July 2007

The Road Warrior

by Allen Baldwin

Wildland Responses Require Different Thinking

This month we are going to step out of the rescue arena and talk about brush fire/wildland interface responses.

At the outset, let’s focus on departments that do not have a specific large wildland interface problem, but need to be prepared for the potential. Every department has an interface problem or exposure potential no matter where they serve. Some departments have more of a problem than others.

With this in mind let’s take a look at some basic things all departments can do to help prepare themselves for the occasional wildland fire.

We will also take a look at what is out there in terms of equipment to help us with these responses, particularly when dealing with railroad right-of-way incidents as these types of responses always create a variety of problems and response challenges.

Last month, we talked about water tender operations, rural water supply calculations and preplanning water supplies, and the same rules apply here.

Knowing who has what equipment for wildland fire incidents for mutual aid assistance is important and what external resources, such as state and federal agencies, are available.

Considering we’ve talked about water and how to get it, let’s talk about something equally important, or perhaps even more important, personal protective equipment (PPE).

Normal structural fire fighting PPE is too heavy, too restrictive and too hot for wildland responses. If the department doesn’t have the budget to equip all members with sets of wildland PPE, take a look at purchasing a few standard-sized sets and putting them in gear bags along with goggles, gloves and helmets for easy storage, accessibility and portability.

Wildland gear, much lighter than structural gear, is much better from a health aspect as it allows the firefighter’s body to cool much easier and not be under as much stress. We all need to remember the number one cause of firefighter fatalities is heart attacks, and stress is a strong contributor to that.

Water, PPE and personnel will all take some sort of vehicle to get to the scene. A lot of departments use pickups with skid load pump units, or just hand tools, for a wildland response unit. Other departments may use mini or midi pumper-style units while still others have full wildland interface units.

Just remember, the bigger the vehicle the more weight and loss of maneuverability, all of which can spell disaster when trying to get around. Picking the right vehicle for your department should be based on the risks in your response area as well as hazards and vulnerabilities.

For departments without huge interface or wildland threats, a smaller pickup style unit with or without a skid load unit is probably a safe bet – again keeping in mind individual exposures and risk.

When selecting a vehicle, make sure to pick something that has adequate ground clearance, sufficient angle of approach and departure as well as the proper weight carrying capacity to meet your department’s needs. Crew cabs are nice, but keep in mind they add to the wheelbase and reduce vehicle turn radius.

The vehicle suspension should be heavy duty and have the appropriate tires for the terrain in your area along with underside and drive line protection to prevent damage that could put the unit out of service at the precise time it’s needed most. Along those same lines, when the going is really tough, a vehicle-mounted winch should go along for self-rescue.

Arendtsville’s Unique Rig

Ground sweep nozzles for the skid load units along with at least one preconnected line on the front and rear of the apparatus should be seriously considered.

One neat variation on this type of vehicle is the Arendtsville (Pa.) Fire Company’s Brush 5. This unit was built using the chassis from an old special unit by the local repair garage based on the department’s design.

What makes this brush rig unique is that it has a pump manifold setup with preconnected hand lines. A manifold with a 2.5-inch and two 1.75-inch discharges is mounted on the vehicle with two preconnected 1.75-inch hand lines mounted on top of the manifold like cross lays.

This unit can be supplied by an engine to take advantage of its preconnected hand lines and act as a manifold for supplying other lines. It also features a skid mount 45 gpm unit supplied by a 200-gallon tank that has 1,600 feet of .75-inch high-pressure hose preconnected for delivery.

A permanently-mounted gasoline-powered 300 gpm pump is also onboard and is plumbed to supply the tank and forestry lines from a draft site. It also carries 1,000 feet of forestry hose, 500 feet of 3-inch supply line and 250 feet of 2.5-inch hose. The 1.75-inch nozzles have interchangeable tips so the company can use the lines for wildland fires or structure fires.

Another Option

The vehicle is also certified for Quick Response Service by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, equipped with an automatic external defibrillator (AED). It carries a complete set of brush gear including two saws, leaf blower and a generator with fixed and portable lighting.

The vehicle is particularly nice to access tight areas or go into wildland fire situations off the hard surface road, as it can take a supply line into remote areas and be supplied by an engine on the hard road. It can also act as fill site or attack piece.

Equipping a standard department pickup without a skid unit is another option for departments that don’t have a lot of wildland fire responses. Wildland PPE, wildland backpacks, wildland racks, shovels, axes, chainsaws and leaf blowers are some basic equipment that can handle small fires without great cost.

