Fighting “elders” to make the firehouse safe from vehicle exhaust
Dear Nozzlehead,
This may not seem like a big deal, but I wanted your opinion: Our firehouse has no vehicle exhaust removal system. Several of us have raised the issue for several years and the “elders” of our fire company feel it’s a waste of money and feel the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards are run by manufacturers and it’s all a conspiracy.
From what we read, the exhaust can cause cancer, and we would like to minimize any chances of that. Besides, you can see the soot when the trucks are started, and we actually run through it when getting on the trucks to respond to a call. It is not a matter of cost, as we are a well-off community; it is a matter of “we don’t need that” from senior members who are still living in the ’60s.
–Cooking Low and Slow
Dear Cooking,
Thanks for your e-mail and for offending me so quickly. Congrats. Apparently, you are unaware that the ‘60s were very formidable and groovy years for young Nozzlehead. I usually enjoyed a glass of Tang for breakfast (just like the astronauts) and, after that, I got on my out-of-sight banana seat bike with high handlebars and rode around doing wheelies without a helmet. That was, of course, if I didn’t have to ride backward in my parents’ station wagon without seat belts. When we got home, I would hang loose and would usually have a Hostess Twinkie, Ding Dong, or Tastykake with a glass of whole milk while waiting for my Mom to prepare a luscious TV dinner. Dinner consisted of a tin foil cradled meatloaf square, buttered corn triangle, mashed potato rectangle, and small apple “somewhat” crisp. This while in the background we listened to the Beatles on an AM radio as they poisoned youth, one song at a time.
So, let me lay it on you, man; here are my thoughts related to the “older generation” being such a drag. Besides, I was just jive’n … just jive’n about offending me, my man. Gimme some skin! Awright!
They are wrong. Totally wrong. One hundred percent wrong and another example of so-called leaders leading based on their past and not having the courage, ability, or whatever you want to call it to look beyond what they think they know. It’s pretty normal for people to stay where they are, to remain and not move forward. That’s when leaders come in. Can you dig it?
Leaders are the ones expected to “break though” what may be comfortable–in this case, the past–and move forward based on what’s best. In your case, it is about what’s best for the organization and the members. Diesel engines, used in fire and EMS apparatus, produce a known mixture of toxic gases and particulates from the engines’ combustion process. The vehicle exhaust emissions in a firehouse are one of every firefighter’s most significant cancer health risk … and also create legal liability for your organization.
The question is simple: Why wouldn’t your elders want to create a healthy firehouse by eliminating the risk? Are they that selfish whereas “at that stage in their life” it really won’t affect them? Do they not understand that it is not “their” personal firehouse but the community’s and the members’? From what you describe, the department has the “bread,” daddy-o.
Need more proof? How about those groovy cats from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)? NIOSH has studied the problem and proves that diesel-powered apparatus generate exhaust whenever they leave or return to a station. If not properly controlled, this exhaust will enter not only the apparatus bay but also everything in the bay (where is your gear stored?) and offices and living quarters as well. That means members and nonmembers alike are intentionally exposed.
A report entitled “Carcinogenic Effects of Exposure to Diesel Exhaust,” prepared by NIOSH, states, “Human and animal studies show that diesel exhaust should be treated as a human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).” A real bummer.
How about the NFPA? I know, I know. Someone feels like it’s a SCAM. Actually, the process is whatever we want to make it. The fact is that manufacturers do participate, but the more we (the fire service) are involved, the more we can make sure it’s fair and balanced. Don’t like that answer? OK, we’ll get back to that in a minute. Let’s look at what the standard says: NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, chapter 9, understands that it is necessary to run apparatus and other vehicles in the firehouse for routine service/pump checks and to keep them ready for service. The exhaust discharge “contains over 100 individual hazardous chemical components that, when combined, can result in as many as 10,000 chemical compounds. A large majority of these compounds are today listed by state and federal regulatory agencies as being cancer causing or suspected carcinogens.”
The NFPA further states, “It has been documented that fire department personnel exposed to vehicle exhaust emissions have had adverse health effects, including death, even in areas where only short-term exposure had taken place.” And the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Workers exposed to diesel exhaust face the risk of adverse health effects ranging from headaches to nausea to cancer and respiratory disease.”
So, back to your “elders” thinking the NFPA is very bad and evil. How about this? Forget the NFPA for a minute and apply personal logic: Why would they want anyone breathing that crap? It is that simple.
Whoever in your organization is “fighting” an exhaust system needs to retire. Go away. Take a smoke break. Wait. Don’t do that. But the solution is very clear: They are standing in the way of your fire department’s ability to properly take care of its members and do so without BS antiquated and selfish excuses. I suspect that diesel exhaust is only one area where the “elders” are impeding your department’s progress.
Solutions: There are several systems and related solutions available to help solve the problem, including the following:
– Engine exhaust filters are designed to remove particulate from the exhaust stream. The filters are installed in the exhaust system or at the tailpipe.
– Local tailpipe exhaust ventilation works by attaching a hose to the tailpipe and connecting it to a fan, which discharges the exhaust outside the station.
– Dilution ventilation is where the air contaminated with diesel fumes is exhausted to the outside while fresh outside makeup air flows into the garage through open doors or supply air openings. Air is exhausted using a roof or wall fan. The fan can be integrated into the fire dispatch system so that it turns on before the rigs are started. It may also be worthwhile to keep the fans on after the apparatus have returned to the bays. If considering this system, use a professional environmental company that can engineer a system to help your problem vs. having longtime member “Junior” come up with his own “fan” system that he thinks works just fine.
So, between now and when you convince the poor decision makers to make good decisions, consider the following tips:
– Always open the garage doors before starting vehicles.
– Keep vehicle operation inside the bays to an absolute minimum (in other words, minimize engine idling time inside).
– Keep all bay doors open (weather permitting) for at least 10 minutes following vehicle operation.
– Keep doors between the garage and other areas of the firehouse closed (consider installing automatic door closers).
As you continue to fight “the man,” just keep on keepin’ on, keep on truckin’, and don’t ever get bummed out. Just hang loose and remember these words from that famous song “Imagine”:
Imagine there’s no exhaust fumes.
It isn’t hard to do.
Nothing to choke on or die for.
No diesel mixtures, too.
Imagine all the people.
Living life in peace ….
Far out.
