Vehicle Fires

and

The Dangers of New Technologies

Auto manufacturers have spent billions of dollars making today's vehicles the safest they have ever been and that they are, with airbag systems, occupant classification systems, cushioned bumpers, crumple zones and high strength steel reinforcement, they are literally built to wreck, but today there is not one built to burn.

In 1973 we developed an approach to a vehicle fire that would protect firefighters from the dangers of a bump strut explosion. This approach is still being taught nationwide, even in our largest academies and ironically 95% of the vehicles today are not equipped with bumper struts. 

Today's vehicle fires consist of not only these early bumper struts but, compressed gas struts shooting out from under hoods and hatch backs like arrows and penetrating firefighters legs and abdomens, airbag inflators blowing out through the roofs and exploding into shrapnel, plastic fuel tanks melting and dumping their hot load right at the firefighter's feet, unexpected molten magnesium splattering out from under hoods and dashes and alcohol based fuels that our normal extinguishing agents can not put out. 

But, the worst danger of all is that because of a lack of changes in our training, we are in reality, teaching firefighters that they are supposed to be in the path of these dangers to properly fight a vehicle fire.

During the past four years Midsouth Rescue Technologies has developed a training program in which we can define 33 danger zones on a single vehicle, and never place a firefighter in harms way.  

This class is actually a continuation of the supplemental restraint systems class. In the restraint systems class, students are taught the dangers these systems present and how to control and shut the systems down. In this class they see that the same systems are impossible the shut down when involved in fire and present a host of new uncontrollable dangers.  

Topical Overview:

• Recognizing the need for a change in our training.
• Recognizing the dangers we are facing today: The students will be introduced to all of the new Safety Restraint     Systems, Compressed Gas Struts, Plastic Fuel Tanks, Magnesium Drive Train Parts and the dangers they present when exposed to fire.
• Steam Conversion: Vehicle fire fighting’s most important tool.
• Developing new tactics and strategies  (Live fire training)

            The students will be introduced to a new aggressive attack, that can be used on any vehicle, no matter what it is or is not equipped with and can be done with the equipment their department has, no matter how small and retro fit larger departments with more equipment.

Attendees will participate in, live demonstrations, power point presentations, videos, and live fire training.