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• Recognizing the dangers we are facing today

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Today we face even more danger.

• Dec. 1991 President Bush signs a law requiring
  an air bag phase-in starting with the 94 model
  year. Deadlines for passenger air bags ALL
  1998 model year cars, ALL 1999 model year
  trucks.

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What has that got to do with us ?

• Because of the larger bags, manufactures had
  to find larger gas capacities.
• So they developed the compressed gas cylinder.
  

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These cylinders contain 3000 psi of Argon gas.
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Unlike Sodium Azide that burns, these cylinders
explode in fire.
Throwing Shrapnel In all directions !!
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Shrapnel ?

• In one incident they found 32 pieces, and in
  trying to reconstruct the cylinder, they made up
  approximately one forth of it.
• Do we need new training ?
• Lets See !!

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Passenger Air Bags Contain One.
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Side Impact Air Bags Have One.
All 4 doors
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Head Protection Air Bags Have One.
Both Sides
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Side Curtain Air Bags Have One.
Both Sides In C Post
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Seat Air Bags Have One.
Both Sides Front And Rear
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SEAT AND CARPET AIRBAGS
Drivers Side
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Knee Air Bags Contain One
Both Sides
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Saturn side impact airbag system shows the
stored gas inflator module on the D-pillar.
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Stored gas inflator module for the roof
airbagsecured directly to the A-pillar,
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The stored gas inflator modules on this Volvo
station wagonare located on the roof edge, just
behind the C-pillar.
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Stored Gas Inflator inside roof rail area
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The gas inflator module of this Mercedes
vehicleis positioned along the rear edge of the
roof.
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We have no time to think about it.

• With the help of Capt. Gray Rhodes, of the Ft.
  Worth bomb squad, we timed many types of these
  canisters to see how much heat they could stand.
• With just the heat of a flare, that you hold in
  your hand, most exploded in 20-30 seconds

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Door Air Bag
Point of Detonation
Bunker
13 seconds
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And This Is Just The Beginning !

• Knock the fire down, then reach in the
  window, and in a circular motion put the fire
  out.
• Do you still want to stick your head in the
  window ?

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Just the Beginning ?

• Lets take a look at another danger.
• Pyrotechnic Inflators

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We seen the films of two air bags exploding.

• One showed a piece of the housing 100 feet behind
  the car, after it came through the metal roof of
  the car.
• Looking at the model of the car in the film, we
  know, this was a single drivers frontal air bag.
• These types are made to deploy at 350 degrees, at
  200 -300 mph depending on the manufacturer.

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Single drivers frontal air bag.
Steering Wheel Air Bag
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2003

• The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208,
  states that 35 of all vehicles in the United
  States, must be equipped with smart air bags, by
  the 2004 model year, and 100 by 2007.
• The 2006 Models Well Soon Be On The Market
• What is a smart air bag ?

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Dual Stages
Two Inflators In One Air Bag
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Now Do You Want To Stick Your Head In The Window
??

• These have two inflators in one air bag.
• One is a low side, and the other the high side,
  or both can ignite at the same time to make a
  third stage.
• But for us, in a fire, this is two hand grenades
  with the pins already pulled.
• And just like the single ones, they are preset to
  ignite at 350 degrees.

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Some Passenger air bags use pyrotechnic inflators

• These too come in single and dual stages.

Low Side
High Side
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Seat Belt Pretensioners
Pyrotechnic Charge
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Another type
Explosive Tensioner
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I have had a lot of people say these are in the
expensive European cars.
Any Dodge Pick-ups in your town ?
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Or Ford, Are They European ?
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Any Saturn's ?
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VW s ?
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VW C-Post
Both Sides
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Same One From Inside Trunk View
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Lexus B-Post
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Reality Check !!!!

• Unlike a structure fire, where we turn off the
  utilities.
• Unlike extrication, where we cut the battery
  cables and kill the pyrotechnics.
• Unlike extrication where we rip out the panels
  and see to cut around the gas cylinders.
• We fight these on their turf.

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Reality Is !!!

• Cutting Battery cables, Is not going to stop
  pyrotechnic inflators from igniting, electricity
  or not.
• At 350 Degrees They Are Going To Explode !!!

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Another Reality !!!

• Manufactures chose argon gas, because argon has a
  very high rate of expansion, when exposed to
  very little heat.
• I Failed to mention before that inside these gas
  cylinders is a very small charge that when
  ignited, heats the argon, causing it to expand
  and fill the air bag .

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Remember

• These cylinders are about 1 to 1 1/2 inches by 6
  inches with 3000 psi, and that little charge
  heats it enough to fill a passenger side air bag,
  at 200-300 mph
• What will the heat of a fully involved vehicle
  fire do ? No question about it
  !!!
• They Are Going To Blow-up !

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Another Reality !!!

