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Multiphase Study on Fire Fighter Safety and the Deployment of ResourcesNIST Technical Note 1661Issued April 2010 Residential Fireground Field Experiments

1AgendaProject OverviewExperiment MethodologyExperiment ResultsUtilizing the Findings2Project ObjectivesOptimize a fire service leaders 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 Objectives4Residential Fireground ExperimentPart 1 Design appropriate fuel load Part 2 Fireground tasks experimentsPart 3 Enhanced fuel loadPart 4 Fire modeling5Part I: The Live FireNFPA 1403 compliance:Fuel package characterized by full scale compartment tests at NIST (NIST FR 4022) for desired size and repeatabilityFire: Four pallets with excelsior for simulated interior/exterior environmental conditions

6Part II: Time to Task Tests

Burn RoomBurn Room

77Part II: Time to Task TestsResponse: 3 Engines, 1 Truck, 1 Battalion Chief, 1 AideCrew sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5

Effective Fire Fighting Force (EFF)Crew Size# Fire FightersChief and AideOn-Scene Total 282312241625202101418228Part II: Time to Task TestsExperiments:Total of 24 experiments on 22 fireground tasks2 scenarios for each crew sizeClose stagger One-minute ladder truck lagOne-and-a-half minutes lag for each subsequent engineFar staggerTwo-minute ladder truck lagTwo-and-a-half minutes lag for each subsequent engineEach scenario ran in triplicate9

Part II: Time to Task Tests

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Part II: Time to Task TestsIf the video does not open, please download the Windows Media Player or the Adobe Flash Player.11Results: Time to Task TestsTime (hr: min: sec)12ResultsThe overall results revealed that the greatest disparity in response times occurs between three-person crews and four-person crews.

[Point out the bars that appear for Mechanical Ventilation on the graph. Highlight the groupings between two- and three- person crews and four- and five-person crews, then emphasize the greater distance in time between the three- and four-person crews.]

Primary Findings Of the 22 fireground tasks measured during the experiments, results indicated that the following factors had the most significant impact on the success of fire fighting operations. All differential outcomes described below are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level or better. Overall Scene Time Time to Water on Fire Ground Ladders and Ventilation Primary Search Hose Stretch Time Industry Standard Achieved Occupant Rescue12View in Windows Media Player View in Adobe Flash Player

Results: Time to Task TestsIf the video does not open, please download the Windows Media Player or the Adobe Flash Player.13Part III: Room & Contents FireFocus areasStructural TenabilityCO, CO2, O2TemperatureSmoke obscurationImpact on Victim RescueFire Growth RateArrival TimeEarly arrivalLate arrival

Fuel PackageLiving room configurationSufficient for flashover Total of 16 experiments

14Part III: Room & Contents FireCrew SizeFirst Due Arrival Time2-PersonEarly Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) close stagger3-PersonEarly Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) close stagger4-PersonEarly Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) close stagger5-PersonEarly Arrival of First Engine (6.5 min) close stagger2-PersonLater Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) close stagger3-PersonLater Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) close stagger4-PersonLater Arrival of First Engine (8.5 min) close staggerNo Response (Baseline)N/A15Part III: Room & Contents FireTasks Causing Fire Behavior ChangeForced entry of the front doorWater on fire Second floor burn room window ventilated Second floor front window, near corner ventilatedSecond floor front window, near front door ventilatedFirst floor window beside the fire ventilated First floor window #2 self-ventilated at flashover

NFPA 1403 ComplianceVentilation performed from outsideSuppression performed via remote monitor

16Part IV: Fire ModelingNIST Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) Slow growth rate fireMedium growth rate fireFast growth rate fire

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Results: Parts III and IVIf the video does not open, please download the Windows Media Player or the Adobe Flash Player.18Results: Parts III and IV

Approximate heat release for flashover in the 12 x 16 x 8 burn room1919Utilizing the FindingsUnderstand the Report Based on ScienceEducation is KeyTailor Presentation to Your AudienceCustomize Use of DataRemember the Goal 20Questions or Comments

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