The determination of ground rates of travel by fire crews using escape routes in variable fuel types and terrain factors.
Gary R. Dakin
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
Wildland Fire Operations Research Centre
1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, Alberta Canada T7V 1V3
Phone(780) 778 – 3249 Fax (780) 865 – 8266
http://fire.feric.ca
Abstract
In Alberta an important part of fire safety training is LACES, which is a simple acronym to remind fire fighters to establish Lookouts, Anchor points, Communications, Escape routes and Safety zones. Escape routes and safety zones are key criteria that influence fire fighter safety. Escape routes are predetermined pathways used by fire fighters to reach a safety zone. Safety zones offer fire fighters a safe refuge from burn over when threatening fire behavior occurs. The ability of a wildland fire fighter to reach a safety zone in enough time to ensure personal safety requires investigation. This project will determine ground travel speeds for Alberta crews in a variety of Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) fuel types and terrain conditions.
The objectives of this project are to document the travel rates of various types of Alberta fire crews in four common FBP fuel types and on three slope categories to develop a field guide of crew rates of travel. The field guide can be used by fire fighters and fire bosses to assist in determining the time required to reach a given safety zone.
Keywords: escape routes, safety zones, travel rates, fuel types.
Introduction
In Alberta an important part of fire safety training is LACES, which is a simple acronym to remind fire fighters to establish Lookouts, use Anchor points, have good Communications, and have known Escape routes and Safety zones.
Escape routes and safety zones are critical for ensuring fire fighter safety. Escape routes are predetermined pathways used by fire fighters to reach a safety zone. Safety zones offer firefighters a safe refuge from the possibility of 'burn over' when threatening fire behavior occurs.
The ability of a wildland fire fighters to reach a safety zone in enough time to ensure their and the crew’s safety requires investigation. This project will determine ground travel speeds for Alberta crews in a variety of FBP fuel types and terrain conditions.
The specific objectives of this research project are to:
· measure travel rates of Alberta fire crew members in four FBP fuel types and over three slope classes;
· classify escape route travel rate information for Type One-Rappel (including HAC sustained action), Type One, Type Two (contract), and Type Three (emergency fire fighting crews) to establish whether travel rates vary based on crew type;
· develop a field guide of crew rates of travel (m/min) by fuel type and slope, which can then be used by fire fighters to determine the time required to reach a given safety zone.
The study will attempt to answer the following seven questions:
1. At what rate does a fire crew travel?
2. Do travel rates vary depending on fuel type?
3. Are there differences in travel rates of individuals carrying equipment and packs or without their equipment or packs?
4. Do travel rates vary based on crew type?
5. Do travel rates differ between an improved route vs. a natural escape route?
6. How does slope influence travel rates?
7. How closely do test results reflect an individual’s maximum physical performance?
Field trials will be conducted in the Whitecourt Fire Management District on pre-established routes through four selected fuel types.
Methodology
Four types of fire crews employed in Alberta will be used as subjects for the experiment. Each crew consists of up to eight people, and data will be collected for each individual. Three groups of each type of crew will be evaluated.
Routes of travel representative of the various Alberta fuel types will be measured and set out in the Whitecourt area. The four Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) fuel types selected are:
O-1b (standing grass),
S-1 or S-2 (Pine or spruce slash),
C-2 (Boreal spruce), and
C-3 (Mature pine).
Each test route will be 250 meters (m) in length. Two types of routes will be used; improved and natural (or unimproved). Improved routes will have branches trimmed and deadfall removed. The natural routes will be flagged only to establish the travel corridor with each test route conducted in an area not previously traveled.
Crewmembers will complete each test with and without equipment. A standard issue pack with 15 pounds of gear and a fire shovel will be carried as basic equipment. Standard fireline personal protective equipment and clothing will be worn in all tests.
Heart rates will be measured using a heart rate monitor attached around the chest, and this data will be downloaded directly into a laptop computer. Data on distance and time for each participant will be recorded.
An attempt will be made to run all tests under similar environmental conditions: air temperature, humidity, wind speed, site conditions and time of day. These will be recorded for each test.
Initially crewmembers will complete the shuttle test on the first morning to determine their base physical fitness. Each person will run the shuttle test wearing a heart rate monitor and will run until they can no longer meet the rhythm of the test. This will provide baseline peak heart rate information to determine the fitness level and the degree of individual fatigue during the tests. Crewmembers are expected to complete the field tests at their best speed, while providing for personal safety.
Each crewmember will do all of the following tests (see Table 1) in a random order. Travel times will be recorded at intervals over a distance of 250 meters.
Table 1 illustrates the complete series of trials that must be carried out for each fuel type. The impact of terrain on travel rates will only be investigated for two fuel types, because the entire range of slope classes only occurs therein. Where the influence of slope is considered for a given fuel type, travel rates must be obtained 16 times for each individual crewmember. Only 4 trials need to be carried out by each crewmember in those fuel types for which slope is not a factor.
Table 1. The complete series of trials that must be completed for each fuel type.
Preliminary Results
The Trial commenced in July 2001.
The following data represent preliminary results of tests in two fuels types. The data shows the slowest time for each trial. All tests are 250 m in length and the data compares the times for improved versus natural routes where individuals are carrying their equipment.
Black Spruce (C2) fuel type.
· The Type I crew traveled 118 seconds faster over an improved escape route versus the natural route.
· The Type II crew traveled 60 seconds faster over an improved route versus the natural route.
· The Type III crew traveled 101 seconds faster over an improved escape route versus the natural route.
Grass (O1) fuel type.
· The Type I crew traveled 76 seconds faster over an improved escape route versus the natural route.
· The Type II crew traveled 64 seconds faster over an improved escape route versus the natural route.
· The Type III crew traveled 146 seconds faster over an improved escape route versus the natural route.
Early results show that any time spent identifying and improving an escape route can and will save precious time when the route is required.
Similar results were obtained when doing the trials with no packs in the improved route and natural routes in all of the fuel types. This data is still being processed.
Figure 1. The slowest times recorded in each of the field trials conducted in the Black Spruce and grass fuel types on level terrain.
PN Pack Natural
PI Pack Improved
NPN No Pack Natural
NPI No Pack Improved
Acknowledgments
Wildland Fire Operations Research Centre - Hinton
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC)
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development; Forest Protection Division
Whitecourt Fire Management District
Whitecourt HAC
Alexander Type II Crew
Whitecourt Type III Crew
Canadian Forest Service
University of Alberta
References
Butler, B.W., Cohen, J.D., Putman, T., Bartlette, R.A. and Bradshaw, L.S.(2000). A Method for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Fire Fighter Escape Routes. Proceedings from the International Wildfire Safety Summit Edmonton, Alberta Oct 10-12, 2000.
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