MFRI Bulletin

Bulletin for July/August 2004

MFRI and the NFSA Join Forces to Create a Custom Built Residential Sprinkler Trailer

By Alyssa Slotkin Managing Editor MFRI Bulletin, MFRI and Donny Boyd Engineering Technician, MFRI

The need for residential sprinklers in every home must be continually emphasized. The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) and the National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc. (NFSA) recently joined forces in this effort by creating a custom built Residential Sprinkler Demonstration Trailer. The custom features provide an excellent means to drive home this message.

MFRI's Engineering Technician Donny Boyd stands by at the control panel to monitor events during the early stages of a fire demonstration.

Funded by the NFSA and built by MFRI, the residential sprinkler trailer is 21 feet long and is divided into 3 areas: mechanical, storage, and demonstration. The mechanical area contains a generator, hose lines, water tank, and pump. The storage area is equipped with hooks for hanging extension cords or extra muslin, and cubby spaces for storing informational handouts. The demonstration area contains sprinkler heads and 5/8 inch Lexan glass windows. BlazeMaster CPVC sprinkler piping and Tyco products run from the mechanical room to the demonstration area.

The trailer storage room equipment includes 25-foot, 50-foot, and 100-foot shore lines, inline GFI, cordless PA system and informational sprinkler handouts.

The outside of the trailer includes an exhaust fan, a flow alarm bell, a state of the art wireless PA system, and the control panel where trained operators can manually turn on and off the alarm bell, sprinkler heads, smoke detector and an exhaust fan providing an added safety feature.

The trailer is self-sufficient and can be used for demonstrations in remote locations that are inaccessible to onsite electrical and water supplies. The on board generator operates the electrical components (smoke detector, clock, pump, lights, and exhaust fan). The on board water supply and pump provide enough water for numerous demonstrations. The trailer can also be hooked up to an outside electrical and water sources.

The control panel includes the supply line, main head line, backup lines, the main drain, and the control switches for the interior lights, exhaust fan, smoke detector, receptacles, alarm bell, and pump.

A typical demonstration involves a trash can containing three pieces of newspaper. A muslin curtain hanging above it depicts a familiar bedroom scenario. A fire is set in the trash can and as the fire climbs the curtain it is a matter of seconds before the smoke detector alarm goes off and and the sprinklers are activated and extinguish the fire. On average the fire is detected in 28 seconds and extinguished in 34 seconds. A clock hangs on the outside of the trailer so observers can see the amount of time it takes for the smoke detector to detect a fire and then the sprinkler to extinguish it.

The trailer is an excellent addition to various fire department open houses and community public safety days. For example, the sprinkler trailer was recently sent to Glen Burnie, Maryland for Wal-Mart's community safety day and to Memorial Hospital in York Pennsylvania for the Fit and Fun Fest. Every year the sprinkler trailer heads to the University of Virginia for new student orientation. New students learn about the fire prevention program for campus housing. In addition, the trailer is used for fire safety classes in Connecticut sponsored by the National Fire Sprinkler Association. This year, the Montgomery County, Maryland Government is using the trailer to aid in sprinkler legislation education.

The mechanical storage room houses the generator, hose lines, water tank, and pump.

Through funding from the National Fire Sprinkler Association and the tireless effort put forth by MFRI's Engineering Technician Donny Boyd, construction help from MFRI's Engineering Technician Kurt Eisenshmidt, planning and coordination from Industrial Training Specialist Steve Maceiko and Logistical Support Section Manager Larry Preston, Instructors Robert Schott and Timothy Mullin who run the trailer and whose expertise makes each demonstration a success, and with reserve materials from Tyco Fire Products and BlazeMaster Fire Sprinkler Systems, the custom built trailer is a magnificent success.

