Forest Grove Firefighters to add confined space rescue to their menu

One of the most overlooked dangers in our community is that which involves what we call a confined space. Basically a confined space is something that is large enough for a worker to get inside of and work, but is not designed to be constantly occupied and has limited options for the worker to be able to leave this area. We have these all around Forest Grove, they are the underground vaults that the utility workers use to supply us with sewer, power, and water; they are the silos that the farmer uses to store grain or seed in; confined spaces are the tanks that our industrial centers use in their processes. These confined spaces can be very dangerous for workers and for emergency crews. Often times they have dangerous gasses that build up inside of them because of the natural decomposition of plants, confined spaces can also lack oxygen sufficient enough for us to breathe, and they sometimes can have hazardous materials in them that can harm us if we work with them wrong.

Through a grant we were able to train our crews over the last month on how to respond to an emergency in a confined space. We worked with our neighbors at the Hillsboro Fire Department to provide this training for us, which took place over two full eight hour days for each of our three shifts of career firefighters. The first part of each day was spent in the classroom learning the materials that we would need to perform the hands on afternoon training safely. Firefighters practiced at the City of Forest Grove Water Treatment Plant. Using the almost 20 feet vault there to simulate a number of scenarios. Firefighters from FGF&R as well as the Cornelius and Hillsboro Fire Departments set up specialized equipment that we use to lower rescuers into a confined space, this include a tripod device that uses a pulley and rigging system to safely lower and raise a rescuer into the vault or tank. We also used ventilation equipment that can either provide clean fresh air into a confined space, as well as remove dangerous and toxic gasses so we can work. In addition firefighters trained with not only our traditional self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), but a new to us device called a supplied air respirator. This respirator is lighter weight and uses a hose from a bank of air cylinders that is kept a distance away so we can go in and work for longer periods of time then our SCBA will typically allow.

This training will help us better serve and respond to this potentially dangerous and life threatening type of emergency. Within the next few months firefighters will begin outfitting emergency vehicles and wrapping up training for all of our personnel to prepare us to respond if needed to a confined space emergency.