FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

among all men's natural allies none can turn and strike with more sudden and savage force than fire in the past 12 months fires in the United States have destroyed millions of dollars worth of equipment in key defense plant tons of strategic raw materials in storage warehouses whole ducts loaded with war supplies ready for shipment abroad against the threat of fire at u.s. naval air stations officers and men are constantly alert to the sudden appearance of fire flag a signal which can mean only one thing a fire drill first man to sight these fire flags turns in an alarm from the administration building the alarm is sent out to all fire stations where additional alarm signal the fire drill to all points on the station men regardless of what activity they may be engaged in rush to answer the fire drill call [Music] [Applause] [Music] the fire truck always located at a central easily accessible point is rushed to the scene all available portable equipment has also brought up as men report to the assigned fire stations in a scene of apparent confusion the results of careful planning and constant will quickly become evident in case of actual emergency the fire would be localized by moving nearby planes out of danger [Music] or the men who might have to fight fire at close quarters there are asbestos fireproof suits men with no definite fire stations report to a central point from which they are assigned to specific duties as soon as all fire stations have been man according to an exact plan of organization the fire is assumed to have been put out and the fire drill is ended in each Naval Air Station there is a fire and crash Phil it is your duty to be familiar at all times with the location of your name on this board for fire station assignments are frequently changed it is your responsibility to study the layout of your own air station so that in case of emergency you will know the various types of firefighting equipment and their location here are located the 15-pound charred co2 extinguishers on this map bar spotted the heavy mobile home ID extinguisher [Music] here are identified the locations of the portable format extinguishers you must remember that these are used to smother electrical and chemical fires hear the fire alarm boxes which signal to the men on the station the exact location of the fire here the fire hydrant here the oil burner remote control shutoffs or in case of fire the flow of oil to all burners must be stopped at once here the signals which report the alarm directly to the administration building in the hangars additional automatic protection is afforded by the overhead sprinkler system [Music] it is your responsibility to study the printed direction so that you will know how to use the large multiple fire extinguishers which are placed at convenient points around the hangars and on the field largest and heaviest of all firefighting apparatus is the fire truck jam-packed with fire axes and holds extinguishers and chemicals at all times this equipment must be kept ready for instant use the motorcycle truck is also used for firefighting at many stations it contains such portable equipment as various types of fire extinguishers asbestos suits and the large pressure equipment with its rail and holes early every morning at all US Naval Air stations before the planes are warmed up small portable fire bottles are taken from the hangars and made ready for distribution along the flying line one for every ship these extinguishers are located not more than 50 feet away from any flame or grate all the fire hazards to the ships on the line and to safeguard them strictest precautions must be taken the airplane itself also has firefighting equipment the large extinguisher you see here affords automatic fire protection for the engine and the compartment as an apprentice on duty at all naval air stations you will learn that every plane also has portable firefighting equipment in every cockpit within easy reach of the pilots you will find a hand extinguisher usually operated by a trigger note that the horn can be placed in any of several directions depending upon the need before demonstrating how the equipment works the instructor will show you some of the places where fire is most likely to break out you will also learn how to cut down the risk of fire at these points you will examine the exhaust ports and make certain they are tight and secure you must be on the lookout for any cracks which may have developed along the seams and welded joints make sure that there is no leak from the carburetor or the air maze and that there is no dirt plugging the carburetor drain when fabric is highly inflammable be sure that none of the exhaust comes in contact with it this is a demonstration of how the automatic fire extinguisher works you pull the safety valve and clouds of co2 smother the flame in the engine compartment now for a demonstration of the hand fire extinguisher you loosen the cap at the top and point the nozzle directly at the base of the plane in a matter of seconds even flaming gasoline soaked rags are extinguished [Music] smothering the flames with co2 is one of the most effective ways to put out a fire in every hanger you will find posted fire prevention regulations you should be thoroughly familiar with these rules before entering a hangar you must make sure that cigarettes are definitely out do not leave this matter to chance [Music] when washing down planes do not use a highly inflammable fluid such as gasoline kerosene is on the list of approved cleaners because friction will not cause it to ignite you will learn that there are places for making repairs that might endanger the entire hangar well you're not going to do that here take that pond off and in the shop one slip for them hot iron and this fabric and we'll be playing farming all over this place any oil or grease should be wiped from the engine immediately oil should not be allowed to accumulate on the floor of the hangar it is a definite fire hazard to avoid oil drips as soon as the oil has stopped raining plug the hole immediately if any oil or grease accumulates you should wipe it up at once you must do a thorough job on this or if you leave even a small amount of oil it can start a fire oil rags are not left flying around the hangar but are taken outside and disposed of promptly to avoid fire by spontaneous combustion trash can such as this should be emptied twice daily all fire prevention regulations are to be strictly observed and must be enforced when an airplane is being refueled you must take special precautions the plane itself must be grounded to prevent static sparks which might ignite the gasoline fumes the fuel truck also is grounded and for possible emergencies carries its own firefighting equipment but to protect the Air Station all of these safety measures are ineffective unless every piece of firefighting equipment is kept in perfect working order fire bottles such as these must be tested regularly and replace that frequent intervals specially designed brackets mark the extinguishers either discharged or fully charged if discharged they are taken to the shop for refilling sand pails must also be refilled and replaced regularly fire buckets filled with sand are often used to extinguish gasoline fire refilling the discharged fire extinguishers is work which requires accuracy and precision the weight of each extinguisher is checked on special scales to tell when the bottle is fully charged even on a station well protected by firefighting equipment and men trained in its use the carelessness or breach of regulations of one man may result in fire [Music] following men will report to the fire station [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] everything's under control sir very well sound secure today as fires break out from time to time in the vast industrial plants of the nation and hamper the defense effort men of the Navy officers and blue jackets fully realized the devastating effect of fire an effect which can be reduced only by careful planning and organization by trained men and unceasing vigilance [Music]