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LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE — VACCINATION

Life Saving Education, Vaccination, , , , , ,

Trust all my readers, friends and well wishers are safe and doing absolutely, great in life. I had been wondering and thinking what to write in my series of Live Life Save Life and I have decided that this was important today more than anything else. Yes, I am talking about Vaccination. In this episode Jaggy and Maggie will be discussing the aspects of vaccination. Enjoy reading and get yourself vaccinated soon.

Jaggy: “Hello Maggie How are you?”

Maggie: “Fine thank you and how about you?”

Jaggy: “I am doing great Maggie and looking forward to the conversation with you.”

Maggie: “Yes Jaggy. This pandemic has been devastating. First wave, Second wave, infections, hospitalization, and death. Is there no end to this?”

Jaggy: “This is not the first pandemic that has affected people, and this will not be the last. These tough times test our character.”

Maggie: “I know these are tough times, but it seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel.”

Jaggy: “No need to get depressed. Not to get infected is simple. Just follow SMSV.”

Maggie: “SMSV! What on earth does that stand for?”

Jaggy: “It stands for S – Social Distance. M – Mask S – Sanitizing and V – Vaccination.”

Maggie: “Wow. The one thing you are really good at Communication. You surprised me completely. “

Jaggy: “I know that you are following SMS but have got yourself vaccinated.”

Maggie: “No Jaggy I have a lot of doubts regarding that. Which Vaccine to take and whether to take it or not.”

Jaggy: “Not you alone Maggie but lot of people across the world have the same doubts.”

Maggie: “Can you educate me on the same?”

Jaggy: “Sure. Let us start with what is vaccination first. A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins.”

Maggie: “There you go again. Giving a definition. Just tell me what it does?”

Jaggy: “Pretty simple, a Vaccine protects you against infection. We have been vaccinated quite a lot since birth.”

Maggie: “Since birth? I don’t get it.”

Jaggy: “Starting from the Polio vaccine to chicken pox, cholera, and tetanus we all have been vaccinated. Vaccination for Hepatitis also has been done.”

Maggie: “Yes, now I remember but still I am hesitant. I am not fully convinced with respect to Covid vaccine.”

Jaggy: “Let me clarify. No vaccine in the world is 100% effective. Having said that when you vaccinate your immunity to fight the disease increases over a period of time.”

Maggie: “But a vaccination is supposed to give immediate results right?”

Jaggy: “No. You are mistaken. No vaccine can give immediate results. In case of the Covid 19 vaccine it takes 14 days for the antibodies to develop and fight the infection.”

Maggie: “Oh I see! What about the side effects? Are they not dangerous?”

Jaggy: “When a vaccination is done there will be side effects like Mild fever and pain in the arms and body for one or two days which is quite common. Some do feel it, but some don’t even feel the after effect.”

Maggie: “What about the protection period? How long will we be protected?”

Jaggy: “The longevity of Immunity is still not proven. Even after vaccination you still need to be careful till most of the population gets vaccinated.”

Maggie: “I get your point. What are the vaccinations that are available currently in India and what should I take?”

Jaggy: “Currently there are 3 vaccinations available in India and they are 1. Covishield by Astra Zeneca and manufactured by Serum Institute India. 2. Covaxin by Bharat Bio Tech developed and manufactured in India and 3.Sputnik V manufactured in Russia. You can take any one of them.”

Maggie: “How many doses do I to take and at what intervals?”

Jaggy: “You need to take 2 doses. Covaxin has an interval of 4 to 6 weeks between the doses and Covishield 12 to 16 weeks. Sputnik V is 28 days.”

Maggie: “Can I get the vaccination anywhere or do I have to register?”

Jaggy: “You need to register in the COWIN Application and then a date and place are allotted. On the appointed day just walk in and take it. Carry with yourself the Aadhar card which is mandatory.”

Maggie: “Other than registration any other opportunity or method?”

Jaggy: “Yes. Some employers conduct a camp for their employees, some residential societies do it and service organisations too, organise vaccination camps.”

Maggie: “What happens after I take the first dose?”

Jaggy: “Once you take the first dose, a certificate is issued which will give you the next due date depending on the vaccine taken.”

Maggie: “What are the other vaccines across the world?”

