TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT MANUAL RESCUE EQUIPMENT 306.027 OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR THE DELSAR LIFE DETECTOR EFFECTIVE: NOVEMBER 2010 Current Revision Date: 6/26/19 Next Revision Date: 6/26/24 Author’s Name/Rank: Conor Manning, Firefighter Review Level: 1 Leslie Oulashian Administrative Support Management Analyst II PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to provide information to familiarize the Fresno Fire Department (FFD or Department) members with the operational principles and technical data necessary to properly operate the Delsar Life Detector Model LD3. APPLICATION The Delsar Life Detector Model LD3 provides seismic and acoustic sensors designed to detect and locate signs of a victim’s presence in the voids of a collapsed building or similar entrapment situation. OPERATIONAL POLICY This section intentionally left blank. OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE This section intentionally left blank. PROCESS Battery Installation The battery is inserted into the battery housing located on the right side of the display indicator (DI) as shown. (See Figure 1.) Section 306.027 Page 1 of 33 Figure 1 1. Remove the threaded battery cap by turning counter-clockwise. 2. Place a battery pack into the unit, inserting the small-diameter end first. Note: The LD3B needs to be stored with the battery removed from the unit. 3. Replace the battery cap by turning it clockwise. 4. Make sure the battery cap is firmly seated. Avoid cross-threading and do not over tighten. (See Figure 2.) Figure 2 Sensor Connection • The seismic sensors detect ultra-low levels of vibration created within and around the structure. The sensors convert the minute structure-borne vibrations into an electrical signal which is then amplified thousands of times. Note: If only one type of sensor can be used at a time, seismic sensors with acoustic sensors cannot be run. • The seismic sensors must be placed in direct contact (no dirt/dust) with the structural members to be effective. Section 306.027 Page 2 of 33 Note: The importance of this contact or coupling to the structure cannot be emphasized enough. The cables are connected to the sensors and vibrations picked up by the cable can be transferred to the sensor. Eliminate noise by securing the cable from movement using tape or sandbags, and by keeping the cable away from anything that generates noise. Figure 3 • A magnetic mount is provided to allow the sensor to be attached to ferrous metal structural members as required. • A removable spike is provided with each sensor for use in soil and for placement in suitable cracks. (See Figure 4.) Figure 4 • The LD3 supports the use of up to six seismic sensors. The sensors are connected by 30-foot (10-meter) cables in a daisy- chain configuration. • Seismic sensors can be connected to either (or both) of the two ports on the DI console. • It is recommended the sensors be connected in ascending numerical order starting with the sensor closest to the DI. For example, sensor #1 would be the first sensor in the chain, followed by sensor #2, then sensor #3, and so on. (See Figure 5.) Section 306.027 Page 3 of 33 Figure 5 • See Figure 6 below for examples of deployment. Figure 6 1. Connect one end of the cable to either of the two 10-pin sensor ports on the DI. 2. To make the connections on both the DI and the sensors, align the key on the cable connector and push the connector into the port. (See Figure 7.) 3. Do not twist the connector. Section 306.027 Page 4 of 33 Note: Either end of the cable connects to either port of the sensor. Figure 7 4. Plug the other end of the cable into the sensor. (See Figure 8.) Figure 8 5. Once the final sensor in the chain is connected, install a protective cap on the unused connector port. (See Figure 9.) Note: If during operation a new sensor is attached and not detected automatically within 30 seconds by the Auto ID feature, press and release the power switch. This will cause the DI to re-identify all connector sensors. Section 306.027 Page 5 of 33 Figure 9 Acoustic Sensors • The acoustic sensor detects airborne sounds when placed in the void space of a collapsed building. • The sensor is equipped with a highly sensitive microphone element. This element picks up low-level sounds and then amplifies the signal thousands of times. • In addition to the microphone, the acoustic sensor is equipped with a loudspeaker element used to provide two-way communication between the operator and the victim. (See Figure 10.) Figure 10 Section 306.027 Page 6 of 33 1. The acoustic sensor can be connected to either of the two 10-pin sensor ports on the DI. 2. The sensor is identified on either Channel 1 or Channel 2, corresponding to the sensor’s identification