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Equipment

The following A-Z index gives brief technical descriptions of a small selection of the equipment in use in East Sussex by the Fire & Rescue Service.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Aerial Ladder Platform.

The appliance is capable of reaching 32m in height and 18m horizontally. It also has the capacity to work at areas below ground level, eg over bridges etc. The cage at the end of the extending arm allows firefighters to rescue casualties from a height and provides the option of dispersing large volumes of water over the fire.

• The appliance is crewed by two firefighters and weighs 26 tonnes.
• The aerial capability is produced by 2 booms. The main boom contains 2 telescopic sections which extend the booms length. The second boom is fixed to the top of the main boom by a knuckle joint; this allows a wide range of movements.
• The working cage is attached by a knuckle joint at the top of the second boom. It is capable of swiveling up to 45 degrees each side of the centre line and is automatically self leveling. The unit can be controlled by both operators within the cage and personnel on the ground. The cage can carry up to 5 people (400kg).
• There are attachments for 2 large capacity water monitors to be used if necessary (one is permanently attached to the cage).
• A telescopic ladder leading to the working cage is fixed to the side of the booms and provides an escape route for a large number of persons.
• The whole unit is stabalised by 4 hydraulic outriggers and jacks which take the total weight of both vehicle and unit.
• To enable contact between the cage and console, there is a telephone intercom fitted, with an extension lead microphone at ground console position if required.
• The unit also house a generator and a number of powerful lights on the cage to illuminate the fireground.

B

BA (Breathing Apparatus).

Breathing Apparatus equipment PS100ET is supplied by Draeger Ltd and is part of a firefighters PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Its is made up of a face mask, back plate, hose and valve and electronic monitoring unit.

BA (Breathing Apparatus) cylinder.

Breathing Apparatus Cylinder is supplied by Draeger Ltd and is a lightweight carbon composite and hols 2430 litres of air compressed to 300 bar pressure giving 50 minutes working time.

C

CCTV.

The Aerial Appliance at Eastbourne has a Closed Circuit Television Camera fitted to the front of the cage. The camera can be controlled remotely to allow information to be gathered from situations where it would be unsafe for personnel to operate.

D

Dosimeter.

The Siemens Electronic Personal Alarm Dosimeter (EPD) is a compact unit that detects and measures beta, gamma and x-ray radiation. It is capable of measuring absorbed dose in either microSieverts of milliSieverts.

E

F

Fire Appliance (Volvo FL6-H Dennis).

ESFRS use this as their standard front line fire engine, therefore it is normally the first appliance to arrive at an incident. Due to this fact it was designed to deliver the maximum number of firefighters to an incident in the shortest time, with the versatility to be able to cope with the variety of incidents that make up modern day firefighting. It is known as a Water Tender Ladder Rescue, in that it holds water to extinguish a fire, ladders to help reach a fire and rescue equipment used for road traffic accidents. It also houses many other pieces of equipment, some of which are listed below:

• 2500 litres per minute multi-pressure pump with assisted control.
• 1-7 Foam System (along with 2 x 50 litre cans of foam concentrate) - foam system allows you to mix the right proportion of foam concentrate with water to tackle a fire efficiently.
• The vehicle has a water tank capable of holding 1800 litres of water.
• Ladders (10.5m and 13.5m).
• 4 metre lighting mast which carries 4 halogen lights used to illuminate the fireground.
• A front-mounted winch capable of pulling 3 tonne loads.
• 2 fixed hose reels used for the majority of incidents.
• Capable of supplying jets with 45mm or 70mm hose.
• The vehicle also carries a portable fan used to carry out ventilation.
• Hydraulic rescue equipment for use at Road Traffic Accidents (this would include spreaders/cutters etc).
• Breathing Apparatus which are carried in the crew cab (4 sets carried).
• Chemical Protection Suits are carried for use in incidents involving Hazmats (hazardous materials).
• First Aid equipment, including resuscitator, burns kits, etc.
• Thermal Image Camera that is used in searching for casualties in a smoky environment, fire detection and checking for hotspots (in case of re-ignition) on the fireground.
• Basic NARC (National Access and Rescue Centre) Equipment, which includes rope and lines used for safety/rescue purposes when working from a height.

Foam (1-7).

The One-Seven system is so-called because it produces seven droplets of finished foam for each droplet of water entering the system. The major advantages of the system when compared to water are:

• Six times faster fire extinction
• Six times less water consumption
• Ten times less foam concentrate required on Class A fires, six to twelve times less on Class B fires
• Reductions in radiated heat, smoke development, risk of flashover and re-ignition
• Reductions in water damage and clean-up costs
• Push button and go operation, no set-up time needed
• Long delivery lengths possible together with high throwing distances
• Environmentally friendly (99.8% biodegradable)

Two separate onboard tanks each carry 50 litres of foam concentrate. The tank supplying concentrate to the compressor unit can be switched from the control panel, providing Class A and Class B firefighting capability.

The main foam compressor unit is located above the dedicated foam hosereel in the nearside-rear locker, ensuring that the space utilised is kept to a minimum. For speed of operation and convenience, the control panel has been built into the pump bay.

