Toronto • May 28-29, 2010 • Student Day and Workshops: May 27
Program > Saturday > 14:00 > Session symposium2. Symposium: Firefighter health and safety
Paper: Developing strategies for air management and thermoregulation in the Toronto Fire Services
Author(s) and Affiliation(s):
Andrew Kostiuk, Commander, Toronto Fire Services
Geoff Boisseau, Toronto Fire Services
Tim Metcalfe, Toronto Fire Services
Day/Time: Saturday at 14:00
Room: Giovanni Room, 2nd Floor
Objectives:
The Toronto Fire Services (TFS) identified significant health risks related to firefighting while wearing the personal protective gear and breathing from the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). In hostile environments firefighters face extreme temperatures and toxic gases.
Methods:
Fighting fires in a hot environment while wearing personal protective gear can cause extreme heat loads with risk of severe injury or death. TFS firefighters participated in research projects to evaluate the heat load and to develop strategies for efficient cooling.
Results:
The outcomes included a slide rule for evaluating risk and protocols for cooling and rehydration. The air cylinders of the SCBA are nominally referred to as 30-minute cylinders, but experience revealed the true duration of air supply appeared to be less. TFS and researchers collaborated to conduct simulations of high-rise, subway and box store emergencies to determine the actual rate of air consumption and the energy demands. From this research, the basis for an air management strategy has been developed and its implementation for safe exit from large structures will be described.
Conclusions:
The collaboration between researchers and TFS personnel has resulted in changes to practice in emergency situations that have reduced risks to firefighter health and safety.
