Fire Prevention and Safety on the job.

By Chris Hudson – Region 11 Field Rep

Fires can occur in many different places in life. However, a fire must contain the following: oxygen, fuel, heat, and a chemical reaction to sustain. If we take away any of the four, the fire will dissipate.

Since oxygen is crucial for the fire, we do not want to open the engine compartments and allow the fire to breathe. Most manufacturers now utilize small holes outlined in red on the engine compartment doors. This allows an access point for the nozzle of the extinguisher to be inserted. We must partially open the door if your equipment does not have this option. Remember, we are not adequately equipped to “fight fires.”

Fire Extinguisher Access Point

Firefighters use water and foam when they fight fires. The water removes the heat, and the foam will smother the fuel source, removing its oxygen source and causing the fire to go out. In the field, we do not have a fire truck readily available. Each piece of equipment and every truck should be equipped with an ABC extinguisher. These extinguishers come in several different sizes. The most common will be a 2.5-pound or a 5-pound.

In comparison to the large equipment we operate, these extinguishers are very small. The ABC extinguishers contain a dry powder used to deprive the fire of its oxygen source. These extinguishers will work successfully if we can catch a fire at the very beginning stages. However, if the fire has gotten too intense, it will not extinguish the fire.

We are just attempting to stop the spread. At any point, if the fire becomes more than you can handle, 911 needs to be activated. Other types of extinguishers you might see are Cold Fire, Co2, and a water can. Cold Fire is designed for A and B fires, such as trash, wood, paper, liquids, and gases. Do not use this on electrical since it is water-based. CO2 is used for class B fires, flammable liquids/gases, and electrical and water cans are used for trash, wood, and paper fires.

Remember the P.A.S.S. method whenever you need to deploy a fire extinguisher.

Pull the pin.

Aim the hose.

Squeeze the handles

Sweep left to right at the base of the fire.

Since we typically work in remote locations, we must remember a few things.

When we have a fire or injury, we should activate 911 immediately. Most fire departments in our area are volunteers, and it may take a little longer to get help to you. We can always disregard them if we get the situation under control.

Always make sure that you know where you are. Have a 911 address or GPS coordinate for your location. Be aware that sometimes a GPS location may not bring help in on the correct road. Many try to bring you in through the woods if you are a good distance off the road. If available, send someone to the end of the road to lead your help into the right area.

The last thing is how close is the fire to your deck. Are we able to get a truck to the fire? Do we need a dozer? Do we need an off-road capable fire truck? Make sure you have these answers ready for the 911 dispatcher. This will ensure that the fire departments arrive with the proper equipment.

Robert Register, also known as Squeaky by his CB Handle, is married to his wife, Evelyn Register, and has three kids and grandkids. Mr. Register has been driving trucks for the past forty-seven years, with a little over a year with Griffin Timber Co., Inc. out of Hoboken, Georgia.

It started at age 19 when he started riding with his cousin, Woodron Register, who owned a couple of trucks. Mr. Register rode with his cousin and a couple of other drivers and soon became an employee of his cousin’s company and started hauling produce from Florida to New York for a few years.

Mr. Register said that one of the reasons that he started driving trucks was that he was young and that his cousin had work for him to do, and that he wanted to see the country.

Mr. Register started hauling logs probably around 1990 because he was getting tired of the long hours he had to put in being an overthe-road driver, and he wanted to stay local.

Mr. Register said that his first load of logs was his most memorable. He said that he was traveling down the road, and there was a lot of talk on the CB that someone was burning their brakes. He looked out his window and noticed that it was him, and his rear trailer tires had caught fire.

Mr. Register was given the nickname “Squeaky” by one of the Loggers he worked for because every time he would call the Logger or another truck driver, his CB would squawk a lot.

So initially, his nickname was “Squawky,” and later became “Squeaky.”

Mr. Register said that trucking had changed quite a bit since he had been driving. He makes way more money than when he first started, and the mills that he goes to have seemed to speed up times in getting through.

Mr. Register likes having a Dash Camera in his truck and wishes that Dash Cameras would have come out a lot earlier because it would have saved him grief and heartache a couple of times.

When he is not driving, he likes to hunt and fish and gets out as often as possible. Mr. Jeremy Griffin, Owner of Griffin Timber Company, Inc., said that "Mr. Register is a really good employee and he is lucky that he is on his team." He also said that if he were able to find more drivers like Mr. Register, then his operation would be great.