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Paul A. Reneke, Richard D. Peacock, Bryan L. Hoskins
This report is part of this effort to develop requirements for the use of elevators in tall building evacuations. It describes a simple tool to estimate combined stairwell / elevator egress time from buildings. It is based on methods developed in the
Anthony D. Putorti Jr., Amy Mensch, Nelson P. Bryner, George C. Braga
Fire fighters are exposed to highly variable thermal environments including elevated temperatures, convective heat flux, and radiant heat flux, which can put a significant burden on personal protective equipment. Thermally degraded and melted self-
Shonali Nazare, Shaun M. Flynn, Rick D. Davis, Joannie W. Chin
In this study, environmentally stressed OS fabrics containing melamine fiber blends were evaluated for thermal and mechanical properties that are critical to the protective performance of firefighter turnout gear. Environmental stress factors that affect
Francine K. Amon, Dennis D. Leber, Nicholas Paulter
We describe a method by which the evaluation and characterization of the performance of an imager can be done objectively and scientifically, that is, without routine operator interpretation. Although this method is demonstrated herein for passive long
Jason D. Averill, Lori Moore-Merrell, Adam M. Barowy, Robert Santos, Richard D. Peacock, Kathy Notarianni, Doug Wissoker
Service expectations placed on the fire service, including Emergency Medical Services (EMS), response to natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, and acts of terrorism, have steadily increased. However, local decision-makers are challenged to
The purpose of this workshop was to identify performance needs and establish research priorities to address the thermal characteristics of respiratory equipment used by emergency first responders. The workshop provided a forum for representatives from the
An analytical model of the flow across a resistive flow path such as an orifice or pipe was applied to predict the inward leakage in the facepiece of a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during a steady negative facepiece pressure. The model was
James R. Lawson, Jonathan L. Kent, Anthony D. Putorti Jr.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags have become widely used by industry, retail sales businesses, and government agencies for tracking materials, products, and inventories. This tracking technology is starting to be applied to the management of
Jason D. Averill, Lori Moore-Merrell, Kathy Notarianni, Robert Santos, Doug Wissoker
Effectively managing a fire department requires an understanding of and an ability to demonstrate how changes to resources will affect community outcomes. It is imperative that fire department leaders, as well as political decision makers, know how fire
A high-powered (5 Watt peak power) ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging system was evaluated for use as the basis for a 3-Dimensional (3D) locating system by comparing tracking results to a ground truth system. The UWB ranging system is composed of five ranging
Kathryn M. Butler, Marc R. Nyden, Rodney A. Bryant
A workshop on respirator sensors was held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on May 1, 2009. The objective of this workshop was to discuss and document the need for real-time monitoring of the respiratory intake of emergency
An analytical model of the flow across a resistive flow path such as an orifice or pipe was applied to predict the inward leakage in an SCBA facepiece during a steady negative facepiece pressure. Starting with a range of negative pressure conditions
Adam M. Barowy, Kathy Notarianni, Jason D. Averill, Lori Moore-Merrell, Robert Santos
This paper presents an overview of a large multi-year, multi-partner research study on Firefighter Safety and Deployment of Resources as well as specific results from more than 60 laboratory and residential fireground experiments designed to quantify the
Rick D. Davis, Joannie W. Chin, Chiao-Chi Lin, Sylvain H. Petit
Exposure to simulated ultraviolet sunlight at 50 C and 50 % relative humidity caused a significant deterioration in the mechanical performance of polyaramid and polyaramid/polybenzimidazole based Outer Shell fabrics used in firefighter jacket and pants
Jason D. Averill, Lori Moore-Merrell, Adam M. Barowy, Robert Santos, Richard D. Peacock, Kathy Notarianni, Doug Wissoker
Over the past three decades, fire department response has expanded from fire prevention and fire suppression to include multiple other community services such as emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and special rescue. Today, service
The Outer Shell of the jacket and pants of the firefighter s protective clothing is constructed of a fabric that is commonly a blend of polyaramid, polybenzimidazole, and/or poly(melamine-formaldehyde) fibers. The Outer Shell contributes to the thermal and
A computational approach to analyzing respirator fit is demonstrated using geometries generated by laser scanning, mechanical drawings, and CAD files. Three fit-related problems that can be solved using computational tools are demonstrated: 1) The study of
Firefighters and other emergency responders often work in adverse environments. The operating environments can be very noisy. Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) devices are safety systems that emit an audible alarm signal when an emergency responder
Thermal imaging cameras (TIC) have become a vital fire fighting tool for the first responder community but there are currently no standardized quality control regulations. The purpose of the study was to understand the impact of TIC display image quality
This document reports on the test results of an evaluation of the image quality of thermal imaging cameras used by the fire service. The test methods used were based on the test methods included in Draft NFPA 1801 Standard on Thermal Imagers for the Fire
Eight full scale experiments were conducted to examine the impact of wind on fire spread through a multi-room structure and examine the capabilities of wind control devices (WCD) and externally applied water streams to mitigate the hazard. The principle
Closed-circuit breathing devices recycle exhaled air after scrubbing carbon dioxide and adding make-up oxygen from a tank of pure oxygen. This equipment provides up to four hours of use before oxygen cylinders and CO2-absorbent canisters need to be swapped
A series of experiments was run in a masonry educational building examining the ability of PPV fans to limit smoke spread or to remove smoke from desired areas. Preliminary experiments examined the pressure increase created by portable fans and mounted
William M. Pitts, Jiann C. Yang, Rodney A. Bryant, Linda G. Blevins
Detailed chemical kinetic modeling of methane planar opposed-jet laminar diffusion flames burning in air mixed with a variety of thermal agents is used to characterize their effects on maximum flame temperature and extinction behavior. The identification