University of Nevada Reno, Fire Science Academy’s Tank Firefighting for Structural Firefighters Program
Published: 11 June, 2009
George Quick, Assistant Director for Programs and Operations of the University of Nevada, Reno Fire Science Academy, emphasises the importance of storage tank fire training for non-industrial departments who deal with high risks in their immediate vicinity.
The majority of training for storage tank firefighting is carried out by refinery fire departments, which tend to be well equipped and prepared to handle these type incidents. However, in the United States thousands of storage tanks are located far away from any refinery. The responsibility to respond to incidents involving these tanks rest with the local structural fire department. These departments range in size from large metropolitan departments to small volunteer fire departments. Many of these departments have received little if any training in fire suppression involving storage tanks. Incidents involving these can occur at any of the marketing or distribution terminals located throughout the country.
In order to address some of the training needed by these departments, the University of Nevada Reno, Fire Science Academy in cooperation with the US Department of Energy offers fully funded training to structural firefighters from across the country. Over the four years this program has been in place over 2,200 firefighters from all 50 states, American Samoa and the District of Columbia have attended this training.
The training has provided an overview of storage tank construction, emergency response strategy and fire suppression tactics. The course aimed to give attendees an awareness of how to identify different types of storage tanks and the fire suppression challenges and procedures to be used with each type. Photos, diagrams and video footage of storage tanks and storage tank incidents are used to illustrate the various challenges that can be encountered when extinguishing a storage tank fire.
The proper application of foam is covered using examples drawn from real life experience. The final event in the training curriculum was the extinguishment of a 70-foot (21.3 metre) tank fire using a standard structural pumper with an external around the pump proportioning system. This type of equipment can provide foam flows adequate for tanks up to 125 foot in diameter. This allows structural departments to develop foam flows capable of handling the majority of storage tanks at distribution terminals.
The fire is allowed to pre-burn for about three minutes and then extinguished using foam applied from a standard portable monitor. For many of these departments this is their first chance to experience a large volume foam delivery. The overall goal of the program is to increase the ability of the attendees to access their department’s readiness to handle fires involving storage tanks.
