Firefighters on Fire at Sprinkler Demo : Close Call

October 8, 2009. From STATter911.com http://www.statter911.com: A bit of a close call on Wednesday October 7, 2009 as the DC Fire & EMS Department demonstrated sprinklers at Gallaudet University.

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Watch at about the 2:58 mark when D.C. firefighters start to extinguish the fire and listen to the narration as the incident unfolds during an otherwise routine public demonstration.

Update from STATter911: A scary few moments during Wednesday's sprinkler demonstration at Gallaudet University. The gear of three DC firefighters began burning when a large clump of burning plastic dripped and fell on them. DC Fire & EMS Department now says the sergeant from Engine 6 was burned on the face and hand. He spent the night in the MedStar Burn Unit at the Washington Hospital Center and has been released.

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Location: Washington, DC

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Comment by bob pratt on October 10, 2009 at 10:08pm: The purpose of the plastic is to allow the heat to build up enough to cause flashover. Without the plastic (or some other barrier) the heat would just flow out of the space and never flash. We've done a similar demo and will take special care in the future not to let this happen to us. We've never charged a back-up line but will next time.
Stay safe Brothers and Sisters!

Comment by Jim Guy on October 10, 2009 at 2:43pm: What is the purpose of the plastic and why was it necessary to enter the room? At least they had their full PPE in place. I do this demo 3 times a year on the University at Buffalo campus during various training opportunities, and have never had a problem. We use a straight stream to reach the fire and certainly do not attempt to enter the room. We also do not hang a plastic sheet across the room front.
Another issue here that should be used as teaching point is the clear demonstration of lack of "situational awareness" a real killer of firefighters in today's world.

Comment by Pugsley67 on October 10, 2009 at 10:30am: There is no reason they needed to enter that room or even get close enough to have that struff drop on them

Comment by Nick Morgan on October 10, 2009 at 12:09am: I hate to criticize brothers from another FD, but seriously that's taking the "aggressive interior attack" mentality a little too far!!

Comment by Thomas Callaway on October 9, 2009 at 7:53pm: Just goes to show, even with the best planning and the best props,dumb tactics will ruin the shot. What the hell were they thinking? Why would you enter a demo box like that? Make sure your overhead is cooled and extinguished before entering a space. It may look cool to enter a burning room, covered with flames, but you know what? They give us nozzles with stream reach for a reason. Use it correctly.

Comment by Mike 63 DC on October 9, 2009 at 5:55pm: Holy crap are you kidding me! This was suppose to be a demostration. Why would you go into a 12x12 wooden "box" demonstration or not.