The Fire Training Program at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), in partnership with the Washington County Fire Training Association (WCFTA), recently hosted a one-day class on Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) Safety for Fire Fighters at SolarWorld in Hillsboro, Oregon. Emergency incidents involving Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) equipment are becoming more and more common in both urban and rural areas.
Videos:
The class was delivered by Captain Matt Paiss of the San Jose Fire Department (California) who is one of the nation’s leading experts in this area. Captain Paiss is a 15-year veteran of the San Jose Fire Department, and is currently assigned as a Training Officer. He was a contributor to the California State Fire Marshal’s Office PV Guidelines, as well as the IFC and NFPA1 fire code sections on PV.
I would like to invite you to attend my class at FDIC!
I would be honored to have you present as I reach one of my life long dreams of teaching at FDIC the Super Bowl of Firefighting.
Here a short preview:
The class will examine trends and methods in modern building construction with an emphasis on roofs, their direct relationship to vertical ventilation, structural firefighting operations, and firefighter survivability. Inherent roof construction features and hazards that directly influence truck company work will be the main focus, along with green roofs, methods, and exotic materials that are used to achieve green standards, and the potential hazards that they present to fire service personnel. Many of these materials such as recycled rubber shingles, solar panels, and green (garden) roofs are not common knowledge to most fire service personnel. ALL LEVELS
Friday 4/20/2012 @ 10:30 am – 12:15 pm
Room 109-110
Looking forward to seeing you all!
FDIC is such a wonderful conference and the only bad thing about it is that you can’t possibly go to all the classes because there is so many to choose from!!
So if you havn’t decided here is a list of a few that are my friends or I know they are awesome instructors.
The Future of Fire Training Room 120-122
President Eddie Buchanan, International Society of Fire Service Instructors
Fire Behavior Has Changed; Have Your Tactics? Room Wabash 3
Fire Protection Engineer Stephen Kerber, Underwriters Laboratories
PV Safety for Firefighters Room 116-117
Captain Matthew Paiss, San Jose (CA) Fire Department
Drills and Tips for Company Officers Room 107-108
Major Brian Arnold, Oklahoma City (OK) Fire Department
Engine Company Operations “Gallons per Second” Room 132-133
Battalion Chief Curt Isakson, Escambia County (FL) Fire Rescue
Live To Train Another Day Room 138-139
Division Chief Brian Kazmierzak, Clay (IN) Fire Territory
Tactical Leadership: The Next Step Room 123-124
Lieutenant Frank Ricci, New Haven (CT) Fire Department
Adaptive Fireground Management for Officers Room Wabash 2
Chief of Training Christopher Naum, Command Institute
Suburban Fire Tactics Room 243-245
Captain/Training Officer Jim Silvernail, Metro West (MO) Fire Protection District
Ventilation Principles and Practices Room 134-135
Lieutenant Brian Brush, West Metro (CO) Fire Rescue
Ventilating Impact Resistance Coverings Room 125-126
Firefighter Ric Jorge, Palm Beach County (FL) Fire Rescue
Construction-Based Fire Attack Room 138-139
Lieutenant Don Kaderabek, Niles (IL) Fire Department
School Bus Extrication Room 123-124
Lieutenant Paul Hasenmeier, Huron (OH) Fire Department
Tactics Using Quint Apparatus Room 240-242
Captain Nicholas Morgan, St Louis (MO) Fire Department
A Firefighter’s Worst Enemy Room 103-104
Deputy Chief Jason Hoevelmann, Sullivan (MO) Fire Protection District
Rapid Intervention Basics Room 236-237
Captain Jeff Schwering, Crestwood (MO) Fire Department
Teaching Practical Fire Dynamics Room Lucas Oil Stadium Meeting Room 1-2
Chief Edward Hartin, Central Whidbey Island (WA) Fire & Rescue
Residential Ventilation Room 236-237
Deputy Chief/Training Officer Paul Norwood, East Haven (CT) Fire Department
Photo from UL study for Firefighter Safety and Photovoltaic Systems
What are the safety hazards with PV?
What tactics should be used at fires with PV present?
How do I secure utilities on a PV system?
These are just a few questions you should pose to every firefighter next shift or training meeting.