For more information or to reserve the trailer for a community function, contact:

Steve Maceiko
Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute
University of Maryland
4500 Paint Branch Parkway
College Park, Maryland 20742
1-800-ASK-MFRI

IFSTA Announces Their 2003 Hudiburg Award Winner

Chris Neal, Executive, Fire Protection Publications (left) and George Dunkel, Chairman, International Fire Service Training Association (right) present Steven T. Edwards, MFRI Director (center) with the 2003 Everett E. Hudiburg Award.

At their 2003 Winter meeting, the Executive Board of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) selected Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute (MFRI) Director Steven T. Edwards as the 2003 recipient of the Everett E. Hudiburg Award. This award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the training of firefighters. Mr. Edwards will be formally presented this award at the opening session of the 2004 IFSTA Validation Conference on July 11, 2004 in Oklahoma City.

Director Edward's fire service career began as a high school cadet in the Prince George's County, Maryland Fire Department. He eventually served in every rank of that department, including fire chief, and retired after 25 years of service. During his tenure as fire chief the department received the IAFC's Award for Excellence, as well as numerous other awards and recognitions.

Following his retirement as fire chief, Edwards assumed the Director's position at MFRI, headquartered on the campus of the University of Maryland College Park. In his role as Director he leads one of the nation's premier state fire and rescue training programs. During his tenure as Director, MFRI has expanded its course offerings and opened several regional training facilities around the state. In 1999, MFRI was awarded the Congressional Fire Service Institute's National Fire Service Organization of the Year Award.

Edwards holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maryland. He has served as President of the North American Fire Training Directors and is currently Chair of the Congressional Fire Service Institute National Advisory Committee. He has also authored the textbook Fire Service Personnel Management.

This award recognizes Edwards' efforts to improve the fire service through training and education in his native Maryland and beyond. In accepting this award, Edwards joins a group of legendary fire service leaders, such as Alan Brunacini, Henry D. Smith, Louis Amabili, Keith Royer, and his predecessor at MFRI Director John Hoglund, as previous Hudiburg recipients.

MSFA Holds its 112th Annual Convention
By S. Rebecca Spicer-Himes

Director Steven Edwards and Upper Eastern Shore Regional Training Coordinator Wayne Colburn present John "Sunny" Rose with the Instructor of the Year award.

The 112th annual convention and conference of the Maryland State Firemen's Association (MSFA) held June 12 - 18, 2004 in Ocean City included lots of activities for fire and rescue personnel. As in past years there was a large contingent of fire and rescue apparatus, convention seminars, exhibitors, and activities to keep everyone busy.

MFRI faculty and staff were busy at the booth as 528 copies of training transcripts were processed, 406 state and national certifications were issued, and many t-shirts, hats, mugs, and sweatshirts were sold. Director Steven T. Edwards was pleased with the Convention and the increase in the number of services that people utilized at the Convention. "We are very pleased that we can serve fire and rescue personnel from around the state and participate in an outstanding convention and learning experience. We look forward to participating in next year's convention."

MFRI once again played a large role in presenting the Sunday through Tuesday afternoon learning sessions. There were 25 seminars offered for a total of 58 hours of training. With 750 fire and rescue personnel in attendance, this meant a total of 43,500 student contact hours. Three courses for a total of nine hours of professional development for instructors were offered which 66 students resulting in a total of 594 contact hours attended. Continuing educational credit courses for EMS recertification through the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) were very popular. The most popular seminars were Firefighter Injury and Death, Airbags, What's New in Trauma, and Trends and Controversies in Field Care.

Sunday's emergency services honor guard competition and demonstration and the joint memorial tribute were attended by and complemented on by the many participants. Monday morning opened with Pipes and Drum Corps from the New York City Fire Department and the DC Fire and EMS Department. This was the first time these two groups had played together publicly and it was very moving. MFSA President Terry E. Thompson opened the session and the Convention was underway.

The Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute looks forward to working with incoming MSFA President Robert Jacobs in the coming year to enhance the training and education of the fire and rescue service.

Planning is already underway for next year's convention, which will be held on June 18-25 2005. Look for us in the same spot!

