Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
LP gas training lights up skies
|
NEWS-TIMES
HELEN OUTLAND
MOREHEAD CITY — Nearly 30 firefighters from three departments participated in a simulated liquefied petroleum gas fire late Wednesday near the water tower in the Crystal Coast Industrial Park.
The session was the final step in a course that allowed four firefighters to receive their certification as LP gas burn instructors.
“I am certified as a live fire (house fire) burn instructor, but to become a LP gas burn instructor requires a separate qualification,” said Morehead City Fire Chief Wes Lail.
The fire simulation was the final step required for Beaufort Volunteer Fire Capt. Nick Salter, Morehead City Fire Capt. Jack Manley, Atlantic Beach Lt. Wayne Woods and Capt. Kevin White of Atlantic Beach to receive their certification as LP gas burn instructors.
According to Fire Chief Lail the four men had to pass a pre-class test to evaluate what they already knew, testing during the class and a post-class exam before being allowed to participate in the live burn.
“Their job will be to coordinate on-scene firefighters in approaching, attacking and controlling a LP gas burn,” Chief Lail added. “All their actions and decisions will be observed and evaluated by Kevin McArthur and Jonathan Sowers, LP Gas Burn instructors, who are here from the State Fire Marshal’s Office in Raleigh.”
During the exercise, a specially rigged LP gas tank was set up and was fed fuel through a hose running to a Jenkins Gas Co. truck. The design replicated an actual tank fire, but the training tank itself contained no fuel.
According to Chief Lail, the amount of fuel fed to the tank can be controlled from the fuel truck.
There were four crews of firefighters on scene. Two crews acted as an attack crew while the others stand by as backup.
When Beaufort Fire Capt. Nick Salter ignited the fuel coming from the nozzle on the top of the tank, it roared, and despite the strong winds, the flames shot more than 100 feet into the air almost instantly. Heat from the burning fuel could be felt from quite a distance.
“The object is not to try and put out the fire,” said Morehead City Deputy Chief James Fulk. “The object is to keep the tank cool until someone can reach the nozzle to cut the fuel supply off.”
As the attack crew moved closer to the tank they used two types of water spray to control the fire and protected the man who would turn off the nozzle.
A steady stream of water from several hoses continuously saturated the tank while a mist type spray from others protected the firefighter reaching for the nozzle.
“As long as the fire is burning and the tank doesn’t explode, that is a good thing,” said Deputy Chief Fulk.
The LP fumes were ignited four times as each qualifying instructor took the time to correctly guide the crews in fighting the tank fire.
@ Online today
For more photos, see the photo gallery at www.carolinacoastonline.com.
MOREHEAD CITY — Nearly 30 firefighters from three departments participated in a simulated liquefied petroleum gas fire late Wednesday near the water tower in the Crystal Coast Industrial Park.
The session was the final step in a course that allowed four firefighters to receive their certification as LP gas burn instructors.
“I am certified as a live fire (house fire) burn instructor, but to become a LP gas burn instructor requires a separate qualification,” said Morehead City Fire Chief Wes Lail.
The fire simulation was the final step required for Beaufort Volunteer Fire Capt. Nick Salter, Morehead City Fire Capt. Jack Manley, Atlantic Beach Lt. Wayne Woods and Capt. Kevin White of Atlantic Beach to receive their certification as LP gas burn instructors.
According to Fire Chief Lail the four men had to pass a pre-class test to evaluate what they already knew, testing during the class and a post-class exam before being allowed to participate in the live burn.
“Their job will be to coordinate on-scene firefighters in approaching, attacking and controlling a LP gas burn,” Chief Lail added. “All their actions and decisions will be observed and evaluated by Kevin McArthur and Jonathan Sowers, LP Gas Burn instructors, who are here from the State Fire Marshal’s Office in Raleigh.”
During the exercise, a specially rigged LP gas tank was set up and was fed fuel through a hose running to a Jenkins Gas Co. truck. The design replicated an actual tank fire, but the training tank itself contained no fuel.
According to Chief Lail, the amount of fuel fed to the tank can be controlled from the fuel truck.
There were four crews of firefighters on scene. Two crews acted as an attack crew while the others stand by as backup.
When Beaufort Fire Capt. Nick Salter ignited the fuel coming from the nozzle on the top of the tank, it roared, and despite the strong winds, the flames shot more than 100 feet into the air almost instantly. Heat from the burning fuel could be felt from quite a distance.
“The object is not to try and put out the fire,” said Morehead City Deputy Chief James Fulk. “The object is to keep the tank cool until someone can reach the nozzle to cut the fuel supply off.”
As the attack crew moved closer to the tank they used two types of water spray to control the fire and protected the man who would turn off the nozzle.
A steady stream of water from several hoses continuously saturated the tank while a mist type spray from others protected the firefighter reaching for the nozzle.
“As long as the fire is burning and the tank doesn’t explode, that is a good thing,” said Deputy Chief Fulk.
The LP fumes were ignited four times as each qualifying instructor took the time to correctly guide the crews in fighting the tank fire.
@ Online today
For more photos, see the photo gallery at www.carolinacoastonline.com.
 |
 |
|
| First CCC candidate visits county | Tax hike likely |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of carolinacoastonline.com.
RSS