Jaggie: “Yes, there are different vaccines approved and used in many countries. If your relatives and friends are in other countries, they can get themselves vaccinated.”

Maggie: “Can I vaccinate my children below 18 now?”

Jaggy: “Currently No. It is for 18 and above only.” 

Maggie: “If I was Covid positive and recovered when should I take the vaccine?”

Jaggy: “Good question Maggie. You need to wait for 3 months before you can take the vaccine. Consult a doctor before you take it.”

Maggie: “My final question? Why Vaccination? What are the larger benefits?”

Jaggy: “The major benefit is when a lot of people are vaccinated, the immunity increases, and the spread of infection is minimised. The Health care system will not be overwhelmed.”

Maggie: “So finally you say get Vaccinated.”

Jaggy: “I only have to say this VACCINATION MAY NOT PREVENT INFECTION BUT CAN CERTAINLY PREVENT DISEASE.”

Readers, friends, well wishers and all folks in the world out there get vaccinated and just stay safe.

To stay healthy and live better SMSV.

Seshadri Varadarajan

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – CHOKING

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, Life Saving Education, Uncategorized, , ,

Thank you so much for the adulation and appreciation for the last 2 blogs on the series Live Life Save Life.  I trust you have shared your learning with all your near and dear ones. When blogs are written on Life saving skills it creates a better society and enhances service to humanity. While going through the various comments received one reader, who himself is a published author suggested that I tell the world who Jaggy and Maggie are and a sketch of the characters.

The character Jaggy is the person because of him all this has been made possible. He was the one who gave me the opportunity to become a Trainer in Emergency Response and one who has always been my inspiration. He is none other than Mr. Jagadish Adapa Managing Director of Usha Fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd Chennai. His animated character is called Jaggy.

Maggie is just a name which rhymes with Jaggy as suggested by some of my family members and friends. Images of Jaggy and Maggie in the next edition.

In this blog Maggie and Jaggy are back discussing another important life saving skill.

Jaggy: “Hello Maggie! Good to see again. “

Maggie: “Yes Jaggy, good to see you too.”

Maggie: ‘Recently I read in the newspaper that a person died while eating a cake after celebrating his birthday.” “Shocking to know one can die while eating.”

Jaggy: “I read that article too.” “This is not the first time this is happening, there have been lot of cases like that.”  

Maggie: “Oh my God! Can you elaborate on it and what to do when it happens?”  

Jaggy: “This is a phenomenon known as Choking.” “This happens when any obstruction happens to your trachea aka air pipe.” “Due to the obstruction air cannot pass and one cannot breathe.”  

Maggie: “When does this usually happen and how?”

Jaggy: “Many a time this happens when you are distracted while eating food. The mechanism is very simple. We have 2 pipes which start from the nose and mouth. They are called Trachea and Oesophagus aka air pipe and food pipe. Both are joined together initially and separated to do their respective work.”  

Maggie: “Now I remember. My science teacher in school had taught me this. There is also an Epiglottis in between which ensures air and food reach their correct destinations lungs and stomach.”

Jaggy: “That is exactly right. Choking happens when the Epiglottis is not sure what to do and hence food enters the trachea.”

Airway

Maggie: “What are the signs and indication when someone is choking?”

Jaggy: “When someone chokes, he is not able to talk. He will be trying to cough but no sound comes out. They will cross their hands try to hold the throat which is the classic sign of choking.”

Maggie: “Ok. So, what do we do when it happens?”

Jaggy: “The First aid is very simple. There are 2 ways in which this can be done. 1. Back Slaps and 2. Abdominal Thrusts.”

Maggie: “Oh! I see. Can you explain it.”

Jaggy: “The back slaps are easy to perform. First bend the victim down. Using the palm and the heel of the hand thrust hard and fast between the two shoulder blades for 5 times. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Back slaps work if the choking is not severe.”

Maggie: “But if the choking is severe?”

Jaggy: “If the choking is severe, we perform the abdominal thrust. Get behind the person and make your hand into a fist. Encircle the person using both hands and keep the fist above the navel. Thrust inside and the same time try to lift the person up. Do it for 5 times and repeat as long as you can. The abdominal thrusts are called Heimlich Manoeuvre.”

