructure still intact, provided unique opportunities for fire testing.
In 1998, ATF began going to Kinston to conduct live burn training exercises and full-scale fire tests. Tests and training have included such things as origin and cause determination, full-scale house burns to total collapse, electrical studies in fully energized structures and one large (and quite spectacular) burn utilizing large quantities of liquid petroleum gas (LPG). In addition to supporting
Cont. on page 2
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| ATF Agents Observe August, 2001 House Fire Experiment in Kingston, NC, Before They Dig in the Remains |
