Power Supply, Lighting Equipment, and Emergency Scene Safety Firefighter I

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Emergency Power and Lighting Equipment Nighttime operations require firefighters to be proficient in the operation of emergency power and lighting equipment – Power supplies are classified into two categories: Inverters Generators 3 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Emergency Power Inverters – convert a vehicle’s 12- or 24-volt direct current (DC current) into 110- or 220- volt alternating current (AC current) – Are commonly used when small, electrically powered/operated tools are needed – Are apparatus-mounted – Are fuel efficient – Make little or no noise – Disadvantages Provide a limited power supply Have limited mobility from their mount on the apparatus 4 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Emergency Power (continued) Generators – can normally provide 110 or 220 volts of AC power – Portable or apparatus-mounted – Powered by either gasoline or diesel engines – Most of the portable ones can be carried by two firefighters – Are useful in areas that are not accessible to vehicle-mounted units 5 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Emergency Power (continued) Generators (continued) – Vehicle-mounted units provide a larger generating capacity than portable units Provide power for floodlighting systems Can be powered by gasoline, diesel, or propane, or by hydraulic or power takeoff systems Fixed floodlight systems are generally directly wired into the generator through a switch Vehicle-mounted units with a separate engine from the drive engine are loud and can cause problems with emergency scene communications Exhaust fumes can be a concern at emergency scenes Refueling spillage can affect fire investigation scenes as well, because of the increase of hydrocarbons at the scene 6 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Lighting Equipment Portable – can be carried and used where fixed equipment cannot – Because of the distance between apparatus and the emergency scene – Because there are obstructions that block light and need to be overcome – Portable lights commonly range from 300 to 1000 watts of power – Power can be supplied by a cord from either a vehicle-mounted power source or a portable source – Many portable lights are mounted on telescoping stands which allows them to be used more effectively 7 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Lighting Equipment (continued) Fixed – vehicle-mounted – Provide overall lighting at emergencies – Can be easily raised, lowered, and turned for maximum effectiveness – The mounting poles often allow for both vertical and horizontal movement – Often mounted on a hydraulic boom with a bank of lights that can generate between 500 to 1,500 watts of power per light – Lighting should be matched with the power source to be effective. Failing to do so may overtax the power source and damage the unit, restricting the availability of power for other tools, and providing overall poor lighting at the scene 8 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Auxiliary Electrical Equipment Auxiliary electrical equipment – facilitates the use of power supplies and lighting equipment – Electrical cables and extension cords Stored in coils, rewind reels, or portable reels Should be waterproof, intrinsically safe, adequately insulated, and no exposed wires 9 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Auxiliary Electrical Equipment (continued) Junction boxes – May be used when firefighters need to make multiple connections to operate and supply power for tools needed at the scene – They are supplied by one outlet and supply several additional outlets for use at the scene – Should be equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter that conforms to NFPA 70 (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace) 10 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Auxiliary Electrical Equipment (continued) Mutual aid agreements should ensure that cooperating departments have the same type of equipment available for use by all departments at the scene. Adapters may be necessary. 11 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Equipment Maintenance Maintenance of power supplies, as well as lighting equipment and accessories, is crucial to maintaining response readiness for fire service emergency response personnel Refer to the manufacturer’s specifications and instructions for each piece of equipment for usage and maintenance recommendations specific to it 12 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Equipment Maintenance (continued) Generators (general maintenance) – Inspect spark plugs and replace if necessary – Inspect the carburetor for leaks – Check the fuel level and fill if necessary (fuel should be no older than three weeks old; maintain the generator with fresh fuel) – Check the oil level and add as necessary – Start and run the generator, and run tests as specified in the maintenance manual – Only certified service personnel should perform repairs on the generator 13 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Equipment Maintenance (continued) Electrical equipment (general maintenance) – Inspect all cords for frays, damage to the insulation, and missing or bent electrical prongs. Replace as necessary – Operate and test all the lighting equipment. Check each item one at a time, by plugging it into a power source. Do not test multiple cords at one time; that could cause a circuit overload – Check and change light bulbs if required. Bulbs should be cool before changing them, and unplugged from the power source 14 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Equipment Maintenance (continued) Work area (general maintenance) – All tools and equipment need to be returned to their proper storage site to be ready for future use – All maintenance and repairs on equipment need to be documented in organized maintenance logs 15 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Scene Safety Using Power Supplies and Lighting Equipment NFPA 1500 limits emergency operations to those operations that can be completed safely by personnel on the scene – To meet the requirements of NFPA 1500, company officers must Accept responsibility for all company members Control access to the scene Appoint a Safety Officer Use power supplies, lighting, and associated equipment to help departments maintain scene safety and the safety of firefighters working at those scenes 16 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Resources , Essentials of Firefighting (5 th Edition), International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA). Photographs used with permission from IFSTA (Slides 4, 5, 8) 17 Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.