As part of the DHS/AFG grant “Study of the Fire Service Training Environment: Safety, Fidelity, and Exposure,” UL FSRI conducted a series of experiments in a concrete live fire training building in an effort to evaluate the fidelity and safety of two training fuels, pallets and OSB. Additionally, the fire dynamics created by these fuels compared to those created by a fuel load representative of a living room set with furniture items with synthetic components were examined. The following training considerations were developed with assistance from the project technical panel, blending their experience with the research results:
- Wood-based training fuels are different than synthetic fuels
- Building construction affects fire behavior
- Limiting the fuel load to avoid uncontrolled flashover does not prevent thermal injury
- Time, distance, and shielding are important when evaluating thermal exposure