Safety - Fire Shelters

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New Generation Fire Shelters

The new generation fire shelter offers improved protection from radiant and convective heat. All federal, state, and local wildland firefighters carry the fire shelter while working federal fires.As always, the fire shelter should be used only as a last resort. No product will guarantee a firefighter's survival in an entrapment situation. Firefighters should do everything they can to avoid situations where they need to deploy a fire shelter.

Wildland firefighters will need to attend a training session in the proper use of the new shelter before working in a fire area.

Updates:

According to the National Fire and Aviation Executive Board (NFAEB), Federal Agencies should be transitioned to the New Generation Fire Shelter by January 1, 2009. All agencies, cooperators and contracted resources are to be transitioned by January 1, 2010.
Fire Shelter Transition Update

Wildland Fire Safety Training Annual Refresher (WFSTAR) - Fire shelter update for 2008

What's New with the New Generation Fire Shelter
(Tech Tip, April 2006) (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Publications of Interest:

Large New Generation Fire Shelter Now Available
(Tech Tip, June 2005) (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

New Generation Fire Shelter Developed for Wildland Firefighters
(Tech Tip, May 2003) (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Fire Shelter Video and Publication Library DVD. This DVD includes four videos and eight publication showing how the New Generation Fire Shelter was developed, how it performs in comparison to the old-style shelter, and how the new shelter should be used and maintained. (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Fire Shelters Weaken Transmission from Hand-held Radios (Tech Tip, December 2003) (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Flyer - Instructions for Refolding the Practice Fire Shelter (User Name: t-d Password: t-d)

History and Development of the New Generation Fire Shelter (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Short Fire Shelters

Video – Comparing the New Generation and Old-style Fire Shelters, May 5 2006 Test (33.5 MB .wmv) (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Video - Refolding Your Practice Fire Shelter (13.9 MB .wmv) (User Name: t-d Password: t-d)

Training:

Available to order through NFES Publication Catalog at www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/pubs.htm)

NFES 2710 The New Generation Fire Shelter (2003 edition) Booklet, PMS 411

Video: NFES 2711 VHS Format, or NFES 2712 DVD Format.

Spanish versions are also available:

• NFES 2735, video, VHS, El Refugio de Proteccion Nueva Generacion
• NFES 2736, pamphlet, El Refugio de Proteccion Nueva Generacion.

Old-style Fire Shelter:

• NFES 1570 Your Fire Shelter (2001 edition) Booklet , PMS 409
  
• NFES 1568 Using Your Fire Shelter Video (2001 edition), VHS Format only

Spanish version also available

• Booklet – NFES 2653 Su Refugio De Proteccion, Edicion 2001

• Pamphlet – Fire Shelter Deployment – Avoid the Flames.
  • Part 1 (user name: t-d, password: t-d)
  • Part 2 (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Fire Shelter Use Instructions

• English (user name: t-d, password: t-d)
• Spanish pdf (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

Fire Shelter and Personal Protective Equipment Reports

Equipment reports looking into fire shelters and their use during the past few years are contained within many accident reviews and reports. These can be found at the Incident Reviews page of the Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Center Web site.

2008

• Indians Fire - Shelter Deployment
• Panther Fire - Shelter Deployment, Fatality

2007

• Alabaugh Fire – Shelter Deployment
• Angora Fire – Shelter Deployment
• Seven Oak, Hatchery - Shelter Deployment

2006

• Little Venus Fire – Shelter Deployment
• Esperanza Fire – Burnover

2005

• I-90 Complex – Shelter Deployment

Additional Links :

Missoula Technology and Development Center (MTDC) Fire Program FSWeb (user name: t-d, password: t-d)

MTDC Fire Program Website (User Name: t-d Password: t-d)

General Services Administration (GSA) Wildland Fire Program

National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) – Fire Equipment Working Team (FEWT)