Whilst it is anticipated that the dedicated hosereel will be suitable for most applications, the system can also be operated through lay-flat delivery hose connected to an outlet on the main compressor unit. This provides the additional flexibility for situations where far greater delivery lengths are required, for example, forest firefighting operations.

The composition of the finished foam can be varied at the control panel, allowing the operator to select either wet or dry foam as appropriate to the incident. In order to compensate for the replacement of the offside hosereel with the foam system, the nearside hosereel has been redesigned to provide an additional 30 metres, providing a total of 90 metres of traditional hosereel tubing.

Evaluations of the One-Seven system have demonstrated clear advantages over traditional methods in external firefighting operations. ESFRS is now undertaking further evaluation and training with a view to developing the system toward use in internal structural firefighting operations. East Sussex personnel have visited Holland in order to utilise the extensive experience of Delft Fire Brigade, who have been using the system for a number of years. This has led to the formation of excellent information sharing facilities and a wider understanding of firefighting techniques and system capabilities.

G

Ground Monitors.

ESFRS are currently undertaking research and evaluation into the provision of Ground Monitors to Frontline Appliances. Three Ground Monitors are being considered currently. They are The Akron Oscillating Ozzie 911, The Leader Group PartnerLite Oscillating Monitor (pictured) and the Rosenbauer PowerStream. All are small enough to be stowed on Frontline Appliances and are capable of delivering between 1200 and 2500 Litres per min.

H

Hydraulic Rescue Tool (Clan Lucas).

Portable Hydraulic operated rescue equipment with a variety of tools i.e. dedicated cutters, spreaders, rams. Hydraulic system powered by 3HP four-stroke petrol engine capable of creating a cutting force of 90 tonnes.

 

I

J

K

L

Ladders.

Typically a Fire Appliance will carry a variety of ladders including 10.5m or 13.5m ladder. One or more roof ladders, 4.5m rigid and/or folding, extension ladders.

M

MODAS (Mobile Data System).

The MODAS is an appliance mounted in Fire Appliance cabs which is able to collate, generate, distribute and display risk and mapping data. Key features of MODAS are:

• Recall and display of risk information, in various formats.
• GEODE premise gazetteer search agent (built on C&C technology)
• Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Radio Communications Engine with full support for end-to-end messaging
• NCEC Chemdata interface
• Automatic Vehicle Location and routing
• Automatic document distribution agent to ensure the latest information is distributed across the fleet.
• Fire ground telemetry, Radio Evacuation Distress System (REDS) integration.

N

Ozzie 911 Oscillating Monitor.

The monitor is a Portable Oscillating Monitor with a powerful sweeping water stream for high performance fire attack and protection.

O

Positive Pressure Ventilation Fan.

Positive Pressure Ventilation is used to clear smoke from a building. Smoke follows the behaviour of fluids by moving from a region of high pressure to one of low pressure. High volumetric flow rate fans are used to create a slight positive pressure in a compartment to force smoke out of strategically placed exhaust points. Once smoke is removed then this allows a thorough check of the building.

Pump Appliance (Landrover).

Landrover Pump Appliance is designed to act as a lightweight firefighting appliance ideal for accessing rural and remote areas. It is fitted with a water tank and pump, hoses and equipment to be able to cope with most small rural fires. Types of incident that it may attend include:

• Small grass/crop fires
• barn fires
• any off-road incident

P

Q

R

RADOS RDS Universal Survey Meter.

The RADOS is a compact, self-monitoring, lightweight, battery operated, microprocessor based, multi-purpose survey meter. It provides a portable means for detecting and monitoring gamma radiation and beta particles.

S

Shovels and Spades.

The new combined Shovel and Spade unit has the ability to act as both but with the added safety feature of an insulated and certificated handle should we hit any underground or hidden cable whilst digging or clearing out following an incident. It was developed for BT who have similar Health and Safety and operational requirements.

Submersible Pump.

The Robusta 351W pump is dropped into a flooded area and will discharge 426 litres of water per minute.

T

Technical Rescue Unit (TRU).

A dedicated vehicle designed and equipped to provide specialist assistance at Road Traffic Collisions, Incidents involving Commercial Vehicles, Aircraft or Trains, Building Collapse, Trench Collapse etc. also incidents requiring specialist Environmental Protection equipment. Manned by a dedicated, specialist team of experts.

Thermal Image Camera.

ESFRS have recently introduced a new Thermal Image Camera into the service. The all new Argus 4 TIC is a compact camera unit that uses the latest Infrared technology to provide a Thermal Image for the user at operational incidents. The Argus 4 has the ability to take and store photographic style images which can be used to assist with Fire Investigation and also for Operational Debriefs. All Extended Rescue Pumps within ESFRS have Thermal Image Cameras available in addition to those strategically placed on Water Tenders. .

Typhoon Dry Suits.

Used to prolong Firefighter effectiveness in cold water The suits are water proof and are constructed of layers of nylon and butyl.

U

V

Vetter Lifting Bags.

Lifting bags are multi-layered construction reinforced with Steel or Kevlar and are used for lifting heavy weights (30 tonnes).

W

Winch (Twin Capstan).

The Twin Capstan Winches are powered by a 5.5HP Honda 4-stroke petrol engine and are used for rope rescue incidents to haul casualties, equipment and rescuers from Cliffs and Quaries, etc.

X

Y

Z