number. (See Figure 11.) Figure 11 Note: In case of multiple system deployment, duplicate sensor numbers cannot be used on the same DI. To use dual acoustic sensors, there must be a sensor #1 and a sensor #2. Headphone Connection • The headphones are connected to the DI using the ports on the right side of the display. (See Figure 12.) • There are two headphone ports to facilitate the use of two headphone sets. Note: Experience has shown that two operators listening to the sensor output can enhance the search process. • The LD3 has an integrated intercom system between the headphones to allow conversation between the operators while using the headphones. • The headphones are designed to be worn with protective headgear. Section 306.027 Page 7 of 33 Figure 12 LD3 Display Interface • The DI controls each sensor and displays the sensor’s responses on the bar graph while routing the signals to the headphones for listening. (See Figure 13.) • It also controls the recording and playback of responses. • The numbered sensor selection keys control which sensors are listened to in the headphones. • Each numbered key corresponds to a numbered sensor. • The LED in the upper-left corner of the key indicates the sensor channel audio is selected for listening. Section 306.027 Page 8 of 33 Figure 13 • Sensor Selection Keys 1 and 2 are also used when the acoustic sensors are connected. • If an acoustic sensor is connected, the LED in the lower-right corner of the key is illuminated. (See Figure 14.) Figure 14 • The POWER key turns the system on or off. (See Figure 15.) Figure 15 • This key is also used to identify newly added sensors. • The RECORD key activates the internal audio recording feature. (See Figure 16.) Section 306.027 Page 9 of 33 Figure 16 • This feature allows the recording of the sensor audio going to the headphones. • The system continuously records the audio signal going to the headphones in a five-minute loop. • Once the five-minute loop is attained, the system begins recording over the oldest portion of the loop. • The system only records what the operator hears. Microphone audio is also recorded to allow the operator to make verbal notes. • If two headphones are attached, any conversation between two operators is also recorded. • If the operator does not want to record microphone audio, the headphone should be muted. • The PLAYBACK key allows the recorded audio to be listened to in the headphones. (See Figure 17.) Figure 17 • In the playback mode, the audio feed from the sensors is disabled. • Only audio from the recorded playback is heard. • The green LED bar is used to indicate gain, battery, and zoom levels. (See Figure 18.) Section 306.027 Page 10 of 33 Figure 18 • The PUSH-TO-TALK (PTT) key activates the intercom feature built into the acoustic sensors. (See Figure 19.) Figure 19 • This feature allows two-way communication with the victim. • The LED in the upper-left corner of the key indicates when PTT is activated and the boom microphone is muted. • The ZOOM key changes the resolution of the bar graph to better differentiate the signals in high signal level conditions. (See Figure 20.) Figure 20 • These conditions usually occur when the sensors are close to each other during the victim location mode. • Zoom mode makes comparison between sensors easier. • The LOW and HIGH filter keys control the signal filters. (See Figure 21.) Section 306.027 Page 11 of 33 Figure 21 • These filters can be used to reduce the effects of certain types of noises which can interfere with listening to the seismic sensors. • Filters must be used carefully in order to prevent filtering vital information. By design, the filters remove information from the signal spectrum generated by the vibration of the building and surrounding area. Some of this information may be useful responses from the victim, while other information is useless noise. • Reducing unwanted noise serves two purposes – to make it easier to detect the victim’s response and to make using the system more comfortable for the operator. Note: The filter cannot distinguish noise from useful information. Because of this, the operator should only use filters when he/she is certain no victim response will be present in the filtered frequencies. • The BATTERY key activates the battery level LED gauge (shared with the gain level bar graph). (See Figure 22.) Figure 22 • Press the key to get a reading. • The LED in the upper-left corner indicates the gain level bar graph is in battery mode and begins to flash approximately 10 minutes before low battery shutdown occurs. • The UP and DOWN arrow keys control the gain level of the system. (See Figure 23.) Section 306.027 Page 12 of 33 GAIN Figure 23 • The Up arrow increases amplification, while the Down arrow decreases amplification.