Maggie: “What if the person is heavy and has a belly or may be a pregnant woman? Is it Ok to perform abdominal thrust?”

Jaggy: “Good question Maggy. When the hands cannot encircle the navel area then push the hands closer to the chest and perform the thrusts. The procedure is same for adults and children.”

Heimlich Maneuver

Maggie: “More than adults and children it is infants that usually choke. In such cases what we should do?”

Jaggy: “For infants the method is different. Make sure the infant is in prone position on your thigh. Now give back slaps between the shoulder blades and repeat. If the choking is severe turn the infant on its back use 2 fingers and perform Chest thrusts.”

Maggie: “Superb Jaggy. Thank you so much for your clear communication. This knowledge really helps.”

Jaggy: “Yes. More than the first aid required for choking we should be careful while eating and when infants are around ensure that there are no little things which they can pop up in the mouth.”

Maggie: “What if the person is alone and no one to help him?”

Jaggy: “Good question! In such cases just get a chair and press your abdomen to it as hard as you can. This will solve the problem.

Maggie: “Thanks, Jaggy. Stay Safe and Be Safe.”

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. Will stay safe and be safe.”

Jaggy and Maggie will be back with more for sure.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

Automated External Defibrillator

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE – AED

BASIC LIFE SUPPORT, CARDIAC ARREST, CPR, Defibrillator, Innovation, Life Saving Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

Thanks to all the readers who have appreciated my last blog, Live Life Save Life where the characters Maggie and Jaggy discussed what to do in a Cardiac Arrest. The feed back received has only spurred me to continue to write better as it has increased the expectations of the readers. In this blog too Maggie and Jaggy will discuss more on Saving lives. Let us follow the conversation.

Maggie: “Hello Jaggy. You are looking great and in good health”.

Jaggy: “Yes, Maggie all is well with me looking forward to live life save life”.

Maggie: “Thank you for the conversation where you had explained the difference between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest and the first aid to be done”. 

Jaggy: “Teaching skills that saves life is always a pleasure”.

Maggie: “Last time you had explained 2 steps of the Chain of Survival and particularly CPR. Can you explain more on the 3rd step the defibrillation”?

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. In CPR by we are only circulating oxygenated blood to the brain and thereby we can save life, but every time CPR alone cannot do the job. The heart is to be jolted with a bit of electric current to get back to its normal rhythm”.

Maggie: “You mean we need to give an Electric shock? Can a first aider do that”!

Jaggy: “This is not something new Maggie. This technique has been around for a long time. Doctors and health care workers use it every day to save lives”.

Maggie: “Doctors always save lives, but can you explain more clearly”?

Jaggy: “In many a movie we have seen doctors performing a surgery on someone. Suddenly you see the monitor go erratic and the doctor shouts Cardiac Arrest!!! Immediately the doctor is handed over two small square shaped boxes to which gel is applied and the doctor uses them on the chest of the patient. Miraculously the person is revived”.

Maggie: “I have seen that, but movies are movies. Never real”.

Jaggy: “I know but not everything in a movie is fantasy. The doctor in the movie uses a device called a Defibrillator.  Defibrillator is a device which jolts the heart into a normal rhythm. The doctors use a Manual Defibrillator wherein they decide the amount of shock to be given. First aider is not a doctor. So, they use an AED. Automated External Defibrillator”.

Maggie: “Wow! Interesting. Love to know more”.

Jaggy: “An AED is in fact very simple to use. All one needs to do is just switch it on. Once switched on the AED by using voice prompts guides the first aider on how to use it”.

Maggie: “Sounds nice but can you be more specific on how to operate it”?

Jaggy: “Imagine some one suffered a Cardiac Arrest and is not responding. You need to ask someone nearby to call the Ambulance and get the AED. As the victim is not breathing you have started CPR. Once the AED arrives and switched on, it will prompt the user to Attach Pads to Patient’s Chest. Pictures on the pads will show you where exactly to attach it.

Once the pads are attached the AED will prompt Analysing Heart Rhythm. Do not touch the patient. CPR is stopped while the AED analyses. After a few seconds comes the instruction Shock Advised, Charging, Stay clear. The machine then delivers the shock. The patient will jerk a little which is normal. The AED then says it is safe to touch the patient. Begin CPR now. You perform CPR till the AED prompts you to stop and it reanalyses. Thus, with a combination of CPR and shock from the AED, lives can be saved during Cardiac Arrests”.

