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Car fires
OK so last night I got my tucas whooped during drill which was, packing up, taking a hydrant, pulling a pre-connect, and attacking a car fire (repeatedly). I had fun (except for loading the hose bed). I asked some questions, while some were answered some were not.
Besides approaching at a 45 degree angle from the front, how else would you approach safely to attack a fire in the engine? What is the safest way to open a hatch back? If you are not a car junkie how would you be able to tell if it is a hydrid/electrical?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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Look for the decal for any indication it is a hybrid, you don't have to be a gear head to read the work "hybrid" posted on the back or side of the vehicle....LOL....also when approaching the vehicle with the hoseline don't forget to sweep the ground...this will ensure that you aren't going to be standing in flammable liquids...Why open a hatchback if the vehicle is on fire...? Take out the window and attack it through that access...just my look at it
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Permalink Reply by Patti Walz on
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Thank you. I had no idea that hybrids would state that. Don't you have to treat hybrid fires differently? Like cutting the battery, and using a foam for electrical instead of water? I think the next academy class that we have on this I will sit in on as a refresher.
I forgot to do that last night and no one corrected me on it. Grrrr...... I know that actual vs drill will be different.
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I should find out if the local junk yard would have a hybrid we could practice on.... Hmmm...... I will pose that one to the Chief.....
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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"Why open a hatchback if the vehicle is on fire...? Take out the window and attack it through that access"
Right on Paul. Why risk injury trying to open the hatch when you can break the glass from the side.
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"using a foam for electrical instead of water?"
Patti, there is NO foam for use on electrical fires that I'm aware of. They will conduct electricty, which is a NO-GO! Besides you can still fight a hybrid car fire with water.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Williams on
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Patti, if not the junk yard, contact a local dealership and see if they would let you all come for a visit and have one of their techs show you all the in & outs of a hybrid.
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Permalink Reply by Bekks on
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Whatever you do do NOT stand in front of the front bumper!
A few years ago there was a young firefighter north of Toronto that had his leg SHATTERED when the shock-absorber built into the cars bumper exploded and destroyed the bone in his lower leg.
He was the second man on the hose... the nozelman had come around the front, and moved to the shoulder of the highway... on a 45 degree with the front of the car... but the number 2 guy was positioning the hose around the car and stopped directly in front of the car... (looked like a lack of hose length) and BOOM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaVVpj21F00
There is a longer version of that on youtube. Shows more before and after...
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You don't have to go to a junk yard...Do what we did...contact a dealer...they were very helpful with a brand new vehicle and showed us all the ins and outs of it...we didn't cut it up but found some good guidelines to follow...word of warning..currently there are NO STANDARDS for manufacturers..so every make can be different...you can get information easily on the computer.....
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That was drilled into us during our burn to learn. Do not stand in front of the car, go at a 45 degree with the front. They showed videos of bumpers exploding, of guys fighting fires with no SCBA or turnouts.
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That is a great idea! I will mention that to Chief.
The only access that I have to a computer is at work because at home our internet is so very very slow....
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Shows how often we use this stuff..... I would say 75% of calls are medical/public assist, 15% car accidents, 10% fire related.
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I asked this question to my examiner after my task performances was completed adn he said "I don't know" I thought I would ask here.
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