All this gear without some training is rather pointless, even if it isn’t a huge expense. Review what kind of training you’ve given your members. Consider taking advantage of training offered by states’ forestry departments, as most have them. Even if you don’t handle a lot of wildland responses, a little knowledge can go a long way when the crisis hits.

Wildland fire responses along roadways is something nearly every fire department faces and has been covered extensively, so let’s look at another transportation-related wildland response situation – rail lines.

Many departments have rail lines running through their first-due areas and every year during brush season they respond to fires along the railroad right of ways.

There are better ways we can prepare ourselves for this kind of response, but first, let’s look at the types of problems that can be encountered during these incidents.

First, access is always an issue. Look for a right-of-way road to get close or perhaps adjacent property will give access.  Contact the railroad to see if they have any support  equipment in the area that can provide access and help carry equipment and people into the site.

It’s a good idea to preplan and mark the right-of-way roads in your area before a fire hits. While doing so, note if there are any security devices like gates and cables that might impede your response. And, you must determine whether the vehicles at your disposal can use the right-of-way.

Another problem is the materials burning. It could be brush, or it could be railroad cars and equipment or it may be the railroad ties themselves. Remember wooden ties are treated with creosote and other chemicals, which can burn readily and produce toxic and noxious vapors. Make sure you familiarize yourself with your local rail operations and the equipment they use, such as types of locomotives – diesel, steam or electric – as each has specific hazards.

You might also be faced with a situation of trying to find the fire and having more than one along a rail line. It’s quite possible the train itself touched of the fires, and you have several spots along miles of track.

From an operational standpoint, there are several safety related items to think about. First, we must control the rail traffic. Call the railroad dispatchers about the situation, tell them where the fire is located and tell them to stop all traffic on that particular track and right-of-way. Verify with them that this has taken place. Consider placing a flare on the tracks above and below the incident, at least a mile out to warn any rail traffic that might not have gotten the message that something is going on up ahead and give them time and distance to stop.

Make sure to tell the railroad dispatcher where you will be accessing the right-of-way so that rail traffic won’t stop and block your access.

Be careful when operating vehicles on the actual railroad bed. Most vehicles can’t handle the stress of riding ties or straddling the rails. Use the railroad’s specially-designed equipment. Check with them to see if there’s a hi-rail equipped vehicle nearby and use that vehicle to shuttle in equipment.

If the railroad has a water tender car or flat car upon which apparatus can be secured, consider that option depending on the size of the situation and the remoteness of the site.

And there’s always a bunch of little, but critically important details to work out including the need to assign accountability and safety officers and set up rehabilitations for these incidents.

Railroad Incident Tips

Operation Lifesaver Inc., a non-profit group specializing in educating the public and responders based in Alexandria, Va., offers several basic safety tips for working on railroad right-of-way incidents. They can be found at www.oli.org.

Some of the tips they offer are as follows: plan response routes that allow the driver or other crew members clear sight down the railroad tracks in both directions; have emergency phone numbers for railroads at readily available at dispatch centers; know which railroad controls the tracks, especially if more than one railroad operates in your community; if a train is blocking a crossing when you must get through, contact your emergency dispatcher or the local railroad office; and do not place emergency vehicles on tracks and expect trains to be able to stop quickly enough to avoid a collision.

Operation Lifesaver also gives advice on how best to stop trains. When contacting railroads, be sure to give them the exact location using all reference points, including signal housing Department Of Transportation (DOT) crossing numbers, railroad mile posts as well as the name of the road, crossroads and, obviously, the town.

To fight long-term brush or structure fires, contact the railroad to obtain clearance to move ballast and feed the hose under the tracks. This will allow safe fire fighting and safe train passage.

There’s a lot of material to cover on these topics and this provides some things to think about when responding to wildland fires, especially on rail lines.

Special thanks go out to Chief Steve Schlosser and the members of Arendtsville Fire Company for their assistance with this article.

As always stay safe, cool and return to quarters this summer.

Editor’s Note: Allen Baldwin is the manager of operations and incident response for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and a volunteer captain with the Gettysburg (Pa.) Fire Department. He has been a firefighter and EMT for over 25 years, served as chief of the Chambersburg (Pa.) Fire Department and is an instructor with the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy and several community colleges.

Wildland fire responses along railways present unique challenges – access is one. Firefighters should preplan right-of-way roads before fires hit and not let apparatus block access points.          (Photo by Gil Sheffer, Gettysburg (Pa.) F. D. Photographer)