Not the sharpest Firefighters

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Lowell

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 15, 2005
Posts
2,221
Location
Tempe, AZ
https://www.facebook.com/streetfx/videos/469698513872857/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDA4Njg1NzI2NToyOTAwOTQ5NDE5OTE3OTI1/
 
Actually not that bad. had the Engineer not blocked the road someone could easily have gotten killed.. Though something to block the trailer tires might have prevented it... Or the deluge gun from the truck if it had one.  Still the engine stopped the run-away truck so it minimized additional damage. Nobody got hurt.
 
It took a really long time to charge the line. The nozzle man was ready, but didn?t get any water. Our standard is water flowing within 30 seconds. We also don?t park directly downhill of burning vehicles, more of a concern over ruptured fuel tanks than runaway vehicles. I?ve seen burning fuel running down the road lots of times, but never a runaway.

I bet they have a new SOP that calls for chocking tires on vehicle tires!
 
HappyWanderer said:
It took a really long time to charge the line.
I bet they have a new SOP that calls for chocking tires on vehicle tires!

That's what I thought. And when they did get the water flowing, they didn't try to protect the trailer right away that may have saved damage to it. At the point they did get the water going, the truck was toast.
 
I'd rather the burning truck hit the fire truck than whatever may have been downhill.  Not to say that this can't serve as a learning tool but no,I don't see where it was "wrong".
 
If they would have had a fire extinguisher in the camper, they could have put the fire out themselves. It was just an engine fire at the beginning.
 
muskoka guy said:
If they would have had a fire extinguisher in the camper, they could have put the fire out themselves. It was just an engine fire at the beginning.

I know someone who successfully fought an engine fire in his motor home.  By the time he got done fighting the insurance company over the repairs to the coach, he told me if it ever happened again he was going to get his wife and her cat out of the coach and proceed to watch it burn to the ground.  Figured if it was totaled, it'd be less problem to get a check than it was to get the old coach fixed.
 
muskoka guy said:
If they would have had a fire extinguisher in the camper, they could have put the fire out themselves. It was just an engine fire at the beginning.

Most people. even many police, do not know how to put out an engine fire.. I've done it.. and remotely no less (Gave instructions by telephone) but most folks do not know how to do it...  Most folks in fact make it worse rather than putting it out.  (HINT DO NOT OPEN HOOD)
 
John From Detroit said:
Most people. even many police, do not know how to put out an engine fire.. I've done it.. and remotely no less (Gave instructions by telephone) but most folks do not know how to do it...  Most folks in fact make it worse rather than putting it out.  (HINT DO NOT OPEN HOOD)


What is the best way?  I carry five extinguishers so I'm a bit prepared.

I've come up on some accidents in the past years but so far none were on fire. However I'll sure do what I can if someone is trapped in a burning vehicle.
 
I was a firefighter for 30 years and rarely criticize other firefighters.  However, the engine crew seemed pretty inept. The first mistake was parking downhill from a burning vehicle. The engine fire was probably caused by a broken fuel line leaking fuel onto a hot manifold.  The leaking fuel could have run down hill and under the engine.  Secondly, by simply chocking one of he wheels on the 5th wheel, the burning vehicle would not have gone anywhere.  Thirdly, it took the engineer on the engine way too long to charge the hose line.  Lastly, the firefighter, with the hose line, stood back and squirted water from a "long" distance.  He was way too far from the seat of the fire and in the video never approached the fire.  He was sometimes squirting water into the ground where there was no fire. He should have adjusted his nozzle into more of a "fog" pattern, knocked the fire down, then approached the burning vehicle and protected the 5th wheel.  As mentioned above the "deck gun" could have been deployed but deck guns use a lot of water and could have emptied the tank on the engine pretty quickly and most likely a hose line would have been needed to completely extinguish the fire.

The good part was that nobody got hurt and property can be replaced.

Just my humble opinion.
 
Nash22Hman said:
As mentioned above the "deck gun" could have been deployed but deck guns use a lot of water and could have emptied the tank on the engine pretty quickly and most likely a hose line would have been needed to completely extinguish the fire.

A deck gun mounted on top of an engine, typically puts out about 250 gallons of water a minute. Tanks can run between 1000 to 1500 gallons of water so it would have emptied that tank water in probably between 5 to 7 minutes.  Using a deck gun is not used for firefighting a truck fire. The best option was a hand line. It's easy to Monday morning quarterback  when we weren't there and have no idea if there were other issues not visible.
 
John From Detroit said:
Most people. even many police, do not know how to put out an engine fire.. I've done it.. and remotely no less (Gave instructions by telephone) but most folks do not know how to do it...  Most folks in fact make it worse rather than putting it out.  (HINT DO NOT OPEN HOOD)

OK I have an eight pound fire extinguisher (Probably a little larger than most carry in a trailer)  School us on how to put out an engine fire.
 
Nash22Hman said:
I was a firefighter for 30 years and rarely criticize other firefighters.  However, the engine crew seemed pretty inept. The first mistake was parking downhill from a burning vehicle. The engine fire was probably caused by a broken fuel line leaking fuel onto a hot manifold.  The leaking fuel could have run down hill and under the engine.  Secondly, by simply chocking one of he wheels on the 5th wheel, the burning vehicle would not have gone anywhere.  Thirdly, it took the engineer on the engine way too long to charge the hose line.  Lastly, the firefighter, with the hose line, stood back and squirted water from a "long" distance.  He was way too far from the seat of the fire and in the video never approached the fire.  He was sometimes squirting water into the ground where there was no fire. He should have adjusted his nozzle into more of a "fog" pattern, knocked the fire down, then approached the burning vehicle and protected the 5th wheel.  As mentioned above the "deck gun" could have been deployed but deck guns use a lot of water and could have emptied the tank on the engine pretty quickly and most likely a hose line would have been needed to completely extinguish the fire.

The good part was that nobody got hurt and property can be replaced.

Just my humble opinion.

:)) :)) :)) :))
 
lavarock1210 said:
OK I have an eight pound fire extinguisher (Probably a little larger than most carry in a trailer)  School us on how to put out an engine fire.

Spray it at the base of the fire.
 
It's a good reminder that proper training is vital for fire/rescue/ems.  Do you support your local departments?  Encourage your government officials to fund training? 
 
Old_Crow said:
I know someone who successfully fought an engine fire in his motor home.  By the time he got done fighting the insurance company over the repairs to the coach, he told me if it ever happened again he was going to get his wife and her cat out of the coach and proceed to watch it burn to the ground.  Figured if it was totaled, it'd be less problem to get a check than it was to get the old coach fixed.
I also successfully fought an engine fire, l too had a fight with Insurance company and ended up paying for repairs, if it happens again I'll get everyone out and let it burn
 
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