Maggie: “How soon we need to use an AED after a Cardiac Arrest”?

Jaggy: “Within the first 5 minutes. The sooner the better. If delayed the chances are going to be slim”.

Maggie: “It is indeed a life saving machine. Where all can we have an AED”?

Jaggy: “An AED can be placed anywhere. Usually, the ambulances are equipped with Defibrillators. In many countries they are available in Airports, Railway stations, Bus stations, places of work, and even schools. I mean they can be everywhere”.

Maggie: “Now that you have mentioned Schools, do we use different pads for children or infants”?

Jaggy: “Yes. The pads used are different, but if they are not available adult pads can be used. Children and infants rarely suffer Cardiac arrests”.

Maggie: “Nice Jaggy. Do we need to be trained to use it”?

Jaggy: “A first aider needs to be trained on how to use it. Most of the manufactures and sellers of AED arrange a training on how to use one. All one needs to do is attend. Even if not trained they can call the Emergency services who can guide them on how to use the same”.

Maggie: “Thank you so much. I’ll watch videos and attend a training for sure”.

How to use AED

Jaggy: “To sum up I would say this”.


CPR = Human effort
AED = technology
Human Effort + Technology = Miracles

More from Jaggy and Maggie in my next blog.

Thanks for Reading and Sharing.

Loving you all so much.

Seshadri Varadarajan.

HEART ATTACK

LIVE LIFE SAVE LIFE CPR.

CARDIAC ARREST, CPR, , , , , ,

Hello Readers. Trust Everyone out there in the world is safe and keeping safe. This New Year has brought a lot of Hope with the development of the vaccines for COVID-19. Trust it will control the pandemic and life will return to normalcy soon.

Two incidents in the past month have made me to change the subject of the blog from Fire safety. 1. A famous Cricketer from India had been admitted to Hospital after suffering a Heart Attack. 2. A colleague in the office lost his father to a Cardiac Arrest. These episodes set me thinking and I wanted to write about this as many a time, timely aid can save lives. To address this in an innovative way I would be taking the narrative as a Conversation between 2 people. This will help the readers understand better. The characters in the narration are Maggie and Jaggy. 

Maggie: “Hi Jaggy, How, are you? and trust you and your family are safe.”

Jaggy: “Hello Maggie. Me and my family are good and safe too. Though there is the talk of vaccination I feel we should still be careful.”

Maggie: “Yes, you are absolutely right. We all should take care. A lot has been happening over the last month and my favorite cricketer suffered a Heart Attack and thank God he is safe. But we could not save our uncle when he  collapsed and even though we took him to the Hospital the doctor declared him dead on arrival. The cause said was Heart Attack.”

Jaggy: “Sorry to hear that but it must have been a Cardiac Arrest and not a Heart Attack though people think both are the same.”

Maggie: What? I don’t understand you. This is news to me. Cardiac Arrest and Heart attack are different, is that so?

Jaggy: Yes, let me explain in detail to you. Though we think they are the same there is a lot of difference between the two. A Cardiac Arrest is an Electrical Problem in the Heart and a Heart Attack is a Plumbing problem.

Maggie: “Oh, Come on! You are totally confusing me now with your language. Electrical and Plumbing as if the heart is a pump.”

Jaggy: “Exactly. The heart is a pump which circulates blood to all parts of the body. It is a muscle by itself but works like a pump. There are pipes which carry the blood called Arteries and Veins. The distance of the blood circulation in the human body is nearly 96,500 kilometres long. But coming to our discussion Cardiac Arrest is when the heart stops beating due to an electrical malfunction. In this state the heart quivers and is not able to pump blood and thereby the brain does not receive Oxygen and the person collapses suddenly. This is a stage called Ventricular Fibrillation in Medical terms. In a Cardiac arrest invariably, the victim becomes unconscious and his breathing stops. The collapse is often sudden and without any symptoms or indication and often adults are affected. If proper first aid is not provided it can be fatal.”

Ventricular fibrillation - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Maggie: “I did not know all this about my own heart but now I understand What is Cardiac arrest all about. Now can you tell me what is a Heart Attack?

