Potential for Front Bumper Shock Explosion: Finding out that this is a recent photograph and not from the 70's is hard to believe. My first concern is the potential for the bumper to explode. I must admit that the photograph does not clearly show the front of a vehicle, but taking a little liberty here, I think it's important to point out that only untrained, non-orientated individuals fight a car fire, standing directly in the pathway of a potentially exploding front bumper like our brothers and sisters in Oz discovered...
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Booster Line Usage: This is a big fire, not one in the incipient phase... Big fires need big water, or foam for that matter. A booster line is just plain silly and does not deliver sufficient GPM to do much of anything. We know better, or do we?
Lack of SCBA: For this alone, I will make the blanket statement that this firefighter is an absolute idiot. The products of decomposition from a burning vehicle is filled with some nasty stuff. Organic vapors and mists, aldehydes, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, arsenic, lead... and more. Think of all the things that go into a car... precious metals, plastics, synthetics... now think routes of entry, (e.g. absorption, inhalation, ingestion, and injection).
While I am going to assume that this guy is not eating or getting poked by anything, I will conclusively say that if there is a wind shift, this guy is going to get dosed by the smoke generated from the car fire. The long term effects from this one exposure has the potential for triggering cancer reactions years down the line depending on the persons genetics. It's a roll of the dice that has bad odds.
If there is radiant heat issues, or if there is an explosion, this guys lungs are going to get fried as well.
This is a great photograph depicting how NOT to do it...
What I consider the appropriate way to tackle a car fire, and using a worst case scenario where the car is in a building verses an underpass on the freeway type of call depicted in your photo is as follows:
1. A blower is used to keep smoke away from firefighters and increase visibility. You need to see what you are doing and keep out of the toxic smoke.
2. Everyone's wearing a SCBA.
3. No one is standing in front of the vehicle.
4. A booster line is NOT being used, but instead a 1 3/4-inch hoseline with a TFT.
It would appear from the photo that the tread pattern on the sole of the right boot is slightly more worn than the left- this may be an heriditory problem or a posture problem.
I also noted that paint has faded on the bridge column which may mean there's a problem with this particular batch of paint.
There also appears to be an inconsistent layering of the road bitumen- this could create a few problems with water run off.
Oh, and one final thing- the city needs to invesatigate their grass cutting contract provider as the mower blades don't appear to be adjusted evenly- the grass looks a bit uneven.
I think that's it.
Hang on- on a second and closer look at the photo, I noticed that the nut on the rear of the bolt on the second upright of the railing (from the left hand side) has not been tensioned to the same level as the remainder.
Saw this on the news this morning. A woman had been trapped and was rescued by a passerby just seconds before the fire erupted. Kudos to the passing motorist. And may the big city guys continue to enjoy good luck on those car fires. LOL
Ok I know I am a junior but there is definietly somethng wrong. I would have a peson behind me. And an airpack would be nice. Perhaps a bigger line or more than one line.
None of us were there so we dont intirely know the circumstances or situation. No doubt I would hope that all of us have SOP's that would dictate full PPE, SCBA, 1 3/4 hose, foam, ect ect. To take a picture and sit here an critisize it is silly. Just do our best to make sure what we do an how we do it is safe. Much more important!
I don't get it. We use a booster reel with CAFS foam system mounted on a 300 gal. skid mount pump mounted on our 2006 GMC 5500 rescue truck and that foam works awesomely well for car fires. I just wonder when they made it "taboo" to pull a booster reel for car fires? I always thought and was taught that was what they was for. Yes SCBA should have been worn, but be honest, how long ago did that start too? I readily admit that I have fought way more than my fair share of car fires, dumpster fires, and yes even exterior operations of structure fires without even having the pack on much less being "on air". I know the fire services are changing all the time but geez louise. As far as the exploding bumper concern goes he wasn't in front of the car he is going in from the side as best he can what with that huge hill behind him at least that's what I see from looking at the pic. And I more than agree he should have had someone backing him up on the line looking for things he might miss while he's busy on the nozzle but maybe they just pulled the line 45 seconds ago and 10 seconds after this pic was taken he's got someone there. And it's entirely possible that he's got foam flowing in that time and the person coming has SCBA on and will take over on the nozzle. Sorry guys, but I mean you are basing all your assumptions on a moment in time and we all know, or should know, that situations are fluid and constantly changing. A video would be a better tool to base opinions on. I'm not saying that we can't improve and should, but I mean calling someone or something stupid because they did something that everyone who has been in the service more than 2-3 years is really pot calling kettle, in my opinion.
If we had a CAF system plumbed into our engine then I would favor your system over a standard hoseline. Foam produced through the CAF system works incredibly well.
But this snapshot shows a fully involved something. Much too big of a fire for a Booster line.
For the record, I have used our booster line lots for initial attack, but not if there is this type of involvement.
Any of the comments made here are folks just trying to do their best and learn from others. Any post that enables one to look at things differently is a good post. For example, is this guy in danger of being a statistic if the bumper explodes? Maybe, but now some of the readers will have this in mind at their next car fire. And just think about how cool it is that what you shared here will enable someone to go home to their loved ones instead of possibly getting hurt or killed because they did not know any better.
I agree CBZ I just get frustrated with the whole "look at that idiot" comments that were coming his way. I've been treated that way before, told "just grab the line and someone will be right there to help you or relieve you of it just start doing something". I don't know that was what happened here but I'm not really too awfully bad of an idiot I know I don't do smart things sometimes. We had a house fire last month and I was helping with overhaul ops and hot spots and yep,full turnout gear but no pack or nothing else on me. I didn't feel really bad about it until my girlfriend started on me. Then it made me think. I mean I've been out for a long time and just re-joined in August of last year and I know before we didn't bother with such things. Once the fire was out the packs came off. Now they don't. I guess I got some habits that I need to break but you know what they say about old habits.......... And yes this site is wonderful for making you think I know it has me rethinking a lot of my old habits.