Essay On Nozzle In Firefighting

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Nozzles Used in Firefighting Modern day firefighting nozzles can be divided into three main types, smoothbore, fog, and broken stream. For arguments sake this paper will focus on the smoothbore and fog nozzles, as they are the most widely accepted to be used for direct fire attack, as opposed to the broken stream nozzle. Typically both types of nozzles have some type of control valve attached which allows the operator to start, stop or reduce the flow of water to the nozzle discharge. Smoothbore Nozzle The original nozzle used in the fire service was the smooth bore. The nozzle itself is a simple design with no moving parts, typically comprised of cast or machined metal that allows water to take shape as it leaves the opening. The smoothbore …show more content…

Three educational categories of fire behavior as they apply to fire streams are, fire development, thermal layering, and flashover.
Fire Development When the four components of the fire tetrahedron are brought together, ignition occurs. For a fire to grow beyond the first material ignited heat must be transmitted by conduction, convection, or radiation, to additional fuel packages. In the early stages of a fire, heat rises to form a plume of hot gas and products of combustion. Fires in compartments are more complex than those in the open (IFSTA, 2013). In a compartment the plume is affected by the walls and ceiling. As the hot gases rise , they begin to spread outward until they reach the walls. Once the gases reach the walls they are confined and the depth of the gas layer increases from the ceiling towards the floor. If enough fuel and oxygen is available the fire continues to grow, and the overall temperature of the compartment and gas layer increases. The temperatures increase to a point when all combustible materials in the room have reached their own ignition temperatures. Flashover occurs when these materials ignite almost spontaneously. Once ignited and all combustibles in the compartment are burning the fire is said to be fully developed. The fire begins to decay …show more content…

The question Dunn poses is, "How long can a firefighter take 1,000ºf to 1,500ºf temperatures." Dunn states that in a room that has just flashed over, and a firefighter, who is five feet inside the doorway at one-half foot per second, he will feel 1,000ºf-1,500ºf temperatures for two seconds. Firefighters who are ten feet inside the room when it flashes over and try to escape will experience 1,000ºf to 1,500ºf for four seconds. According to Dunn the point of no return for firefighters in a room that is flashing over is five feet. Beyond five feet, structural turnouts do not afford enough thermal protection to provide a good chance of survival (Vestal & Bridge,

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