Jaggy: “Yes Maggie. A heart attack is nothing but a blockage in one of the arteries of the heart. This causes insufficient oxygen supply to the heart leading to a Heart Attack. The most dangerous block of all is in the coronary artery and can sometimes be fatal. Most people live normally even where there is a certain percentage of block ,but when it becomes more prominent then, a Heart attack is imminent. One good thing about a Heart attack is that the heart gives you indication or symptoms. Usually, a few days before the attack the person feels lethargic and may experience light pain in the chest, arms, neck, and shoulders. Many ignore this. Then one day there is severe chest pain, followed by breathlessness, sweating, nausea and a pale skin. Sometimes the victim will be thinking whether he will die. The Heart attack in medical terms is called Myocardial infraction.”

Heart Attack Causes, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & How to Prevent

Maggie: “Oh my god! How nicely you have explained all this Jaggy. As you are a Life Saving Trainer can you explain to me what first aid is to be given during these situations?

Jaggy: “Sure Maggie. Today I will tell you what to do for a Cardiac Arrest as persons with a Heart attack can be saved with early recognition and the victim is usually conscious in a Heart attack. The first aid procedure for Cardiac Arrest is called CPR. As a trainer we talk about the Chain of Survival and the steps involved in it are as follows.

  1. Early call to the Ambulance.
  2. Early CPR.
  3.  Early Defibrillation
  4. Early Advanced care in the hospital.”

Maggie: “Nice order Jaggy but what or which steps a layman, or a first aider must do in this. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about?

Jaggy: “The procedure seems difficult on paper but is easy to do. A first aider or first responder can easily do the first 3 steps but the third one regarding defibrillation we will talk later. Now let us talk about the first 2 steps.  The moment you see or hear that someone is down or collapsed suddenly, rush to the spot immediately. First check whether the person is having a response or not?

Maggie: How do I check the response Jaggy is it difficult?

Jaggy: No, it is very easy. All you need to do is tap on his shoulder and shout loudly like Sir can you hear me. Are you OK? If the person does not respond immediately ask somebody to call the Ambulance. Every country has its unique number for Emergencies and in India it is 108. Once you check response and there is none ,you need to check whether the victim is breathing or not?

Maggie: I have understood how to check the response. Can you guide me on how to check breathing?

Jaggy: It is so simple all one needs to do is scan the chest and stomach area with the eyes for 5 to 10 seconds. If any movement is observed, then the victim is said to be breathing. If the victim is not breathing, we begin CPR.

Maggie: What is CPR? And how it is done?

Jaggy: CPR is Cardio, Pulmonary, Resuscitation and it involves a series of Chest Compressions and Mouth to Mouth Breathing. Thereby the first aider can circulate Oxygenated blood to the brain and the victim is kept alive. The process of CPR has undergone a lot of changes and currently you need to give 30 Chest Compressions and 2 Breaths alternatively till help or trained people with equipment arrive. Now let us put together the steps of CPR.

  1. Check the Response of the Victim.
  2. If no response call, the ambulance, or medical services.
  3. Look for signs of Breathing.
  4. If no breathing start giving 30 Chest Compressions HARD and FAST.
  5. Open the airway by tilting the head of the victim back.
  6. Give 2 breaths by pinching the nose and sealing the victims mouth with your own mouth.  
  7. Continue till help arrives.

The compressions are to be given, by placing the heel of the hand on the Centre of the chest and push hard and fast. The depth of compression should be 2 to 3 inches.

Maggie: “Jaggy I have a doubt here. What if the persons mouth has blood and these pandemic days is it safe to give breathing? Compressions can be given any time that I understand.”

Jaggy: “Now to avoid this kind of a situation doctors will tell you that you need not breathe if you cannot or not willing to. You can just proceed with compressions. The compressions given, are to be consistent, hard and fast. I know Maggie that you would have a lot more doubts on this which I will clarify, later. To know better attend a training session on CPR and watch videos on how to do it. Remember by giving CPR a lot of victims of Cardiac arrest can be saved.”

More from Maggie and Jaggy in the next blog.