Photovoltaic (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect.
Total global solar energy capacity averaged 40 percent annual growth from 2000 to 2010; grid-connected solar photovoltaic capacity grew 50 percent per year for much of this time. This growth increases the potential of a fire department response to a building with PV, irrespective of the PV being involved with the initiation of the fire event. This growth increases the potential of a fire department response to a building with PV, irrespective of the PV being involved with the initiation of the fire event.
What are the safety hazards with PV?
Under the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program – Fire Prevention and Safety Grants, Underwriters Laboratories (UL)this study examines electrical and fire performance experiments were conducted to identify and quantify the electrical shock hazard that may be present to firefighters during the suppression, ventilation, and overhaul activities associated with a building or structure fire involving the presence of PV equipment. The scope of these experiments included:
Water for Fire Suppression During Firefighting Activites with PV
Shock Hazard Due to the Direct Contact with Energized Components
Emergency Disconnect and Disruption Techniques
Severing of Conductors
Shock Hazard from Damaged PV Modules and Systems
PV Power During Low Ambient Light, Artificial Light, and Light from a Fire
Potential Shock Hazard from Fire Damaged PV Components and Systems
What tactics should be used at fires with PV present?
In this study tactical considerations for PV include:
Shock hazard due to the presence of water and PV power during suppression activities
Shock hazard due to the direct contact with energized components during firefighting operations
Emergency disconnect and disruption techniques
Severing of conductors
Assessment of PV power during low ambient light, artificial light and light from a fire
Assessment of potential shock hazard from damaged PV modules and systems.
For more information about this project please see:
Every Incident Commander,Company Officer and firefighter will greatly enhance there safety by taking this online class. UL has developed an online interactive training module. The program includes a professionally narrated description of all of the experiments, their results and the tactical considerations. Experimental video is used and graphical data is explained in a way that brings science to the street level firefighter.
Just wanted to share this with you, in case you hadn’t listened yet?
Fire Marshal’s Corner: FM Global Report on Green and Sprinklers and the Dangers with Photovoltaic Units
Ed Comeau and Mike Love look at two perspectives of the impact of fires on the environment on this month’s Fire Marshal’s Corner. They look at the operational and global perspectives.
San Jose Capt. Matt Paiss has been working in the field of photovoltaics for a number of years. He couples that experience with his fireground expertise, to provide listeners with a wealth of information about how to deal with rooftop photovoltaic units which are becoming more prevalent across the country. He has created several training videos (see below) that are great training tools.
We then are joined by Gary Keith who is the chair of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. FM Global recently completed a landmark study on the environmental impact of fires which provides us with the information we need to quantify exactly what is happening to the environment when a fire breaks out. They review a number of sources of resources that are critical to the fire service.
The power of the sun will be harnessed later this month to produce solar electricity on a size and scale never before seen in Indiana.
Starting April 29, an array of 6,152 solar panels, installed last winter on the roof of a federal office building, will create more than 2 megawatts of electricity an hour, enough to power about 1,000 homes.
» In 2010, the U.S. solar market grew 67 percent in value, reaching $6 billion, up from $3.6 billion in 2009.
» Solar electric installations last year totaled 956 megawatts to reach a cumulative installed capacity of 2.6 gigawatts.
» 29,500 solar pool heating systems and 35,500 solar water heating systems were installed last year, providing heat to more than 65,000 homes, businesses and pools.
» California is the leading installer of solar water heating systems.
» The U.S. ranks fourth in the world for new solar electric installations.
» More than 60,000 people are employed in the U.S. solar industry.
Sources: U.S. General Services Administration; U.S. Department of Energy; Solar Energy Industries Association
Ground Broken for New Green Technology and Fire Safety Facilities
On March 25, 2011, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) held a groundbreaking ceremony at its Gaithersburg, Md., campus for three new facilities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility, the expanded National Fire Research Laboratory, and the installation of more than 2,500 new solar energy modules to supply electricity to the NIST campus will all help to advance the state of the art in green and fire-safe building practices.
Training video’s by Capt. Matt Paiss, of the San Jose, Calif., Fire Department, offering further understanding of the how solar electric systems work and tips on how to stay safe. Matt can be reached at mpaiss@earthlink.net.
