Report on Residential Fireground Field Experiments

103 Pages·2010·9.764 MB·English

by  Jason D. Averill, Lori Moore-Merrell, Adam Barowy, Robert Santos, Richard Peacock, Kathy A. Notarianni, Doug Wissoker

NISTTechnical Note 1661
Jason D.Averill
Lori Moore-Merrell
Adam Barowy
Robert Santos
Richard Peacock
KathyA. Notarianni
Doug Wissoker
Edited by Bill Robinson
U.S. Department of Commerce
Gary Locke, Secretary
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Patrick D. Gallagher, Director
April 2010 1
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April 2010
NISTTechnical Note 1661
Report on Residential
Fireground Field Experiments
Jason D.Averill
Lori Moore-Merrell
Adam Barowy
Robert Santos
Richard Peacock
KathyA. Notarianni
Doug Wissoker
Edited by Bill Robinson
U.S. Department of Commerce
Gary Locke, Secretary
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Patrick D. Gallagher, Director
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Certaincommercialentities,equipment,ormaterialsmay
beidentifiedinthisdocumentinordertodescribean
experimentalprocedureorconceptadequately.Such
identificationisnotintendedtoimplyrecommendationor
endorsementbytheNationalInstituteofStandardsand
Technology,norisitintendedtoimplythattheentities,
materials,orequipmentarenecessarilythebestavailable
forthepurpose.
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NationalInstituteofStandardsandTechnologyTechnicalNote1661,
104pages(March2010) CODEN:
ProducedwiththeCooperationof ProducedwiththeCooperationof
MontgomeryCounty FairfaxCounty
FireandRescue FireandRescue
ChiefRichardBowers ChiefRonaldMastin
FundingprovidedthroughDHS/FEMAGrantProgramDirectorateforFY2008
AssistancetoFirefightersGrantProgram–FirePreventionandSafetyGrants
(EMW-2008-FP-01603)
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Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................9 ResponseTimeAssumptions..............................................................28
ExecutiveSummary..........................................................................10 Part3:RoomandContentsFires....................................................29
Background........................................................................................12 FuelPackagesfortheRoomandContentsFires..............................29
Problem ..............................................................................................13 ExperimentalMatrixforRoomandContentsFires............................30
ReviewofLiterature..........................................................................14 ProcedureforMinimizingtheEffectofVarianceinFireGrowthRate ..........31
PurposeandScopeoftheStudy....................................................16 AnalysisofExperimentalResults..................................................33
ABriefOverviewofFireDepartmentFiregroundOperations....17 Time-to-taskAnalysis..........................................................................33
TheRelationofTime-to-TaskCompletionandRisk..........................18 DataQueries........................................................................................33
StandardsofResponseCover............................................................18 StatisticalMethods-TimetoTask......................................................33
Part1:PlanningfortheFieldExperiments....................................20 RegressionAnalysis............................................................................33
Part2:Time-to-TaskExperiments..................................................24 MeasurementUncertainty ..................................................................34
FieldExperimentMethods ..............................................................21 HowtoInterpretTime-to-TaskGraphs................................................34
FieldSite..............................................................................................21 Time-to-TaskGraphs ..........................................................................35
OverviewofFieldExperiments ..........................................................22 Part4:FireModeling ........................................................................43
Instrumentation....................................................................................22 TimetoUntenableConditions:ResearchQuestions ........................45
SafetyProtocols ..................................................................................23 FireModelingMethods........................................................................45
CrewSize ............................................................................................24 FireGrowthRates................................................................................46
DepartmentParticipation ....................................................................24 FractionalEffectiveDose(FED)..........................................................47
CrewOrientation..................................................................................24 ResultsfromModelingMethods ........................................................48
Tasks....................................................................................................25 InteriorFirefightingConditionsandDeploymentConfiguration........49