• Manufactures chose argon gas, because argon has a
  very high rate of expansion, when exposed to
  very little heat.
• I Failed to mention before that inside these gas
  cylinders is a very small charge that when
  ignited, heats the argon, causing it to expand
  and fill the air bag .

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Lets Look At Another Danger We Face Today.
Gas Struts
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Look Harmless ?

• In one article, on the internet, both of the hood
  struts blew out like arrows.
• One was found 255 feet down the road, stuck half
  way up the shaft, in the ground.
• The other was never found !!

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In Another Article.

• One strut blew out, went through the metal core
  support, through the head light bulb,
• Then totally pierced a firefighters glove and
  hand.
• Harmless ?

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Notice The Shaft Is On The Inside Of The Leg
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Notice The Shaft Is On The Outside Of The Leg
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Now, I Ask Again.

• Is It Time
• To Change Our
• Training ??

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These Are Found In Many Areas.

• They are used to hold Hoods up.
• They are used on Hatchbacks.
• They are used on Trunk Lids.
• Many SUVs have them mounted directly to the Back
  Glass.
• Some even use them on the Spare Tire Cover in the
  bottom of the trunk.
• Most Fiber Glass Pick-up Toppers use them

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Ford Hood
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Trunk Lids
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SUV Back Hatch
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Fiber Glass Camper Tops
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But, In Looking At Incident Reports There Seems
To Be One That Really Stands Out !!!

• Caution !!!

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Ford F-150 Pick-up
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F-150 Hood Strut
Gas Cylinder
Shaft
Nylon Socket
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Why ?

• First of all, the nylon socket melts, leaving the
  shaft end loose under the hood.
• Secondly, the F-150 hood is made of Aluminum.
  This metal melts at very low temperatures,
  allowing the hood to just disintegrate, leaving
  the hot struts wide open.
• Thirdly, Nitrogen has a very high expansion rate
  when heated, building pressure in the cylinder.
  

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This Truck Is Loaded With 2004 Ford F-150
Pick-ups
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Notice The Aluminum Hood Gone.
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Another Danger We Face.

• In an effort to reduce the weight of today's
  vehicles, manufactures are using a lot of light
  weight metals for engine, and frame parts. One
  being
• Magnesium

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Magnesium
Strong And Light Weight
Auto Makers Are Using It More Each Year
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This Metal Burns
It is Very Hard To Put Out
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Caution ! Violent Reaction To Water
Notice The Small Amount Of Water
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Magnesium's Reaction To Water
Notice The Violent Flair-up
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Magnesium Grill Burnt Its Self Out After 100s
Of Gallons Of Water Failed To Extinguish It.
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Firefighters To Close, Beware !!
Molten Metal In Reaction To Water
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Jeep Cherokee Steering Column
Delray Beach Fla.
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One Danger We Think Little Of !

• In this same effort to reduce the weight of the
  vehicle, manufactures have started using a lot of
  hydrocarbon based plastics polyurethane,
  polypropylene, and many others.
• Unlike the old metal cars, with cotton seats,
  these generate hundreds of toxic gases.
• They also melt, adding fuel to the fire, for
  hotter fires.

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But One Of These Plastic Components, Most Of Us
Do Not Realize Exists !!

• Many of today's cars are equipped with
• Polyurethane
• Gas Tanks

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Polyurethane Gas Tank
Average 12-22 gal.
These tanks melt very quickly !!
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Fuel Spillage !!

• In a matter of minutes these tanks can melt,
  spilling as much as 22 gal. of heated gas, on the
  ground, right at the firefighters feet.
• It can also form a down hill stream of fire,
  spreading to other exposures.

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When A Tank Dumps Its Fuel !!
Notice The Fast Spreading Ring Of Fire Where
Firefighters Would Be Standing
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Or, A Down Hill Stream Of Fire !Spreading To
Other Exposures
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2004 Ford Ranger Gas Tank
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But, These Tanks Are Just One Part Of A
Pressurized System.

• Older vehicles gas tanks vented through the gas
  cap, directly into the atmosphere.
• In an effort to protect the environment
  manufactures now use Sealed-Pressurized Systems.
  These systems vent into charcoal canisters.
• These systems hold a constant fuel pressure of
  15-90 psi at all times.

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Presenting Another Danger.

• The fuel is Pumped from the tank, by an electric
  fuel pump, inside the tank.
• It travels through Plastic Fuel Lines, that
  stretch from the tank, the full length of the
  frame, to the engine.
• These Lines Melt Very Quickly in a fire, and with
  15-90 psi pressure they can spray hot gasoline
  under the car, fueling the fire.

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Sealed Pressurized Fuel Systems.
Polyurethane Tank
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Acura Fuel system
Note Fuel Lines
Filter
Pressurized Fuel System
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Now That We Have Seen Some Of The New Dangers We
Face,

• Lets take a
• Break
• And think about them