1. Tonker fire, p. 41
Fog streoms ond PPV, p. 49
Fires on worships, p. 73
The right iool, p. 80
THE COVER: A truck lilled
with heating oil overturned
while negotiating a downhill
on-ramp lo a connecling ex-
pressway, necessitating a full
lirsf alarm respone plus a haz-
mat unit from the City of New
York (NY) Fire Department.
Luckily the tank did not rup-
ture, there was very little prod-
uct leakage from damaged pip-
ing. and the drir er was not seri-
ously injured. Fire departments
must have a comprehensive
plan for such incidents as well
as large quantities of sand or
other diking material, foam for
flammable liquid spills or I'ires.
and a qualilied haz-mut le-
sponse leam nearbl lor inc,-
dents beyond i our capabilities.
(Photo by Bob Pressler.)
Frnp ENcTNpERTNG . NovEMBER 1997 . 5
Second-class postage paid at Tulsa, OK 74120.
NOVEMBER 1991 r VOL r50 No ll
4I BURNING GASOIINE TANKERS: THE BEST ACTION MAY BE NO ACTION
In even the best-trained and best-equipped departments, limited offensive operations-allowing
the fire to burn-might be the best choice at a burning tanker fire, even if it goes against a fire-
fighter's basic instincts. Peter M. Stuebe
49 FOG STREAMS AND PPV: THEIR'EFFECTS ON TWO FIRES The author exam-
ines a house fire and a shipboard fire to show how fog streams and positive-pressure ventilation
influence the movement of fire, smoke, and heat in a structure. Used correctly, they can speed
up fire attack and minimize property damage; used incorrectly, however, they can have devastat-
ing effects on the structure and its occupants. Bill Gustin
57 THE STRATEGIC PIANNING PROCESS, PART 2 The question is not "Where do
we want to go?" but rather "How do we convince the planning team and the rest of the depart-
ment that the sky's the limit?" With proper planning, you can attain your vision and calry out
your plan. Frsnk L. Fire
63 HAZ-MAT EMERGENCIES INVOLVING INTERMODAL CONTAINERS, PART
l: FREIGHT CONTAINERS Intermodal containers are becoming common sights in all modes
of transportation. Although they are similar to traditional freight and tank containers, intemodals
have several differences that can pose unique challenges to responders. Gregory G. IVoll, C.S.P.
73 FIRE ABOARD A SHIP OF WAR Do you know how to handle a fire aboard a Navy
vessel making a call in your port? When you are called to assist the Navy firefighters, you must
know who is in charge; what to do if you become lost or disoriented; what the best techniques
are for fighting such fires; and, especially, how to get around the ship. Ron Beltowski
77 CUSTOMIZING APPARATUS FOR INDUSTRY When it was time for this industrial
fire department to retire its old apparatus, the truck committee was facgd with a new challenge:
spec a rig that was "functional first and pretty second." The result is a unit with some interesting
and uncommon features suited to the facility's needs. Ronald E. Kanterman
84 FIRE ENGINEERING: A l2O-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE In celebration of Fire Engi-
neering's 120 years of continuous publication, noteworthy events of recent decades and high-
lights since 1877.
6 EDITOR'S OPINION
I O VOLUNTEERS CORNER "When the Fire ls in Your Fire Slqlion"
I8 TRAINING NOTEBOOK "lnduslrial Engulfmenl Rescue Considerations"
24 WHAT WE LEARNED "Looking Beyond the Obvious" "'Exploding SuPPor]
Column' Poses Hqzqrd to Responders"
26 NEWS IN BRIEF
32 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
80 TOOLS OF THE TRADE "The Right Tool for the Righ] Job"
83 PREPLANNING BUILDING HAZARDS
88 APPARATUS DELIVERIES
89 PRODUCTS . SERVICES . MEDIA
94 MANUFACTURERS' LITERATURE
96 COMPANY. ASSOCIATION NEWS
96 NAMES IN THE NEWS
97 COMING EVENTS
I02 CLASSIFIEDS
I 06 RANDOM THOUGHfS "The 'New' Company Officer'So Now Wha]?"

