Chapter 20

1. Chapter 20 Salvage, Overhaul, and Fire Cause Determination

2. Introduction • Salvage and overhaul operations are not viewed as critical tasks • Not associated with excitement of fire attack, rescue, or ventilation • Firefighters should: • Be involved in fire cause determination • Watch for potential signs and conditions that will assist the fire investigator

3. (A) (B) Figure 20-1 (A) Good and (B) bad salvage operations.

4. Salvage Tools, Equipment, and Maintenance • Fire incidents have a potential loss of material goods • Company officer must “triage” entire scene • Basic premise of salvage operations is to remove harmful atmosphere from material • Always use proper tools • Some operations require complex equipment

5. Salvage Covers • Mainstay of salvage operations • Made out of several different materials • Plastics covers have advantage of weight and water resistance • Canvas covers durable; water resistant if treated • Size of cover can vary • Visqueen or heavy plastic used to supplement • Other tools needed: knife or scissors to cut desired length

6. Figure 20-3 Firefighter carrying Visqueen roll.

7. Floor Runner • Made of lightweight canvas-type material for easy deployment • Protects the floor down a hallway or along a traffic area • Important not to damage floors unnecessarily • Customer service makes the difference • Sign of professionalism

8. Figure 20-4 Floor runner in place.

9. Water Vacuum • Two basic types • Worn like a backpack • Larger and moved around on wheels • Backpack cannot be worn with SCBAs • Used to quickly drain catch-alls • Limited capacity: around 5 gallons • Another option is a pump • Submersible pump dropped directly into water • Float-a-pump floats on top of the water

10. Miscellaneous Salvage Tools • Some other tools: • Hammer • Nails • Staple guns • Visqueen can be left with the structure with little cost to the department • Doors and windows need to be secured • Salvage covers can prevent a leak from damaging other items

11. Maintenance of Salvage Tools • After use, tools must be cleaned and inspected • Tools often exposed to hazardous materials • Place damaged tools out of service • Reimbursement for damaged tools should be claimed from property owner’s insurance company • Do not allow debris to spill from salvage cover • Loose fold and roll • Wash cover with soap and water • Drying the cover can be difficult • Inspect cover for holes

12. Figure 20-7 Loose fold and roll.

13. Salvage Cover Folds and Rolls • Covers are either rolled or folded • Available compartment space dictates which method to use • Sprinkle the cover with baby powder and spread with a broom to prevent cover from sticking • Two firefighters are needed to roll a cover • Fold cover neatly like a bed sheet

14. Salvage Operations • Safety considerations • Methods of protecting material goods • Stopping water flowing from sprinkling heads • Arranging of furnishings and salvage cover deployment • Water removal • Post indicator valve and outside screw and yoke valve • Sprinkler stops

15. Safety Considerations • Basic goal is property conservation • Salvage group members must be aware of their surroundings • Forcible entry tools may be necessary • One of the most common hazards of salvage work is ceiling collapse • Know what other operations are going on and where they are taking place

16. Stopping Water Flowing from Sprinkler Heads • Several types of sprinkler stops available • Most common is the sprinkler wedge • Be careful not to break head off sprinkler • Wear eye protection and full protective clothing • Lock the ladder

17. Methods of Protecting Material Goods • Can an item be moved more quickly than it can be covered? • If yes, go for it • Patio furniture • Items in garage • Items in the way of fire attack crews should be moved

18. Arranging of Furnishings and Salvage Cover Deployment • Cover item when it is too large or time consuming to move • Two firefighters should deploy Visqueen • Take extra care with breakables • Working with Visqueen is the same as working with folded cover • Consider by-products of combustion

19. Figure 20-11 Furniture arranged for salvaging.

20. Water Removal • Water can leak through the floor • Critical to capture, divert, or remove water • If no drain exists, create one • Use salvage covers to create dike • Catch-alls used to contain water • Water chute diverts water

21. Figure 20-14 Catch-all end folds.

22. Post Indicator Valve and Outside Screw and Yoke Valve • Two types of valves used to shut down a sprinkler system: • Post indicator valve (PIV) • Outside screw and yoke (OS&Y) • PIV usually located near sprinkler connection for building • OS&Y valve located on exterior wall or just inside building