MFRI's Field Programs Section Provides Assistance to Marine Expeditionary Brigade MEBEX 04 Terrorism Exercise

By David Lewis, MFRI Terrorism Response Coordinator

Three years in the planning, the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, in conjunction with the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Women in the Fire Service, the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters and the International Association of Hispanic Firefighters, piloted the first program of its kind: Equal Opportunity Officer (EOO).

First arriving 4th Marine CBIRF personnel came equipped with detection and monitoring equipment to assess the incident scene.

The sight of two monster Marine CH53 helicopters unloading personnel and equipment onto an athletic field at Washington College in Chestertown, MD (Kent County) is an extraordinary event. On May 19, 2004, the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade did just that as they conducted an anti-terrorism exercise to evaluate the capabilities of the Chemical, Biological, and Incident Response Force (CBIRF), as well as the local Kent County emergency response agencies to a simulated terrorist attack. Kristin McMenamin from MFRI's Field Programs Section (FPS) participated as a player in the Incident Command Post while FPS's Wayne Colburn and David Lewis served as exercise evaluators of the local emergency services response capabilities to the incident.

During a simulated track and field event for international athletes at Washington College, a car bomb and several chemical bombs detonate around the dormitory where the athletes are staying. The incident causes numerous casualties played by bystanders.

Fire response units established a decontamination corridor to assist in the safe remove of victims from the incident scene to the EMS treatment sector.

Kent County fire and emergency medical services, under the command of Chief David Turner, Chestertown Fire Department, provided initial response and assessment of the incident. The number of victims, the presence of unidentified chemicals, and some low-level radiation from the car bomb quickly overwhelmed local emergency responders prompting Chief Turner to request federal assistance.

Unified command was established, integrating fire, EMS, emergency management, law enforcement, and military leaders under a single command structure.

CBIRF quickly received the order to deploy their Marines by helicopter from Indian Head to Chestertown to assist the local incident commander. Upon arrival, CBIRF assisted the incident commander by identifying the chemicals, removing victims from the site, and establishing a decontamination corridor prior to treatment by local emergency medical services personnel.

Kent County fire and EMS units seamlessly integrated with Marine command units in a unified command structure for overall management of the incident. Marines from the CBIRF unit assisted in victim removal and decontamination. Patients entering the Emergency Medical Services area were met by a triage officer and then escorted off into a treatment sector based on priority of their injuries. Once on-scene assessment and treatment was completed, patients were passed onto the transportation officer for transport to a medical facility by ambulance or medevac aircraft.

4th Marine CBIRN units established formal decontamination area away from the incident scene.

The exercise demonstrated the capability of Kent County emergency services to operate efficiently with minimal resources to a terrorist incident and manage the situation until the arrival of expert resources. Incident command principles facilitated the ability to expand the scope of the incident and integrate with external command elements under a unified command structure. Staff from MFRI's Field Programs Section were instrumental in the evaluation and after action assessment of the incident and provided feedback to both the Marines and the local emergency services.

Drills and exercises provide a valuable opportunity for departments to assess their own preparedness and response capabilities. MFRI's Field Programs Section will sponsor several courses and seminars in the upcoming year to assist departments in improving terrorism awareness and response as well as exercise planning. If you would like more information on our program offerings, please contact the MFRI Field Programs Section at 800-ASK-MFRI, fieldops@mfri.org or www.mfri.org.

Kent County EMS units established priority treatment areas (0,1,2,3) to accept injured victims.

MFRI Calendar of Events

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

For further information or to register contact MFRI at 1-800-ASK-MFRI or 301.226.9900. Register online at: www.mfri.org/seminars

ALS Classes

For more information email Angie Bennett at abennett@mfri.org or call 800.ASK.MFRI or 301.226.9900

Maryland State Governor Robert L. Ehrlich visits the MFRI booth during the 112th Annual Maryland State Firemen's Association Convention.

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Copyright © 2003 Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, All rights reserved.