Seshadri Varadarajan
Mobile 98408 14353

FIXED FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM

ADVANCED FIRE FIGHTING, Fire & Life Safety Education, Fire Fighting System, FIXED FIRE PROTECTION, Innovation, , , , , ,

Trust my readers are Happy and Healthy and are slowly but steadily returning to normalcy. We need to be careful not only during this period but at all times. In this blog of mine we shall discuss a very important aspect of firefighting which is called the Fire Hydrant system. A lot of money is spent on that all over the world but many are unaware what it is and how it can help in firefighting. We have seen them in the factories and buildings we work and have always wondered how they work? Let me tell you all about it.

We know that there are 3 stages of Fire. 1. Incipient stage 2. Growth stage 3. Fully developed or Fully involved stage. To fight the fire and extinguish it in the incipient stage and to some extent in the growth stage we can use the fire extinguishers and hose reels. But when the fire advances to the next stage these are simply not enough. Here we need the Hydrant system or the Fire Water Hose system. Automatic Sprinkler Systems too help here. But the sprinkler is more internal and the hydrant takes care of the external factor.

A hydrant system is a special outlet fitted on water mains for firefighting purpose. The definition is very clear and it says that this system cannot work without the abundance of water. To put this in proper perspective the fire trucks or fire engines carry a limited supply of water and it is exhausted very fast. Therefore, if a system with abundant water is provided fire can be fought till the fire services arrive and they too can use the system. Fire can be brought under control soon and structural damage can be limited .

JOCKEY PUMP, MAIN PUMP, DIESEL PUMP.

Let us study the system in detail. The heart of the system is called the pump room and it consists of 3 pumps. 1. Jockey Pump. 2. Main Pump and 3. Diesel Pump. This is a system under pressure and the entire network of complex piping is charged. Depending on the design requirements pressure is set. It usually starts at 7BAR and can go till 10BAR. Manual firefighting is not feasible at a pressure beyond 11BAR. The pumps are necessary to take care of the pressure and to ensure the correct pressure is maintained at all times during Fire Fighting.

  1. Jockey Pump : This pump gets switched on when pressure in the line drops below 5BAR. The pump when on increases the pressure levels to the optimum levels already set. The pump functions as per the pressure setting and rating.
  • Main Pump : This pump switches on when the pressure drops below 4.5BAR. This usually happens when more outlets are operated. Hence this pump increases the pressure to the original set levels and can sustain the pressure for longer periods, even when multiple outlets are operated. But both the Jockey and Main Pump operate on Electricity and the Electricity for the pump house should be independent of the supply to the premises. 
  • Diesel Pump :  This pump is the backup system for the Main and Jockey pumps. When there is a power failure this can be switched on and the firefighting operations can be continued. In some systems the technology is so designed that the pump can switch on automatically if there is a drastic drop in pressure and can bypass the main and jockey pumps.

All the pumps are interlocked for automatic operations through a MCC panel and pressure switch integration.

Every inlet needs an outlet and the outlets will be all around and the water flows through a maze of pipes and valves. Let me describe in brief about them.

Hydrant Post ,Hose Box, Fire Service Inlet

Hydrant Post : This is the main outlet and usually this is mounted on a pipe which looks like a lamp post. The outlet contains a Wheel to open and a coupling where the hose can be attached to it. The hydrant post is of either a single head or a double head and the heads are installed depending on the design requirement.

Hose Box or Hose Station : Next to the hydrant post we find a box where 2 hoses are kept. The hoses are called delivery hose or the fire hose. There are different types of hoses and the widely used Hose today is called RRL Hose (Reinforced Rubber Lining). There are 3 lengths of hoses and these are same across the world. They are 7.5mts, 15mts, and 30mts. For firefighting in the yard 15mts is the standard length and for using inside 7.5mts are used. In some places the hose box may be a little away from the Hydrant post. The delivery hoses have couplings which are universal sizes of 63mm diameter. The hose box contains a branch pipe or a nozzle along with the delivery hose. The box is locked and there will be a key in a small glass enclosure which can be easily broken. In the hose box a Branch pipe or normally called a Nozzle is placed along with the hoses.

Fire Service Inlet : This too looks like a hydrant post but the difference is this will be an inlet which can be used by the firefighters to fill the tank of the fire truck. As the water in the fire truck gets exhausted too quickly the firefighters can use the water provided. The fire service inlet is usually located near the entrance of the building.

