1. General Monitoring Practices Sugar Grove Fire Department Training and Education

2. General Monitoring First responders must be able to use available resources to estimate the potential harm within the endangered area during a CO investigation

3. General Monitoring Definition of “Monitoring” –The characterization of an atmosphere utilizing instrumentation ie: using the MSA FiveStar® 4-gas monitor to investigate a CO incident

4. General Monitoring Monitoring Terminology –Combustible Gas Indicator –Flammable Range LEL UEL –IDLH –Oxygen Enriched –Oxygen Deficient –Recovery Time

5. Monitoring Terminology –Relative Response –Toxic Gas Sensor –Vapor Density –Vapor Pressure –Volatility General Monitoring

6. General Monitoring Guidelines Solids Stay Liquids Lay Low Gases Go

7. General Monitoring Types of Monitoring Modes –Recon –Operational

8. General Monitoring Recon Monitoring –Top of the “RISK” ladder –Must use the buddy system –Objective is to identify and verify presence of hazardous condition –Observe and monitor

9. General Monitoring Operational Monitoring –IDLH condition –Flammability –Changing conditions Different areas New product discovery Final monitoring

10. General Monitoring Proper Detection –Dependent factors: Proper monitoring equipment Proper technique Proper product identification

11. General Monitoring Common Monitoring Errors –Wrong monitoring equipment –Activating the monitoring device once entry has been made into the hazardous environment –Monitoring technique is too fast –Not monitoring according to physical property of actual substance

12. General Monitoring Common Monitoring Errors –Poor maintenance –No initial monitoring performed –No secondary monitoring performed –User is not aware or familiar of monitor’s detection capabilities

13. General Monitoring Initial Monitoring Guidelines –Evacuate/rescue occupants –Talking with the occupancy owner –Detection devices working

14. General Monitoring Initial Monitoring Guidelines –Backup team in place (if necessary) –Communication pathways have been established Radio Face to face –Hand signals

15. General Monitoring Monitoring Priorities –Radioactivity –Corrosive vapors –O2 levels –Flammability –Toxicity

16. Threshold Limit Value IDLHPhysical Description Flash Point Vapor Density Vapor Pressure LEL Carbon Monoxide 35 PPM NIOSH 50 PPM IDOL 1200 PPM Colorless and Odorless gas NA0.97>35 atm12.5% Hydrogen Sulfide 10 PPM NIOSH 20 PPM IDOL 100 PPMColorless gas with strong odor of rotten eggs NA1.1917.6 atm4.0% Propane 1000 PPM NIOSH & IDOL 2100 PPM Colorless and Odorless gas NA1.558.4 atm2.1% MSA FiveStar® 4-Gas Monitor Specific Product Characteristics All product information and characteristics taken from the 1997 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

17. General Monitoring Instruments –Used to assess IDLH –Help in setting up zones –Identify appropriate personal protective equipment to be worn Level “D”: Structural firefighting gear

18. General Monitoring Safety of Devices –Certified as: Intrinsically safe UL listed

19. General Monitoring Direct Reading Monitoring Equipment –O2 indicators –Combustible gas indicators Flammability –Toxic gas indicators CO, H2S

20. General Monitoring Performance Characteristics –Reliability –Cross sensitivity –Detection limits –Operating limits

21. General Monitoring Performance Characteristics –Response time –Calibration –Relative response

22. General Monitoring Ease of Operation –Can it be operated and read while wearing Level “D” protection? –How long is the warm up time? –Do you need a bachelor degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in monitoring to operate the detection device?

23. General Monitoring Pre-Monitoring Checks –Battery checks –Instrument properly calibrated –Ensure all attachments, filters, and tubing are in working order

24. General Monitoring Other Considerations –Move slowly from the outside perimeter, use a cross motion to sample –Monitor’s reading time could take up to 30 seconds –Be conscious of the substance’s physical property –Be aware of the substance’s vapor density

25. General Monitoring Safety Reminder –Monitors are only as good as the personnel trained to utilize them –Aerosols, gases, vapors are dynamic and tend to change constantly –Operations trained first responders should understand what type of readings they will find

26. General Monitoring Safety Reminder –As responders obtain readings, they should record the values and their locations –ONCE AN INSTRUMENT REACHES AN ALARM POINT, THE RESPONDER SHOULD LEAVE THE AREA

27. General Monitoring Summary –The information provided by monitoring is important throughout the duration of the incident Have the interventions the responding company has provided improved, worsened, or unchanged the conditions?

28. Monitoring Activity

29. CO Incident Response Guidelines

30. CO without illness –Still Engine Non-emergency response CO with illness –Chief –Still Engine –Still Ambulance Emergency response

31. CO Incident Operations Guidelines

32. CO without illness –Ensure firefighter and resident safety –Investigate the occupancy for the presence of CO –Monitor the present level of CO –Determine a source or location of the CO release

33. CO Incident Operations Guidelines CO without illness –Discontinue the release of CO –Ventilate appropriately –Re-monitor the occupancy and note any improvement, worsening, or unchanged CO levels –Document the incident accordingly

34. CO Incident Operations Guidelines CO with illness –Immediately remove the person(s) from the suspected potential exposures –Triage and assess the patients Treat per Greater Elgin Area Pre-hospital standing operating guidelines Transport if necessary –Observe use of proper personal protective equipment Level “D” structural firefighting gear –Investigate the occupancy for the presence of CO –Monitor the present level of CO

35. CO Incident Operations Guidelines CO with illness –Determine a source or location of the CO release –Discontinue the release of CO –Ventilate appropriately –Re-monitor the occupancy and note any improvement, worsening, or unchanged CO levels –Document the incident accordingly

36. CO Incident Operations Guidelines Post-Incident Documentation –Firehouse® Software NFIRS Report

37. General Monitor Operations Section 4

38. General Monitor Operations

39. Morning Check Out –Ensure the unit has been serviced within the last year by service tag –Remove the unit into a fresh outside air environment –Turn the monitor on by depressing the “on/off” button –The monitor will perform its warm up operation General Monitor Operations

40. Morning Check Out –Do not perform the “Fresh Air Set-Up” –Allow the monitor to obtain its readings –Shut the monitor off by depressing the “on/off” button when finished Be sure all normal values are restored before shutting off General Monitor Operations

41. Carbon Monoxide Incidents –Remove the unit into a fresh outside air environment –Turn the monitor on by depressing the “on/off” button –The monitor will perform its warm up operation –Do not perform the “Fresh Air Set-Up” General Monitor Operations

42. Carbon Monoxide Incidents –Allow the monitor to obtain its readings –Begin the investigation within the occupancy –Shut the monitor off by depressing the “on/off” button when finished Be sure all values are normal before shutting off General Monitor Operations

43. Common Sources to Investigate for CO –Furnaces –Hot water heaters –Fireplaces –Kerosene heaters General Monitor Operations

44. Common Sources to Investigate for CO –Gasoline engines running inside garages or basements –BBQ grills –Faulty flues or exhaust pipes General Monitor Operations

45. Capabilities of the Monitoring Device –CO: Carbon Monoxide –O2: Oxygen –H2S: Hydrogen Sulfide –Combustibility General Monitor Operations

46. Use of the Sampling Pump –Battery operated pump that automatically samples the environment being monitored Advantages v. Disadvantages Manufacturer’s Recommendation General Monitor Operations

47. Questions? Comments? Thank you for attending today’s training!