Training manual for Firefighter air replenishment systems FARS Revised 2nd Edition by Ronny J. Coleman and Mario Treviño with Anthony J. Turiello About the Authors Anthony J. Turiello is the founder and CEO of Rescue Air Systems, Inc., the industry leader in firefighter air replenishment systems. Since 1989, Turiello and his organization have pioneered and perfected the firefighter air replenishment system and in the process created the firefighter air replenishment system industry. Ronny J. Coleman is a 50+ year veteran of the fire service. He is the former Fire Marshal of the State of California from 1992 to 1999, the past president of the Fire & Emergency Television Network. He served as the Fire Chief in Fullerton and San Clemente, CA. He is a certified Fire Chief and a Master Instructor in the California Fire Service Training and Education System. A Companion Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers, he has an Associate's Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a Master's Degree in Vocational Education. Mario H. Trevino is also a 40-year fire service veteran. He has served as Fire Chief in Las Vegas, NV, San Francisco, CA, and Bellevue, WA. He has spoken at many national and international fire service educational venues, and continues to teach for a fire service degree program and the National Fire Academy. He is a former President of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs and has testified before U.S. Congressional Committees on four occasions. He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, both in Public Administration, and completed a Harvard Fellowship in 1998. He is a line-of-duty cancer survivor. Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the input of the members of the Firefighter Air Replenishment System Technical Advisory Group, who made this training manual possible: Robert Marcucci, Don Anthony, Dave Parsons, Hugh Council, Jack Murphy, Jim Tidwell, Kate Dargan, Mike Ridley and Ron Myers. The authors would also like to recognize the many fire service professionals who have become involved in the discussion of this technology. More than 100 individuals have received a copy of this manual and have provided feedback. We would especially like to acknowledge the contributions of Debra Hall, Jim Tidwell, Joe Rush, Joe Haney, Ron Spadafora, Mike Gagliano, Jeff Seaton, Julius Cherry, Robert Matthews and Chuck Montgomery along with many others. We also thank Rescue Air Systems, Inc., for underwriting the production and distribution of this training manual and supplemental material. Rescue Air Systems, Inc. 751 Laurel Street, Suite 416 San Carlos, CA 94070 Telephone 650-654-6000 www.rescueair.com © 2015 Ronny J. Coleman 1 by Ronny J. Coleman Dedication This book is dedicated to the memory of Chief Don Anthony of the Los Angeles Fire Department. He was a leader on the fire-ground, a visionary in the industry and a person who definitely made a difference in everything he touched. Chief Don Anthony Chief Don Anthony was a living legend. He joined the Los Angeles Fire Department on November 1, 1956 and retired July 6, 1997 as Deputy Chief of Operations. He died June 3, 2006. Anthony’s crews were responsible for fighting multiple major emergencies. They included 62- story First Interstate Bank Tower, Central Library Fire and numerous others. One of the greatest compliments paid to him was reflected at his memorial service. He had a tendency to always state to dispatch, “Chief Anthony on scene and in charge.” To the firefighters who heard that on the radio, “it was a very reassuring sound knowing that one of the world’s most experienced and respected fire officers was standing squarely behind them in their efforts.” 2 © 2015 Ronny J. Coleman Declaration of Intent The published codes and standards governing safety technology are written to satisfy minimum safety standards. As technology advances, existing codes may not necessarily representative the state-of-the-art in fire safety technology. The authors of this book recommend that jurisdictions adopting FARS codes thoroughly research the current technology and adapt it to local needs. Best practices will often exceed the safety standards specified in existing code language. © 2015 Ronny J. Coleman 3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Figures ........................................................................................................................ 7 Goals of the Training Program ............................................................................................ 8 Learning Objectives for This Training Manual .............................................................. 8 Forward ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter One - The Doctrine of the SCBA ........................................................................ 10 Breathing Apparatus in the Past ................................................................................................................ 10 The Concept of Risk ......................................................................................................................................... 11 The Concept of Doctrine ................................................................................................................................ 11 Phenomenon of IDLH ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Where Do We Find IDLH? ............................................................................................................................. 13 The Four Elements of the Doctrine ........................................................................................................... 13 What Are the Risk Factors for Your Fire Department? ..................................................................... 14 What Does "Proper Design" Mean? ........................................................................................................... 15 NFPA Standards ................................................................................................................................................ 15 The New Generation ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Proper Training and Physical Fitness ...................................................................................................... 17 Other Organizations and Their Support of Doctrine ......................................................................... 17 Physical Fitness Programs ............................................................................................................................ 18 Monitoring While Training ........................................................................................................................... 18 Proper Supervision and Accountability .................................................................................................. 19 Rules of Air Management .............................................................................................................................. 19 Properly Supported to Sustain Operations ............................................................................................ 21 Manual Methods of Replenishing Air Supply ........................................................................................ 21 Firefighter Down............................................................................................................................................... 21 Built-in Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................... 22 Summary ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Chapter Two - Risk Assessment ........................................................................................ 28 Vertical Cities and Horizontal Fire Problems ....................................................................................... 28 Horizontal High-Rises ..................................................................................................................................... 29 Can Technology Keep Up? ............................................................................................................................. 30 What is a Tall Building?.................................................................................................................................. 30 What is a Super-Tall Building? .................................................................................................................... 31 How is the Height of a Tall Building Measured? .................................................................................. 32 Building Status ..................................................................................................................................................