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It is important to wear suitable firefighters at the fire extinguishing site

Some time ago, a fierce and deadly explosion occurred in a warehouse in Tianjin (the Tianjin bombing), including dangerous chemicals. The explosion shocked the port city and surrounding communities.

Although the extent of the damage caused by the explosion is not yet known, people in all parts of the world are still responding firstly to building fires, dangerous goods, medical aid, automobile accidents, accident rescue and limited space rescue. The fire-fighting, rescue, and clearance operations at the accident site in Tianjin will take a long time and are potentially dangerous.

To ensure the safety of the first responders at the fire scene, it is important that they wear appropriate protective clothing.

Figure: American new protective clothing

first step

For the first responder to work safely and effectively, first determine the degree of personal protection and confirm with the hazardous chemicals staff. This is their job responsibilities. We recommend that the following should be evaluated:

Type of responsibility

1\Danger / risk discrimination

2\hazard / risk assessment

3\Incident, potential or response to biochemical radiological nuclear ( CBRN ) terrorist attacks

4\ The frequency of wearing personal protective clothing

5\Organizational experience

6\Strategy and Tactics for the Incident

7\Location and weather

8\Execute specific area of ​​operation

9\Fire Department Establishment of Priorities

Second step

Based on the above assessment, the fire department should collect information to assess the pros and cons of personal protective clothing in order to correctly deal with known risks and dangers.

The standard of protective clothing developed by the American Fire Protection Association consists of three layers, namely the outer layer, the waterproof layer and the thermal insulation layer.

The main purpose of the outer layer is to protect firefighters from fire damage, while helping to reduce wear, scratches and heat. Different producers will give the outer layer textures with additional properties such as endurance, flexibility and wear resistance.

The main purpose of the waterproof layer is to protect firefighters from the water and avoid the so-called "common liquids": chlorine, battery acid, foam film, gasoline and hydraulic fluids. Moreover, it also passed the blood-borne pathogen test. Another purpose of the waterproof layer is: perspiration, also known as "water permeability."

Thermal insulation provides thermal protection against heat absorption from the surroundings. The more insulation, the less heat the firefighter feels. Conversely, the lower the insulation, the more heat the firefighter feels.

Through the above-mentioned three-layer and three-layer interactions, air penetrates through them and helps firefighters isolate heat. All of the protective clothing certified by the American Fire Protection Association has been tested on specific combinations of outer layers, waterproof layers and thermal insulation layers, the so-called "composite experiments."

third step

Different types of protective clothing indicate different safety, performance, ergonomics, characteristics, suitability, and other needs. There is no common solution for any fire department. Therefore, it is especially important to compare the composition and type of different protective clothing and make a final decision to meet the needs of the fire department and respond to the identified risks.

  The first responder often faces risks and even life-threatening situations in performing his duties. Therefore, wearing appropriate personal protective clothing is only the beginning. They also need to train on the performance of protective clothing and get skills to wear and remove protective clothing. Of course, even if the most technologically advanced materials are used, protective clothing has limitations and firefighters must understand these limitations, which can save their lives.

This article from the "Fire frontier" Author: Reporter, compiled by Chinese rescue equipment network.