DataCollection:StandardizedControlMeasures..............................27 PhysiologicalEffectsonFirefighters:ComparisonbyCrewSize........50
TaskFlowChartsandCrewCueCards ............................................27 StudyLimitations..............................................................................51
Radiocommunications........................................................................27 Conclusions........................................................................................52
TaskTimers..........................................................................................27 FutureResearch................................................................................53
Videorecords ......................................................................................27 Acknowledgments............................................................................55
CrewAssignment................................................................................28 References..........................................................................................56
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Abstract
S
erviceexpectationsplacedonthefireservice,including Thisreportpresentstheresultsofmorethan60laboratoryand
EmergencyMedicalServices(EMS),responsetonatural residentialfiregroundexperimentsdesignedtoquantifythe
disasters,hazardousmaterialsincidents,andactsof effectsofvariousfiredepartmentdeploymentconfigurationson
terrorism,havesteadilyincreased. However,local themostcommontypeoffire—alowhazardresidential
decision-makersarechallengedtobalancethesecommunity structurefire.Forthefiregroundexperiments,a2,000sqft(186
serviceexpectationswithfiniteresourceswithoutasolidtechnical m2),two-storyresidentialstructurewasdesignedandbuiltatthe
foundationforevaluatingtheimpactofstaffinganddeployment MontgomeryCountyPublicSafetyTrainingAcademyin
decisionsonthesafetyofthepublicandfirefighters. Rockville,MD.FirecrewsfromMontgomeryCounty,MDand
Forthefirsttime,thisstudyinvestigatestheeffectofvarying FairfaxCounty,VAweredeployedinresponsetolivefireswithin
crewsize,firstapparatusarrivaltime,andresponsetimeon thisfacility.Inadditiontosystematicallycontrollingforthe
firefightersafety,overalltaskcompletion,andinteriorresidential arrivaltimesofthefirstandsubsequentfireapparatus,crewsize
tenabilityusingrealisticresidentialfires.Thisstudyisalsounique wasvariedtoconsidertwo-,three-,four-,andfive-personstaffing.
becauseofthearrayofstakeholdersandthecaliberoftechnical Eachdeploymentperformedaseriesof22tasksthatweretimed,
expertsinvolved.Additionally,thestructureusedinthefield whilethethermalandtoxicenvironmentinsidethestructurewas
experimentsincludedcustomizedinstrumentation;allrelated measured.Additionalexperimentswithlargerfuelloadsaswellas
industrystandardswerefollowed;androbustresearchmethods firemodelingproducedadditionalinsight.Reportresultsquantify
wereused.Theresultsandconclusionswilldirectlyinformthe theeffectivenessofcrewsize,first-dueenginearrivaltime,and
NFPA1710TechnicalCommittee,whoisresponsiblefor apparatusarrivalstaggeronthedurationandtimetocompletion
developingconsensusindustrydeploymentstandards. ofthekey22firegroundtasksandtheeffectonoccupantand
firefightersafety.
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Executive Summary
B
oththeincreasingdemandsonthefireservice-suchasthe 4.Howdoestheelapsedtimetoachievethenationalstandardof
growingnumberofEmergencyMedicalServices(EMS) assembling15firefightersatthescenevarybetweencrewsizes
responses,challengesfromnaturaldisasters,hazardous offourandfive?
materialsincidents,andactsofterrorism—andpreviousresearch
pointtotheneedforscientificallybasedstudiesoftheeffectof Inordertoaddresstheprimaryresearchquestions,theresearch
differentcrewsizesandfirefighterarrivaltimesontheeffectivenessof wasdividedintofourdistinct,yetinterconnectedparts:
thefireservicetoprotectlivesandproperty. Tomeetthisneed,a
researchpartnershipoftheCommissiononFireAccreditation (cid:3)Part1—Laboratoryexperimentstodesignappropriatefuelload
International(CFAI),InternationalAssociationofFireChiefs(IAFC),
InternationalAssociationofFireFighters(IAFF),NationalInstituteof (cid:3)Part2—Experimentstomeasurethetimeforvariouscrew
StandardsandTechnology(NIST),andWorcesterPolytechnic sizesandapparatusstagger(intervalbetweenarrivalof
Institute(WPI)wasformedtoconductamultiphasestudyofthe variousapparatus)toaccomplishkeytasksinrescuing
deploymentofresourcesasitaffectsfirefighterandoccupantsafety. occupants,extinguishingafire,andprotectingproperty
StartinginFY2005,fundingwasprovidedthroughtheDepartmentof
HomelandSecurity(DHS)/FederalEmergencyManagementAgency (cid:3)Part3—Additionalexperimentswithenhancedfuelloadthat
(FEMA)GrantProgramDirectorateforAssistancetoFirefighters prohibitedfirefighterentryintotheburnprop–abuilding
GrantProgram—FirePreventionandSafetyGrants.Inadditionto constructedforthefireexperiments
thelow-hazardresidentialfiregroundexperimentsdescribedinthis
report,themultiplephasesoftheoverallresearcheffortinclude (cid:3)Part4—Firemodelingtocorrelatetime-to-taskcompletion
developmentofaconceptualmodelforcommunityriskassessment bycrewsizeandstaggertotheincreaseintoxicityofthe
anddeploymentofresources,implementationofageneralizable atmosphereintheburnpropforarangeoffiregrowthrates.
