By Bill Adams
Old people have the ability to take a single word or an uncomplicated sentence and beat its meaning to death for days. Asking a simple question that could have multiple answers might result in reoccurring tirades, personal insults, and hurt feelings. Welcome to morning coffee with the Raisin Squad.
I can’t remember if I told parts of this story before so bear with me because they set the scene. Many moons ago, several local fire companies threw out all their old canvas salvage covers. They replaced half of them with the new polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nylon or vinyl or some such combination that was just coming on the market. The other half that was purchased were the throw-away nylon kind – mostly blue in color. They are advertised as tarps and are available at most home and garden stores. They are often seen on television nailed on roofs after hurricanes and tornados.
Why did many fire departments ditch the heavy canvas salvage covers? Hanging well-used dirty covers to dry in the firehouse made the whole station smell like low tide regardless of them being washed. If folded or rolled before fully drying and storing in a rig’s compartment for days or weeks on end could induce projectile vomiting when next used. The new covers were lighter, easier to throw, and took up less space in compartments. The throwaways were cheaper. And, they didn’t have to be picked up. You could nail them over a hole in the roof and forgot them. Smart move.
Drawbacks
Most problems with the new salvage covers or tarps didn’t become evident until after the fact. If the new material was wet when used as floor runners, they caused slipping and sliding like you were trying to crawl out of a vat of chicken fat. Providing the troops didn’t get hurt falling down, it was a laugh a minute. Not all the new covers had regularly spaced grommets to hang the covers to dry. (You only get what you specify.) The new covers appear to have an odor distinct from wet canvas when left to dry in a compartment. It’s more like moldy socks than low tide.
After asbestos blankets were outlawed, at one chimney fire the troops held one of the new throwaways in front of an open fireplace while the roof crew used the ball and chain to clean the chimney. There was a lot of hooting and hollering on the radio and quite a bit of smoke damage in the house before the tarp was extinguished and removed.
Geezer Attack
We white hairs told and repeated the same or similar stories (aka tall tales and lies) day after day. When some ran out of stories, they started in with: Hey, what’s the difference again between a salvage cover and a tarp? How come pumpers have to carry them? I brought in a copy of an ISO’s (Insurance Services Office) work sheet that showed pumpers have to carry two of them and ladder trucks four. One antagonistic geezer said, “How come the ISO says two different sizes and two types of material meet their requirements? Is one better than the other? They won; I left and went home.
Counter Attack
I did a little research and a week later I brought the subject up again thinking I had the upper hand with copies of documentation. The National Fire Protection Association NFPA 1900 Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus and Automotive Ambulances in Table A.8.4(a) under the category of Tarps recommends that pumpers carry two (2) salvage covers each a minimum size of 12 feet x 18 feet (3.7 m x 5.5m). The 2012 ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) under the category of Salvage Covers says salvage covers must be a minimum of 12 feet x 14 feet, however, the previously mentioned ISO work sheet says acceptable equivalent covers can be 12 feet x 14 feet Canvas; 12 feet x 14 feet Rip-Stop and 12 feet x 18 feet or larger Canvas or Rip-Stop.
The Raisins jumped all over it. Here we go again – tarps or salvage covers? How come there’s different sizes? Why the difference between the ISO and NFPA requirements? Why ain’t the ISO and NFPA on the same page? I wouldn’t admit it, but they had some valid points.
NFPA 1900 does not specify an exact weight or a specific material. Neither the ISO or the NFPA requires the material to be fire resistive per NFPA 701 Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films. Interestingly, NFPA 701 does not mention ISO or NFPA 1900. And, the ISO and NFPA 1900 doesn’t mention NFPA 701.
Fol-Da-Tank
I am no expert on salvage covers. We talked about covers so much I started confusing myself. Some questions the squad brought up had merit so I looked online for more information from salvage cover manufacturers. Fol-Da-Tank’s website was the most informative so I asked owner Joel Wright if he would answer some generic questions about salvage covers. He agreed.
*Are there any written NFPA or ISO requirement requiring salvage covers to be fire resistive? “No. We are not aware of written requirements from NFPA or ISO specifying fire resistance in salvage covers. Instead, we rely on the use-case application and common sense. Salvage covers, used by firefighters to protect property from water and smoke during firefighting operations, are going to be exposed to heat, flames, and water on occasion. Salvage covers must be durable, reusable, and cost effective. We have selected a material that best meets all those criteria.
