Accordingly, a team of experts from AFRL’s Airbase Technologies Division, in partnership with the University of Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, the University of Delaware, and the Naval Air Systems Command, received funding from the Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow (SMART) congressional caucus to develop a Composite Material Fire Safety training program. SMART, a collaboration between federal and state government and science and technology leaders, exists to serve the science and technology community in the US mid- Atlantic region. AFRL’s Airbase Technologies Division conducts exploratory and advanced research in fire suppression and crash/rescue technologies to counter new and evolving threats. In the past, this group has been instrumental in developing fire-retardant materials and fire suppression methods, mitigating the effects of large-scale explosions, and integrating firefighter technology development programs.

The collaborative team assembled a core group to develop a comprehensive training curriculum. The completed program, which the team demonstrated in January 2005, provides firefighters with a better understanding of composite materials, including their construction, use, and most likely locations within both products and facilities. Students have the opportunity to evaluate what happens when composite materials burn (see Figure 2) and assess the dangers faced by firefighters during an actual emergency situation. In addition, they review firefighting tactics and learn what chemical agents and applications are most effective in combating fires involving composites. Students may also receive refresher training on hazardous material response and mitigation, along with corres - ponding decontamination procedures.

Fire safety experts expect the overall program—which stresses the importance of handling composite materials incidents with caution, the proper use of personal protective equipment, and the proper decontamination of responders—to reduce the number of firefighter injuries arising from complications encountered in fighting composite materials fires. More than 10,000 DoD firefighters and first responders will have access to the training, and hundreds of thousands of civilian firefighters stand to benefit from the program as well.

Mr. Virgil J. Carr, Ms. Jennifer Kiel, and Mr. Tim Anderl (Anteon Corporation), of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, wrote this article. For more information, contact TECH CONNECT at (800) 203-6451 or place a request at http://www.afrl.af.mil/techconn_index.asp. Reference document ML-H-05-13.