The course provides the on-board firefighting team members with notions of flashover and useful techniques to fight and avoid it.

THEORETICAL ASPECTS

Flashover Theories

• Firefighting general aspects
• Pyrolysis – with practical examples of this chemical reaction
• Combustion (homogeneous and heterogeneous)
• Combustibles (main characteristics of different combustibles)
• Combustion propagation: convection, conduction and irradiation
• Heat and temperature
• Mixed flame and diffusion flame (practical example-use of Bunsen burner)
• Products of combustion (black smoke in case of fires in confined spaces)
• Dangers of combustion products (possibility of fire propagation, high temperature and toxicity)
• Control of combustion (what component of combustion has the control on the process)
• Theory on extinguishing foams
• Flash over
• Definition of Flashover
• Heat release rate
• Neutral plan and augmentation of pressure because of the smoke
• Dynamic evaluation of what happens in the phases that precede flashover
• Flashover inducted by ventilation
• Analysis of a real case of flashover
• Phenomena occuring in spaces with limited quantity of comburent
• Gas self-ignition
• Backdraft (definition of backdraft)
• Dynamic evaluation of what happens in the phases that precede backdraft
• Convection current return
• Triggering modalities
• Analysis of a real case of backdraft
• Smoke gas explosion
• Definition of smoke gas explosion
• Dynamic evaluation of what happens in the phases that precede smoke gas explosion
• Analysis of a real case of smoke gas explosion

PRACTICAL TRAINING

Practical training in the use of respiratory protective devices in internal fires (flashover simulator and hot smoke)

Preparatory activities outside the flashover simulator

• Equipment checks and PPE preparation
• Test of launch techniques that will be used inside the flashover simulator
• Instruction on what will occur inside the flashover simulator
• Pre-entry briefing

Activities inside the simulator

• Delegates positioning inside the simulator (they will be led by the trainers’ instructions to experience different situations)
• Combustible materials triggering
• Observation of combustion process development (drying process of combustible material, production of pyrolysis gases, flame coloration)
• Experience of different perception of heat (convection and irradiation)
• Neutral plan lowering
• Combustion gases triggering to the ceiling (the particular material allow to simulate a smoke fire but keep the condition of safety and liveability high)
• Use of launch techniques
• How to contrast the gases fire
• Direct extinction of the solid combustible involved in the combustion
• End of activities inside the simulator
• Post-intervention activities

APT

None

To provide the emergency team members with knowledge about the flashover phenomenon and techniques to fight and prevent it

Instructors expert in Safety and Prevention fields

Theoretical and practical aspects

Flashover theory:
firefighting general aspects
flash over
phenomena occuring in spaces with limited quantity of comburent
smoke gas explosion

practical training in the use of respiratory protective devices in internal fires (flashover simulator and hot smoke)
preparatory activities outside the flashover simulator
activities inside the simulator
activities after the intervention, outside the simulator