3. A Novy firefighting leom prepores lo enler on engineering spote lire. Note lhe
reel in the foreground poinled red ond green, indkoting AFFF is ovoilable to the
hose. Nole, loo, tfie phololuminestent "bullseye" used lo indicale lhe spoce in
whkh lhe lirelighters are lotoled.
fighters become lost or disoriented? What resources aboard the ship
are available to land-based firefighters? What techniques are best
for fighting fires on board what are, basically, steel boxes built over
and around fuel tar-rks and engine rooms?
Fire cornpanies are encouraged to visit ships to familiarize them-
selves with and gain an understanding of their constructiott as weil
as their fue1, vetrtilation, and firefighting systems. Each class of
ship is different and merits special consideration. However, the fol-
lowing general principles will help company officers be better pre-
pared for a visit by a U.S. Navy vessel.
WHO'S IN (HARGE?
The responding incident commander may have very little infbr-
mation on the exact nature of the incident on arrival. There may be
no evidence of trouble, except for sailors scrambling across the
decks in coordinated disarray. Who will the IC liaison with on
arrival?
ln the Navy, there are three people with whom civilian fire offi-
cers can communictlte: the otllcer of the deck (OOD)' the com-
mand duty officer (CDO), and the ship's fire marshal.
The OOD is that person in charge of the quarterdeck (the part of
the ship that receives visitors; normally it is on the fantail or mid-
ships of Navy vessels). He can provide critical inforrnation on the
fire as well as progress reports fiom the firefighting staging area.
He will be in a position to receive the fire department on its
arrival.
The CDO is a commissioned officer and the commanding
officer's representative on board. He will be directing overall
operations that support the firefighting etlorts; his primary goal
is the saf-ety of the ship and crew. He, too, will have pertinent
information on the situation and may act as a liaison with the IC.
The ship's fire malshal, normally the senior damage controlman
(rating speciaity), will be in direct command of the firefighting
operations. Normally, he may be at his firefighter staging area or on
the quarterdeck. If he is not directly engaged in firefighting, he may
be able to communicate directly with the IC.
It is vital that fire departrnent officers and the officers of the
ship cornmunicate and coordinate their efforts. Incident com-
mand in this situaiion should be unified, jointly held by the
senior file department member and the ship's representative. It is
the fire department's pcrsonnel trnd equipment but the Navy's
domain.
IIRT]IGHIER DISORIENIAIION
The Navy htrs devised a system for a person to identify exact-
Iy where he is aboard the ship. Every space is clearly marked
with photolurninescent markings that can help lost or trapped
firefighters find their way to a safe area. There are other identifi-
cation markers throughout the ship for hose outlets, fire extin-
guishers, exits, and dead-end passageways. But the most impor-
tant marking is the space identification block, or "bullseye" in
Navy jargor-r.
The bullseye is located at eye level, visible fiom every entrance
of the space, and is photoluminescent. It contains three lines of
infblmation to orient personnel to their location aboard ship. The
top line contains the most significant information-it tells the fire-
fighter where he is. It reads like this: l-300-2-L:
The information is bloken down into four sections. The first
number is the deck on which the space is located. The number
"1" indicates tl-re main deck-the uppermost continuous deck.
From the main deck and down, the decks are numbered
sequentially (2,3, 4, and so on) and those above the main
deck for example, in the superstructure-wiil be marked
with a "0" and sequentially (01,02,03, and so on). The sec-
ond nurnber irrdicates the forwardmost frame of the space
(frames are the ribs of the ship and are norn'rally, but not
always, spaced one foot apart); hence this space is at FR 300
in relation to the prow (bow) of the ship. The third number
inciicates the space's relation to the centerline, the centerline
being "0." All spaces numbered with odd numbers are to the
starboard (right) of centerline, and trll even numbers are port
(left) of centerline. The last is a letter designation for what the
compartment is used for; in this case, "L" indicates a living
space (other important ones are M-magazines, E-engineerir"rg
spaces). The second group of numbers indicate the length of
the compartment (fol" example, FR 300-310-the space is 10
frames, or 10 feet, long), which car.r be helpful in estimating
how much hose will be needed to penetrate the space. The last
line of infonnation simply indicates which of the ship's divi-
sions is responsible for that space. It is imperative that fire-
fighters understand the location of the fire compartrnent in
relation to the quarterdeck so that they may find their way
back to safety.
