Fire Fighting |
FIREFIGHTING |
Volunteer personnel with low levels of training |
Highly flammable fuels, and other combustibles, |
A continuous chance of fire, |
An open atmosphere that readily supports combustion. |
The Promotion must: |
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Have an audit system of maintenance in place. Portable fire extinguishers require periodic maintenance and careful handling. Portable fire equipment at Speedway tracks are handled and moved about by many people who set up the meeting and tidy up after ward, this type of handling often causes internal breakages with in the equipment. Because one cannot see the damage to the equipment the problem is not always obvious until the unit is required in an emergency. |
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Supply (through an Agent if required) a mobile firefighting vehicle equipped as required under the SNZ regulations. The equipment should have sufficient firepower and trained personnel to handle a large fire. |
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(A large fire is described as 40 gallons of petrol; some of the SNZ classes can carry up to 55 litres of Methanol). |
The CoC Must: |
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Assure that each fire marshal involved in the first contact with the fire has been briefed in the basics of firefighting and the use of fire extinguishers, and preferably has attended a basic firefighting training session. |
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Coordinate the placement of firefighting personnel and equipment to best comply with the required response time. |
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Maintain the level of readiness of the firefighting team throughout the entire race meeting. |
TYPES OF FIRE |
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Fuel, both petrol and Methanol |
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Oil and grease |
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Rubber |
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Plastics, fibreglass and it's resins |
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Electrical |
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Magnesium |
BASIC KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED |
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the equipment involved, |
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the nature of the extinguishing chemicals, |
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the nature of the fire, |
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the methods of fighting a fire. |
DISCHARGE DEVICES AND CHEMICALS |
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the ability to visually identify the type of extinguisher, |
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the ability to operate the extinguisher, |
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the characteristics of the contents when released, |
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the limitations of the extinguisher. |
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some extinguishers are the partial discharge type, able to be turned on and off as desired. |
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some extinguishers discharge fully when operated, |
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Some extinguishers work only in the upright position. |
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3-kg) hand- extinguishers for fire marshals and pit marshals, some times known as "runners". These can be carried easily, on the run, and used as first intervention extinguishers. Discharge time approximately 17-20 seconds. |
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9kg) Hand- extinguishers for fire marshals and pit marshals. This size is the limit one person can carry for a long distance and operate effectively. Discharge time approximately 20-25 seconds. |
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13.5 kg) hand- extinguishers. This size is the limit a person can carry for a short distance. They are generally brought to the scene in a support vehicle. Discharge time approximately 20-25 seconds. |
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Larger extinguishers, (45 kg) and greater, are mounted on wheels for portability and can be used in several ways on the infield and paddock areas, and generally mounted on Utility vehicle's for track usage. |
Extinguishing Chemicals |
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to knock-down the fire, |
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seal the fire from oxygen, |
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cool the heated parts. |
Dry Powder |
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Provides a blanket over the fire at a great speed |
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Very effective if fire is put out completely in one pass |
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Poor (as compared to foam) sealing characteristics |
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Re-ignition (flashback) can readily occur. |
C02 (Carbon Dioxide) |
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Emitted as a gaseous substance |
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Easily misdirected by prevailing wind |
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No sealing effect |
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Use for small local fires [brakes etc] |
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Not recommended for general trackside application |
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The solution mixes with air as it is expelled and forms a foam blanket |
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Very effective if fire is put out completely in one pass |
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Provides a foam blanket with good sealing characteristics |
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A cooling action is achieved as the water evaporates out of the foam. |
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The chances of re-ignition (flashback) can still occur. |
Water |
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While water extinguishers should not be used for fighting flammable liquids or electrical fires, they have many good applications, such as grass fires, combustible fires, methanol fires, cooling down drivers and also cooling down hot metal after a fire has occurred. |
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recognise the hazard |
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know the defence |
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act in time |
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assess the situation |
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protect yourself |
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pause to assemble assistance, if necessary |
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coordinate the attack on the fire |
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Four firefighters are involved as a team. |
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The team starts from the downwind direction, if possible. |
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The team pauses to establish their relative positions. |
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The leading two, with dry powder extinguishers, approach the fire, one on each side, sweeping the powder from side to side to cover the area of the fire. The second two follow in support of the first pair. |
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loss of charge |
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damage to operating mechanism |
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loss or bending of safety pins |
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damage to hoses |
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obstruction of nozzles |