Speaker Notes

Slide 10:

Step 1: Find a place that is free of fuels or has the least amount of fuel possible. If you are able to and have the time, try to clear the site of fuels such as brush, twigs, and leaves. Then, discard packs and remove the shelter

Step 2:  Clear the area (if you have time), in an area of 1,2m by 2,4 m around the shelter

Step 3: shake out the shelter

Shake out your folded fire shelter by grasping the shake handles which are marked “right hand” and “left hand” in black letters. Grasping the incorrect handle with the wrong hand may increase the amount of time it takes to deploy your shelter by a couple of seconds. While such a small amount of time may seem insignificant, every second counts in an emergency deployment situation. Once you have firmly grasped the handles in the correct hands, shake out the shelter. Upon doing so, it should unfold with the opening facing toward your body.

Step 4: get under the shelter

Now that your shelter is unfolded, place it on the ground and lay down inside of it with your feet facing the advancing fire where the shelter will be the hottest. You will want to keep your head and airway as far away as possible from such intense heat. Once you are inside, slip your arms up to your elbows through the hold-down straps which are sewn into the floor panels of the shelter.

Step 5: push out the tops and sides

The next step in proper fire shelter deployment is to push out the top and sides of the shelter away from you while you’re inside of it, making sure that the shelter is completely unfolded and that there aren’t any bunches. Doing so will allow the shelter to hold more cool air and create more distance between you and the sides of the shelter which can become extremely hot.

Step 6: hold the shelter down

Lastly, hold the fire shelter down using your hands, feet, elbows, and legs. Make sure to wear your fire gloves so that you can properly hold down your shelter without burning your hands on the hot material. While inside the shelter, maneuver yourself so that you are laying on your stomach with your nose and mouth on the ground where the air is coolest.


Slide 13:

They should be kept in a dark and fresh place, because ozone makes boots lose their protective capacities.

Boots that are worn out, cut or perforated should be replaced. 

Slide 14:

The firefighter should be aware that these suits are not made to enter fires, not to approach áreas with extremely high temperatures.

Slide 15:

  • This suit should only be used in extreme cases, such as special rescues or to close valves that ensure the immediate extinction of fires
  • The suit requires the firefighter to use an autonomous self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), but its volume and weight require a lot of physical effort from the firefighter and do not allow a lot of mobility.
  • This suit requires that the firefighter’s movements are perfectly synchronized 

Slide 16:

The suit should be washed before being taken off, because the substances on it may be harmful to whoever is helping the firefighter remove the suit.

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