The CDO or fire marshal should review the damtrge control (DC)
plates of the ship with land-based firefighters. The DC plates are
three-dimensional drawings of the ship that will help the fire mzrr-
shal and the civilian firefighting forces determine the paths to the
fire, attack points, and escape routes; identify areas abovd; below,
and surrounding the lire compartment that are exposed to conducted
heat and will require perimeter cooling; identily paths to channel
smoke to the outside and the location of fire main outlets; and indi-
;te
danSer areas such as magazines and hazardous-nraterials store-
74 . FrnE ENcINEEntNc . NovEnreen 1997

4. RESOUR(ES AVAITABTE ABOARD SHIP
Aboard Navy vessels are staging areas known as "repair lock-
ers." In essence, these are stationary fire engines. Inside are sup-
plies ranging fiom access apparatus to overhaul gear, ventilation
equipment, and gas-free testing equipment. Spread throughout the
ship are fire hose outlets (either l% or 2% inches in size-the noz-
zles are compatible with those of civilian fire companies); fire
extinguishers, including COr, Purple-KrM dry chemical, and
AFFF; ventilation blowers; and fixed extinguishing systems such
as Halon 1301, carbon dioxide flooding, and aqueous film-forming
foam stations with concentrate tank capacities exceeding 1,000
gallons, depending on the type of system.
These systems are clearly color coded,
marked by photoluminescence or otherwise
identified by placard and operational
instructions.
Most ol the lire and emergency equip-
ment aboard ship-such as hydraulic rescue
tools and ejectors-will be famiiiar to civil-
ian firefighters; others-such as the exother-
mic cutter and a water-driven blower-will
be common to the Navy. The IC and fire-
fighters should confer with the ship's dam-
age controlmen (the Navy's firefighters)
with regard to what specialized equipment
is on board that particular shiP.
IECHNIQUTS
For the most part, techniques used by
structural firefighters are now mirrored by
their Navy counterparts. In recent years, the
Navy has adopted many of the techniques
land-based fire departments have been using
for decades. Some techniques and equip-
A Novy firefighter in one-piece lurnoul geor ond oxy-
gen rebreothing opporolus, corrying o lhermol imog-
ing comera.
FrnB ENctnBBRING . NovEMeer. 199'7 '75
ment are unique to Navy firefighting, however.
For example, Navy firefighting personnel use one-piece turnout
gear. The steel and aluminum construction of a ship tends to absorb,
conduct, and radiate heat, which can commonly lead to heat stress
and steam bums. The Navy has a policy of keeping personnel inside
the fire area fbr a maximum of 30 minutes and then rotating person-
nel. This reduces the chance of heat stress. It is recommended that
civilian firefighters fbllow the same procedure.
When the fire is inside the steel structure of a ship. it is recom-
mended that firefighters use water judiciously directly on the fire
and apply water only when the fire is actually seen. This will
ment's
New General/Freightliner Trucks brings Forl Worlh's
Total to 22 trucks with more 0n the way,',
A11 equipped with COMMAND LIGHT!
Fast and p-owufulheavy duty lighting is what
Chief MiMillen asked for when he stated.,.
For More Facts Circle 138 on Reply Card

5. reduce the amount of steam produced by the water's striking hot
decks, bulkheads, and overhead. The most common injury to Navy
firefighters is steam burns caused by the improper use of water
inside a superheated space. Judicious, intermittent application of
water when in visual range of the fire is key to safely combating a
fire on a ship. In addition, excessive use of water can result in water
accumulation, which will adversely affect the vessel's buoyancy and
stability.