departmentincidentsurvey,anddeliveryofasoftwaretooltoquantify
theeffectsofdeploymentdecisionsonresultantfirefighterandcivilian Theexperimentswereconductedinaburnpropdesignedto
injuriesandonpropertylosses. simulatealow-hazard1fireinaresidentialstructuredescribedas
Thefirstphaseoftheprojectwasanextensivesurveyofmorethan typicalinNFPA1710®OrganizationandDeploymentofFire
400careerandcombination(bothcareerandvolunteer)fire SuppressionOperations,EmergencyMedicalOperations,andSpecial
departmentsintheUnitedStateswiththeobjectiveofoptimizinga OperationstothePublicbyCareerFireDepartments. NFPA1710is
fireserviceleader’scapabilitytodeployresourcestopreventor theconsensusstandardforcareerfirefighterdeployment,
mitigateadverseeventsthatoccurinrisk-andhazard-filled includingrequirementsforfiredepartmentarrivaltime,staffing
environments.Theresultsofthissurveyarenotdocumentedinthis levels,andfiregroundresponsibilities.
report,whichislimitedtotheexperimentalphaseoftheproject. Limitationsofthestudyincludefirefighters’advanceknowledge
Thesurveyresultswillconstitutesignificantinputintothe oftheburnprop,invariablenumberofapparatus,andlackof
developmentofafuturesoftwaretooltoquantifytheeffectsof experimentsinelevatedoutdoortemperaturesoratnight.Further,
communityrisksandassociateddeploymentdecisionsonresultant theapplicabilityoftheconclusionsfromthisreporttocommercial
firefighterandcivilianinjuriesandpropertylosses. structurefires,high-risefires,outsidefires,terrorism/natural
disasterresponse,HAZMATorothertechnicalresponseshasnot
Thefollowingresearchquestionsguidedtheexperimental beenassessedandshouldnotbeextrapolatedfromthisreport.
designofthelow-hazardresidentialfiregroundexperiments
documentedinthisreport: PrimaryFindings
Ofthe22firegroundtasksmeasuredduringtheexperiments,
1.Howdocrewsizeandstaggeraffectoverallstart-to-completion resultsindicatedthatthefollowingfactorshadthemost
responsetiming? significantimpactonthesuccessoffirefightingoperations.All
differentialoutcomesdescribedbelowarestatisticallysignificant
2.Howdocrewsizeandstaggeraffectthetimingsoftask atthe95%confidencelevelorbetter.
initiation,taskduration,andtaskcompletionforeachofthe22
criticalfiregroundtasks? OverallSceneTime:
Thefour-personcrewsoperatingonalow-hazardstructurefire
3.Howdoescrewsizeaffectelapsedtimestoachievethreecritical completedallthetasksonthefireground(onaverage)seven
eventsthatareknowntochangefirebehaviorortenability minutesfaster—nearly30%—thanthetwo-personcrews.The
withinthestructure: four-personcrewscompletedthesamenumberoffireground
a.Entryintostructure? tasks(onaverage)5.1minutesfaster—nearly25%—thanthe
b.Wateronfire? three-personcrews.Onthelow-hazardresidentialstructurefire,
c.Ventilationthroughwindows(threeupstairsandoneback addingafifthpersontothecrewsdidnotdecreaseoverall
downstairswindowandtheburnroomwindow). firegroundtasktimes.However,itshouldbenotedthatthe
1Alow-hazardoccupancyisdefinedintheNFPAHandbookasaone-,two-,orthree-familydwellingandsomesmallbusinesses.Mediumhazardsoccupanciesinclude
apartments,offices,mercantileandindustrialoccupanciesnotnormallyrequiringextensiverescueorfirefightingforces.High-hazardoccupanciesincludeschools,
hospitals,nursinghomes,explosiveplants,refineries,high-risebuildings,andotherhighlifehazardorlargefirepotentialoccupancies.
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