The NFPA 701 test method is widely referenced for fabrics and materials used in protective measures, including curtains, draperies, and similar items, which may cover the domain of salvage covers indirectly by focusing on the flammability of textiles. NFPA 701 specifies fire resistance requirements for textiles and films by determining how materials resist ignition and burning. Since salvage covers could be exposed to heat and flames it makes sense to ensure the fabric will provide some resistance to the conditions.
ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) evaluates factors such as fire department equipment, training, and effectiveness of firefighting tactics. This includes the availability and condition of equipment but typically does not delve into specific material requirements like fire resistivity of salvage covers. That being said, having fire resistive salvage covers could indirectly affect an ISO rating by enhancing the fire department’s operational effectiveness and safety measures.”
*Your website mentions some products meet NFPA 701-1 and California Fire Marshall CPAI-84 for flame retardancy. Is using fire resistive materials required by a governmental agency or do you do it on your own volition? “Fol-Da-Tank uses fire resistive material for salvage covers because it makes sense for the use-case not because of a governing body mandate that we are aware of. The fire resistive properties of our material do not substantially change the other important properties such as durability, weight, water resistance, anti-microbial resistance, and foldability.”
*Your website says you offer 10-ounce vinyl, 22-ounce vinyl, 30-ounce vinyl and 22-ounce HPR (High Performance Rubber) salvage covers. Which ones are fire resistive? Do you recommend one over the other? “The majority of our salvage covers are constructed from 10-ounce vinyl which we buy certified as fire resistive. The 10-ounce vinyl is durable and lighter weight than the heavier weight vinyl such as 22 ounce and 28 ounce. We recommend 10-ounce vinyl for salvage covers for the slight weight savings and because it fulfills the use-case requirements.
HPR® (High Performance Rubber) is our propriety fabric with superior performance in cold temperatures and is also fire resistant, but not certified as such. The 22-ounce and 28-ounce vinyl and HPR® we offer can be supplied with certified FR upon request.”
*Do all your vinyl salvage covers use a rip-stop method of construction? “Ripstop fabric is a lightweight, durable material known for its resistance to tearing and ripping. The key characteristic that distinguishes ripstop from other fabrics is its unique weave structure, which incorporates thicker, stronger threads at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern.
We use a PVC vinyl fabric which is made with a woven fabric inner layer (polyester or nylon) which is then coated or laminated on both sides with PVC. The vinyl we use for salvage covers is a polyester yarn with a weave pattern to halt fabric tearing. The weave pattern is different than the rip stop pattern, but it achieves the same result. It is very hard to tear. We discontinued canvas in part because it was not rip-stop.”
*About how much does a 10 ounce 12 feet x 18 feet salvage cover weigh? “Approximately 17 pounds.”
*About much a 12 feet x 18 feet canvas salvage cover weigh? “Approximately 21 pounds.”
*Fol-Da-Tank’s website says your vinyl covers have #4 Brass tooth grommets – 2 at each corner and spaced every 3 feet. Is that an industry standard or requirement or is it your own method of construction? “The brass grommets are handy when the salvage covers are tied down to protect what’s underneath. Our grommets are size #4 which is a heavy-duty grommet and much more solid than what you get at the hardware store. Perimeter grommets are a common industry practice for salvage covers and tarps like ours.”
*Your website says your vinyl covers have 2-inch hot wedge welded seamed hems. Is that an industry standard or requirement or is it your own method of construction? “Our salvage covers have a hem along the perimeter in a 2-inch-wide fold that is hot wedge welded. This means 2 inches of material is folded along the edge and both layers are welded together to make the hem. We do this instead of sewing the hem because it’s stronger and will never come loose – such as when a thread breaks. We also think it looks cleaner. Hot wedge welding is a common industry technique, but it is not an industry requirement to my knowledge.”
Does it matter?
There are differences in pricing and performance for the different weights of canvas and nylon and nylon blends. In the bidding process, always compare apples to apples. You might get only what you specify. When specifying equipment to be carried on a fire truck, why are there differences between what the insurance people (ISO) want and what the fire truck people (NFPA) want? Some of us old folks (Raisin Squad members) think the ISO and NFPA ought to be on the same page. Or are they?
BILL ADAMS is a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board, a former fire apparatus salesman, and a past chief of the East Rochester (NY) Fire Department. He has 50 years of experience in the volunteer fire service.
