Learning to Fight the Invisible Flame

by

Eva Hoffman

The most frightening part of a natural gas fire is that it often burns 20 to 30 feet away from the fuel source. "You can barely see what you're up against, if at all," said NAFED Director-at-Large Tom Farruggia, Illinois Fire Extinguisher Co., Inc., Addison, Ill. This was just one of the observations Farruggia made following a day-long training session at the Northern Illinois Gas Company (NI-Gas) fire school in Troy Grove, Ill.

The only training facility of its kind in the country, the NI-Gas fire school is run by Bill Skinner, senior safety consultant, who has been with the school for the past 10 years. Since the school opened in 1967 for NI-Gas employees, more than 6,000 NI-Gas employees have participated in fire training.

In 1971, NI-Gas expanded its training program to include municipal and volunteer fire departments. To date, more than 4,000 firefighters have completed NI-Gas fire training.

"We've had firefighters come as far as Southern Illinois, Louisiana and even colorado Springs," said Skinner. In all our experience with firefighters, we've learned what type of training they really need, and we provide it for them."

Recently, members of the Chicago Fire Department attended the school. "They said they'd never seen anything like it," said Skinner.

Each year, a limited number of fire-fighters within the NI-Gas service territory receive special training. "We've had a lot of those firefighters come back and pay for the industrial school training session," said Skinner.

The NI-Gas industrial fire school was started after a number of industrial firms inquired about sending their employees for training. As a result, Skinner conducted a survey about three years ago to find out whether a fire training program for industry was feasible. Survey results were favorable, and in 1990 NI-Gas built the 12-acre fire-training field that houses more than 25 fire props. Industrial fire training began in 1991. Participants experience both simple and complex fires typical in many industrial sites.

Farruggia learned of the unique training opportunity from fellow NAFED member Chuck Gray, Basic Fire Protection, Chicago, who has served as an instructor with the NI-Gas fire school since its inception. Today, Gray's son, Craig, also serves as a NI-Gas fire school instructor, in addition to working with his father in the family business.

Running the fire hose portion of the training session is Jim Johnson, the fire chief from Mendota, Ill. Other instructors are Kyle Simpson, Nick Shank, George Bonner, Duane Kelley, Gary Lechner and Kurt Rockroth. All instructors participate in each day-long session.

The first session Farruggia attended was the one for firefighters. Following an introduction and slide presentation by Skinner, Farruggia and the other trainees were instructed on the use of cartridge-operated extinguishers. The group then donned hard hats, face shields, work gloves and ear plugs, and proceeded to the training field.

One of 25 trainees attending the day-long session, Farruggia had an opportunity to fight 10 types of natural gas fires with pressures between 150 PSI and 600 PSI. Several types of sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate cartridge-operated dry-chemical extinguishers were used, from 5-pound portables to 350-pound wheeled units. At every fire prop, trainees were instructed as to what would happen, how the hazard worked and how the fire should be extinguished. Each prop was demonstrated first by professional staff instructors.

"Working shoulder-to-shoulder with firefighters was a gratifying experience," said Farruggia. "I had a chance to handle a one-and-a-half-inch hose line. In some situations we worked in teams, taking four adjacent hose lines with four people per line to attack a fire."

During the morning session, firefighters were trained on inch-and-a-half hose, used alone and in combination with dry-chemical, cartridge-operated, hand-portable extinguishers along with the hose lines. In the afternoon, trainees used cartridge units and wheeled extinguishers exclusively.

As part of the course, Farruggia also had an opportunity to practice proper maintenance and recharge of the extinguishers he used.

Farruggia was so impressed with the NI-Gas fire school that he attended a second training session - this time in an industrial program. The training session for industrial personnel uses strictly hand-portable and wheeled dry-chemical extinguishers. NI-Gas fire school is the only school open to industry nationwide that uses high-pressure natural gas as well as propane and gasoline in fire simulations. "We've got half a dozen propane props, nine spill fires and 14 natural gas fires," said Skinner. "Some companies want training strictly in propane or gasoline fires, and we're happy to tailor our training program to fit their needs."

NI-Gas fire school has had trainees from oil refineries, chemical companies and even food companies (such as General Mills) from all over North America.

"At the beginning of each industrial training session, I ask participants whether they've ever been to a fire school before. About 90 percent of them have not," said Skinner. "A lot of companies will take their people behind the plant, give them a hand extinguisher, ignite a pan and call it fire training."

"But after coming through our school they know their capabilities and the capabilities of the equipment. They're trained to extinguish a variety of fires," said Skinner. "They also learn how to handle a fire in the incipient stages, when it's still possible to save the plant. They learn when they can handle a fire, and when they should exit the area."

In industrial training, the goal is to teach the trainee how to handle the first two minutes of a fire. "With a natural gas fire, damage has already been done," said Skinner. "The best way to stop it is to close the valve. We tell our trainees if they can't shut off a valve, just let the fire burn and let NI-Gas and the fire department take care of it.

"While it's burning, you know where it is," said Skinner. "If you knock it out, you have raw fuel that will migrate into the structure or elsewhere. Sooner or later, that gas will find a heat source."

After going through these training sessions, I feel I have a lot more expertise to offer a customer who utilizes natural gas, liquid propane or gasoline in his facility," said Farruggia.

"This is a good public relations opportunity for NAFED members. Anyone who has a good customer with a natural gas hazard in the plant could benefit by providing that customer with a day of industrial fire training," said Farruggia. "I guarantee that anyone taking the course will come away impressed with the training props and the professional way in which the training is conducted."

Northern Illinois Gas fire school classes are held between April and October. "Classes fill up pretty fast," said Skinner. "We're going to run about 40 days of fire schools next year, and we expect them to be filled. We'll probably have to add days."

NI-Gas fire school also plans to conduct two-day schools. The second day will add eight more fire scenarios to the 10 provided in the one-day training session. "The fire props become more and more complicated, so the second day of training will teach students how to fight larger and more complex fires," said Skinner.

Registration for the one-day school is less than $300 per student, and includes morning coffee and rolls and a hot buffet lunch. In addition to the protective apparel supplied by NI-Gas, participants must wear above-the-ankle safety shoes and long-sleeved shirts, jackets or coveralls made of natural fibers. No synthetic clothing is allowed. Fire Department and Fire Brigade students may bring turn-out gear.

Effective fire protection depends on personnel who are trained to handle emergencies. It's easy to equip a company with the proper fire protection equipment. But without personnel trained in fire fighting, the equipment can be virtually ineffective. The first two minutes of a fire are crucial. With proper training, employees can keep a fire emergency from getting out of control.

Ni-Gas Fire School's comprehensive course in industrial fire control teaches extinguisher capabilities, application techniques, maintenance and recharge, all in one day. Anyone who has completed the course will have the ability to approach a fire with confidence and handle an emergency. Having an employee attend the NI-Gas fire school can help a company avoid substantial property losses and, most importantly, help prevent injuries and loss of life.

For further information on NI-Gas fire school contact Bill Skinner at 708/983-8676, ext. 2777.

Reprinted from FireWatch!