23. Figure 20-18 Outside screw and yoke valve.

24. Sprinkler Stops • Use sprinkler stops if no valves can be located • A-frame ladder will reach most ceilings • Firefighters must use caution

25. The Importance of Salvage Operations • Can be as important as any actions performed on emergency scene • Make something good out of a bad situation • Preserve as much property as possible

26. Overhaul Tools and Equipment • Process of overhaul is as important as the initial extinguishment • Tools used for overhaul built for following tasks: • Tearing into building • Cutting through floors • Pulling ceilings • Search for hidden fires

27. Common Tools • Common overhaul tools: • Pike poles • Pitchforks • Rubbish hooks • Shovels • Axes • Chain saws • Carry-alls • Wheelbarrows

28. Carry-All • 6-foot-square piece of heavy canvas • Rope strung through grommets for handles • Used to carry debris out of building • Used where wheelbarrows cannot be used

29. Overhaul Operations • After fire investigation concerns have been met, overhaul investigations can begin • Look for obvious signs of hidden fire • Thermal imaging cameras find fires and hotspots in areas firefighters cannot see • Observe wooden structural members • Insulation must be removed if area has been breached

30. Overhauling Roofs • Long tedious process • There can be multiple roofs • Pitched roof may be built over flat roof • Creates two attic spaces • Overhaul nightmare

31. Electronic Heat Sensors • Relatively new way to check for hot spots • Determine where heat is higher compared to surrounding areas • Sensor’s alerting mechanisms differ • Some used to find people through the smoke

32. (A) (B) Figure 20-22 (A) Helmet with thermal imaging camera attached. (B) Firefighter using a handheld thermal imaging camera.

33. Revisits of the Involved Structure • Important to revisit scene of incident • Wise to make additional checks • Good rule is to visit 2 hours after last company or personnel leaves and again within 10 hours • Crews from the next shift can go by the incident • Business owner can hire a security company to maintain fire watch

34. Debris Removal • Removing debris while searching for hidden fires is important • Loose material must be removed and further extinguished • Place material in a pile and lightly hosed down • When material removal completed, cover debris with Visqueen to reduce the eyesore

35. The Importance of the Overhaul Operations • Customer service aspects of overhaul are many • Search for hidden fires • Limit amount of uncovered debris left behind • Leave building in a safe state for owners • Overhaul work is often the only thing owners get to see the result of • Make sure overhaul works in concert with fire investigator

36. Fire Cause Determination Concerns • Be aware of possible clues as to how the fire started • All firefighters should listen to the reported information • All available information should be documented • During response, additional information may be gathered by questioning • Firefighters must ensure that investigator pre-approves removal of any part of structure

37. Preservation of Evidence • Preserve items that seem out of the ordinary • Leave items where they are found and protect and preserve area • Cordon off area • Compromised evidence and areas because of carelessness can lead to legal actions

38. Basics of Point of Origin Determination • Can be a very scientific pursuit • Investigators employ scientific approach • Watch for basic clues • Fire travel the path of least resistance • Determine fire’s starting point and where it spread is the depth of char • Damage can be influenced by many factors

39. Figure 20-26 “V” pattern in a structure fire.

40. Figure 20-27 Depth of char.

41. The Importance of Fire Cause Determination • Assisting fire investigator should be second nature • Every detail should be noted and passed along • Fire investigators are just another member of the team • Firefighters’ actions can help or hinder investigation

42. Securing the Building • Make sure the building is secure after completing all operations • Some jurisdictions rely on board-up crews or restoration companies • Prior to leaving an incident scene, consider: • Where will they stay or do business? • What are they going to do for clothing? • Do they have insurance? • Does the Red Cross need to be contacted?

43. Figure 20-28 Building that has been boarded up after a fire.

44. Lessons Learned • Salvage and overhaul duties are vital • Salvage and overhaul have a direct impact on success of incident • These duties are a great customer service for the homeowner, even if they are never recognized