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Ideas for Fire Fighting Contributed
Sept. 14, 2001 There is currently no effective way to attack a fire
on the upper floors of a high rise other than for firefighters to walk up or
down to the involved level. If the
fire is very hot or the building is unstable there may be no way to attack the
fire at all. Over time the fire
will weaken the involved area until it collapses, possibly taking down the
entire structure as seen so tragically recently. It is known in the oil industry to spray a fire with
water to prevent the collapse of steel structures. The vaporizing water absorbs heat, keeping the steel cool
enough to retain its necessary strength. The
spraying may continue until the fuel source is shut off or the available fuel is
consumed. In the case of a high
rise fire, a similar spraying process could contain an intense fire and reduce
its heat long enough for firefighters to approach the fire directly. A source for this water, or retardant, spray is
suggested by the water-drop helicopters common in the Western U.S.
These systems are normally used to raise a large quantity of water over
burning brush, trees or structures. The
water is dumped all at once to saturate a strip of land below.
With modification this system could be used to pump water outward through
a high pressure nozzle. The
modified “high rise spray” system could be used to inject water or retardant
directly into the burning floor or floors of the high rise.
Since the windows of a heavily involved floor will have broken from the
heat it will be possible to spray into the interior. The spray nozzle may be remotely aimed by a firefighter in
the helicopter, with a general direction of aim likely determined by the
heliccopter pilot. If it is found
that the firefighter needs further help in aiming, the nozzle may be fitted with
an inertial or optical stabilizing device, possibly such as those used in cinema
cameras or some military weapons. In Western states the existing fleet of firefighting
helicopters could be modified by adding a pump and nozzle module.
Where there is no fleet of water carrying helicopters a fully self
contained system may be preferred where a helicopter lifts a water tank with its
associated pump and nozzle. The
self contained system may be hung from cables and not rigidly attached to the
helicopter; it therefore will most likely require a nozzle stabilizing system to
be effectively controllable by the operator.
If the Skycrane helicopter is used a self contained system could be
fitted tightly in the payload section. The
self contained high rise spray systems could be preloaded with water or
retardant and positioned near concentrations of high rise buildings for
immediate use by compatible heavy duty helicopters. A sufficient number of high rise spray systems would
be available so that a fleet of helicopters could keep nearly constant streams
directed into the fire. As with
current practice the tanks would be refilled from nearby bodies of water or a
land facility. Whether a high rise has the latest fire protection features or is an older building, the high rise spray system may be a helpful aid for reducing loss. It is possible that the World Trade Center collapse could have been prevented with such a fire fighting fleet. It may have kept the structure cool enough to prevent collapse, allowing the fire fighters that were inside to do their job. If fuel retardant were part of the mix the fire’s intensity may have been substantially reduced. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: July 24, 2002
from AJC3623@aol.com
September 11, 2002 from
HMoreno@hawthorne.k12.ca.us
October 29, 2002 from
doug@micelibros.com
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