NWCG Standards for M-2002 Fire Shelters: During Deployment

Expect the environment to be smoky, hot, loud, windy, and stressful; with blowing ember and hot gases. Expect to be scared. Expect to think that you may be injured or not survive. Expect to have thoughts of your family, friends, and how you ended up in this situation run through your head. All of these are normal reactions to an abnormal situation (see Figure 1).

Once you are in your shelter, you must focus on two things: staying on the ground in the shelter no matter what, and protecting your lungs and airway by keeping your nose and mouth as close to the ground as possible. No matter how bad it gets inside the shelter, it will be much worse outside. If you panic and leave the shelter, one breath of hot gases can be lethal.

Turbulence can lift a shelter’s edge, letting in hot gases. Fires can generate winds of 50 miles per hour or more, so you must hold the shelter down firmly. Do your best to hold down the edges of the shelter during the deployment but be aware that you may not be able to keep the edges down at all times. Uneven ground, rocks, and body position all impact how the shelter’s edge can be held down.

Deployments can be extremely frightening and may lead to panic. Panic can cause firefighters to leave their shelters and make a run for it— a far more hazardous gamble than staying put. Control such feelings so you can think clearly. Keep yourself calm by focusing on your breathing or on an object, person, or religious symbol that is meaningful to you. Recite a chant or phrase. These techniques of meditation will help quiet your mind. They can help reduce panic while allowing you to remain alert.

You may be able to help calm other trapped firefighters by shouting back and forth, or by radio communication – remember shelters limit radio transmission distances. If someone yells at you, try to let that person know you’re okay. If someone doesn’t respond to your shouts, do not leave your shelter. During the fire’s peak, the noise will be deafening. You may be unable to hear anyone. Keep calm. As soon as the noise subsides, resume talking to each other.

Conditions Inside the Shelter

During a deployment, you may notice pinholes present in the shelter’s fabric, or glowing along the shelter’s seams (see Figure 2). Firelight passing through pinholes may appear to be hot coals or embers on your clothing. The pinholes or glow seen around seams does not reduce your protection. No matter how big a hole or tear your shelter may have, you are better off inside the shelter.

In a prolonged deployment or when flames contact the shelter, temperatures inside can rise to uncomfortable, even dangerous levels. Additionally, the shelter material can become hot enough to burn you. Your PPE – helmet, flame-resistant clothing, and gloves – provide you with additional protection.

Use your gloved hands to push the shelter material away from your body to maintain a protective air gap. Shelter material is most likely to contact your feet, buttocks, head, elbows, and hands. It is best to gently shift the points of contact, especially around your feet and elbows, as prolonged contact can result in burns.

When flames contact the shelter, the adhesive layer of the shelter material may begin to break down. This can allow the foil on the outside of the shelter to peel away, reducing the shelter’s effectiveness. The inner layer of foil prevents gases produced by the adhesive from getting inside the shelter. Remember, in all these scenarios, your best chance of survival is to stay in your shelter, breathe the cool air nearest the ground, and shift your body to minimize the chance of burn injuries.

Moving Your Shelter

Firefighters have moved from one location to another while inside a shelter. Either to change locations as the flame front passes, or to be closer to someone in trouble. This was done primarily by crawling on their bellies while trying to hold the edges of the shelter down. Others have used the shelter as a heat shield while they moved to a new location. You can do very little to help another person during the peak of an entrapment. Keep in mind that moving during an entrapment increases your risk, exposing your airways to hot gases, and should only be undertaken if absolutely necessary.

When to Leave the Shelter

All deployment scenarios are different. There is no fixed time to stay under your shelter. Don’t move until the flame front has passed. A drop in noise, wind, heat and a change in the color of light passing through the shelter are tipoffs that it may be safe to leave the shelter. Stay put until temperatures have cooled significantly or a supervisor tells you it’s safe to come out. Leaving a shelter too soon can expose your lungs to superheated air or dense smoke. Deployments have lasted from 10 to longer than 90 minutes. Deployments don’t last as long in light, flashy fuels as they do in dense, heavy fuels. Firefighters have been injured or died when they came out of their shelters too soon.

If you think there has been a decrease in activity outside your shelter, carefully lift the edge and peek out at the external conditions. Be prepared to cover up again if conditions do not allow leaving the shelter. Stay inside a little longer if you have any doubt about leaving the shelter (see Figure 3).

When you leave your shelter, make sure that your supervisor knows the deployment occurred.

Leave your shelter and other equipment in place if you can do so safely. A great deal can be learned from reviewing the circumstances of entrapments and the performance of protective equipment. Learning all we can from each shelter deployment can help us improve procedures and equipment for all firefighters.