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In the nineties following a series of incidents in the UK, it was
identified that the change in building design and energy conservation had
influenced the way fires were now developing and how they behaved, which
was due not only to the type of modern furniture and furnishings, but also
to properties being well insulated with double-glazing, draft proofing and
loft insulation.
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As these changes had serious consequences in a fire situation, the Isle
of Man Fire & Rescue Service purchased from Wiltshire Fire brigade a
training package, which involved a member of their training department
giving a series of lectures and practical training exercises to all
operational personnel of the Isle of Man Fire & Rescue Service.
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This training was carried out over a period of two weeks and was a
back-to-basics experience for most firefighters, with some basic chemistry
input, followed by a practical exercise, observing a fire from the
beginning through its development to a fully involved fire or flashover,
within the confines of a steel container.
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The temperature within the container was continually monitored at all
times, to ensure the safety of all six firefighters and two instructors
inside, who were rigged in full fire kit and Breathing Apparatus.
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At about the same time the Isle of Man Fire & Rescue Service purchased
from Cheshire Fire Brigade a piece of equipment to enhance and fulfill the
training requirements. This equipment was known as the “Cheshire Box” and
was developed by a Firefighter from Cheshire Fire Brigade, and with the
support from his brigade further developed this equipment to become an
indispensable training aid used by a number of UK brigades.
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It is used to simulate fire conditions on a small scale and in a
controlled environment; it can be used to demonstrate a developing
one-room fire to the fully developed fire when the entire room is involved
which is called a flashover.
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careful manipulation with a damper we can create a Backdraught, which is
basically an explosion of the fire gases that have been confined for a
period of time. The fire gases once ignited are expelled out
through the front opening of the Cheshire Box, has immense destructive
power and is extremely dangerous to the Firefighter.
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The Cheshire Box is constructed of heavy gauge steel and it can be used
repeatedly over a period of time to simulate and reproduce the same
results. It has been used for a number of years as part of the training
for all our operational personnel who have to revalidate their breathing
apparatus qualification each year, and it has also been used as part of
the training on recent breathing apparatus initial wearers course for some
of our new retained personnel.
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Here
are a few photographs of one of our recent training sessions with the
Cheshire Box (Courtesy of Stn/O Tim Howland - Station Commander at Douglas
Fire Station).
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