The Navy does not commonly use SCBA but instead uses an
oxygen rebreathing apparatus, known as an OBA, worn on the
chest to afford mobility through an 18-inch scuttle and the
ship's confined areas. Fire department personnel must be aware
One of the mosl inherent dongers in fighting o lire
oboord o Nuvy vessel is the inobility to provide
proper ventilotion lo on entlosed spote. Here, lire-
fighterr rombot o smoll (loss A lhe through dense,
white smoke.
that wearing SCBAs may hinder their
mobility in some areas of the ship.
The Navy may employ one or more hose-
lines on a fire, depending on the fire's size
and severity as well as the need to cool
perimeter areas. In a break with shipboard
firefighting tradition, the Navy has recently
adopted the technique of venting a fire
below deck while iireiighting is in progress.
However, providing a veniilation opening is
not always possible, since there are restric-
tions on cutting into the hull structure of a
ship.
Once again, coordination between the
ship's representative and fire department
personnel is important in developing strate-
gies and using appropriate tactics. Each one
should recognize and respect the other's
way of operating and work together toward
bringing an incident to a successful conclu-
sion.
These are the basics for preparing person-
nel for a fire aboard a Navy vessel. One of
the most important factors to remember is
that not all Navy vessels are the same. For
example, fire aboard a destroyer has more
potential to involve the entire ship than does
fire aboard an aircraft carrier. Each ship is
unique in design and firefighting capabili-
ties. It is imperative that fire department
officers work in consultation with the ship's
firefighters. Land-based personnel should
seek advice from the ship's fire marshal and
his damage controiman. They have the
knowledge and expertise in shipboard fire-
fighting that few land-based firefighters pos-
SCSS.
Next time a Navy vessel visits your port,
take more than a coufiesy tour aboard her.
Find out the potential hazards of fighting
fire aboard ship and what the Navy fire-
fighters do to combat them. These people
can help prepare company commanders for
a fire at sea. I
ffiroII*
Keeping a
cool head
under fire
is what
being a
firefighter
is all about. There is no
time to be distracted by
poor fitting and
unc0mf0rtable
firefighting hoods.
PGI is pleased to
introduce the Best
Value in
Fi refighting
Hoods, the new
KING COBBA*
series. lnsist
on the best...
insist on KING
GOBRIITMand let
cooler heads prevail
T0 Frl{D oUT HoW MUGH you GAil SAVE CArr {800)
NFPA 1971-91
Edition.
oUL Glassilied.
O Rib knit labric c0nstructi0n strelches and
rec0vers 35% better than typical h00d fabrics.
a Heavier Elaslic in the lace opening shelches
25% more than c0nvenli0nal h00ds f0r easy
donning and snug fit around face and SCBA
mask. The elastic face opening stretches t0 a full
17 easily clearing SCBA buckles and straps while
fittrng securely over all styles 0f SCBAS.
MAOE IN THE
usA
-
558-8290
ALL KING COBRATM
Firefighting Hoods Feature:
oWide selection of styles and
,, fabrics to choose from.
: Fabrics include Nomef,
: Nomef/Lenzing FR@ blend,
PB|rM/Lenzing FR@ blend, and
, PBITM/Kevlar@ blend.
a Flat-stilched seams won't
dig into yourskfn,and ,-
il.i, eliminate$,b0nching.
!ri:ll..:
iir,ra Seamless efti n-area and
"rir.:,
impioved,,paltenrlng foi
i:,'- ther ultimdte.inrComfori
1:1,,.. lit and orotection. ,,,1.!:.11:r.- rr! qlrv yr vLwlrvr.' r..
dlil.:1.
::#;,", o ouick,deliv8ry. Most
For More Facts Circle 139 on Reply Card
76 . Frns ENcrNrpnrNc . NovEMBER 1997