Underwriters Laboratories Wins DHS Grant to Enhance Firefighter Safety

September 24, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

Conducted in cooperation with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Chicago Fire Department and University of Maryland Fire Protection Department, the Firefighter Safety Research Project will:

• Investigate the structural stability of engineered lumber.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of extinguishing agents used to fight fires in modern structures.

"The Firefighter Safety Research Project will provide the fire community with an even better understanding of the evolving issues in fighting fires and help develop alternative methods and materials to further advance fire science" said Tom Chapin, UL director of R&D.

"It is the next logical step in our ongoing efforts to systematically address modern-day fire growth behavior and protect all of us from property damage and loss of life in structural fires."

Lightweight wooden trusses, made with engineered lumber, are found in 65% of new residential and commercial developments, according to the Wood Truss Council of America. Allowing for faster, more cost-effective construction, recent anecdotal evidence has indicated that lightweight wood trusses may become unstable and collapse more quickly in fire situations than traditional trusses.

"The research conducted under this grant should shed new light on an issue we've long-suspected was causing instability for firefighters and leading to injuries," said IAFC President Chief Steven Westermann.

Previous research by the National Engineered Lightweight Construction Fire Research Project indicated that unprotected lightweight wood truss assemblies can fail within six to 13 minutes of exposure to fire.

Between 1998 and 2003, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) attributed 13 firefighter fatalities and nine firefighter injuries to the collapse of buildings built with lightweight wood trusses. During the same timeframe, five fatalities and two injuries are attributed to collapses of buildings with heavy timber, solid-joist lumber truss construction.

"Building and roof collapse are the most dangerous elements of fire fighting," said Raymond Orozco, Chicago Fire Department Fire commissioner. "This grant, and the subsequent data developed, will prove invaluable in establishing procedures that minimize risk and maximize safe suppression techniques."

The second part of the research project will evaluate the effectiveness of various extinguishing foams in residential fire situations and provide information to help national fire service organizations design new firefighting tactics, develop Web-based training programs and increase overall firefighter safety.

The Firefighter Safety Research Project is the latest UL R&D project designed to advance the DHS goal to eliminate residential fire deaths by 2020. In May, UL completed a study that investigated 27 synthetic and natural materials and various combinations of materials now most commonly found in homes.

As a result, UL is now strongly recommending that consumers use both photoelectric and ionization technologies to optimize detection and permit the best available escape time in residential fire situations.

UL expects the research project to take one year and anticipates a report on the findings in early 2009.

Source: Underwriters Laboratories (UL).