Universal Branch Pipe, JET Branch Pipe, Foam Branch Pipe

Branch Pipe : This is one of the essential accessory without which fire fighting cannot be done. There are various types of branch pipes and describing each one of them in this blog would be too elaborate. But for information some of them are

  1. Jet Branch Pipe.
  2. Universal Branch Pipe.
  3. Curtain Branch Pipe.
  4. Foam Making Branch Pipe. And so on

To operate this system during fire ground operations 3 persons who are well trained are needed. In the case of civilian fire fighters 4 persons can too be there. As the system throws out water at a high pressure one needs to be trained to use it. Persons who are not trained should never operate the system as life can be lost if something goes wrong. The designated persons operating the hydrant are called

  1. Branch Man.
  2. Support and Signal Man.
  3. Hydrant valve opening man.

To operate the communicate during the operation the firefighters use simple voice and hand signals. The Signals are used to open the water, increase the pressure, maintain the pressure and close the water after firefighting. 

A typical position of the branch man with his support will look as follows.

Branch Man Holding the Branch Pipe
Ready Position

A part of the system is also a water Monitor which are fixed in one location and throw water with great force and to a long distance. They are easy to use and are strategically placed where the fuel load is high.

To conclude I would say that

“TACTICS WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY IS HELPLESS. TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT TACTICS IS USELESS”

WISH ALL MY READERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR.

Till my next blog stay safe and be safe.

Seshadri Varadarajan.
9840814353.


A PATH MAKING JOURNEY IN LIFE SAFETY

History, , , , , , ,

Trust all my readers are Safe, Healthy and Happy. Through my blogs we have discussed a lot on Fire Safety. I have just passed on the knowledge I have received and put it on paper for posterity. This blog of mine is dedicated to the organization where I work, the root of my knowledge on Fire Safety.    

 A small beginning, incremental Progress, sustained Growth to legendary proportions has been the story of Usha Fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd. It all started in a small way on 11th November 1988, in a small house in Veerabhadran Street, Nungambakkam Chennai. A group of ordinary people, but with an extraordinary passion to succeed began this journey. Jagadish Adapa, Jayasheel Adapa, Praveen Shetty were the founder directors of the company. They were all from Mangalore and could not even speak the local language Tamil fluently, but had the guts to launch a business and that too marketing Fire Extinguishers. The place from where they hailed Mangalore is more known for creating Hoteliers and other food related business and this was totally unheard of. A personal tragedy in the family made them to start a business on Life and Property saving.

    The tragedy ignited a passion in the directors to train people in life saving activities. As a company they were the first to go to various industries and train employees on using fire extinguishers. Their extraordinary communication created a Safety training revolution in India.

    Though they had launched a business, finding employees was really tough as none was willing to join a new company. When your purpose is right, then things fall into place and a dozen people trusted the organization and joined. They worked as if their life depended on it, along with the directors and soon the company started growing day by day and in every way. The first group of employees are still with the organization even today which speaks volumes of their dedication and commitment and the culture of the company. They are the ones who are running the day to day affairs of the organization.

    Challenges were many and competition is always competition but yet this group worked and worked. Initially they were marketing only Fire Extinguishers and customers bought only from manufactures and not dealers which was tough to overcome. The directors themselves having worked for manufactures knew this but by their never give up attitude they overcame it and the won the trust of Customers.

    As business grew the need to expand was felt and Usha Fire expanded into selling Personal Protective Equipment. When you expand both in business and personnel you need bigger space and in the year 1992 they shifted to Mahalingapuram, the house of yester year actor Jayachitra. Business growth started happening and everything was going along smoothly, till the owner decided to throw a spanner in the works by asking them to vacate. No amount of pleading, convincing, worked and now they were in a never before situation. The directors then decided that rather than renting places let us have an own place and in 1997 they moved to No 9, U.R.Nagar, Park Road Padi, which is still the registered office. Today most of their branches operate from their own place.

    From a single company, today the group consists of the following companies.

    1. Usha Fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd. Chennai.
    2. Usha Armour Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru.
    3. When IT Strikes Crisis Management Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru
    4. Sarvam Safety Pvt Ltd, Chennai.
    5. Resguardo Industries Pvt Ltd. Bengaluru.

    From a single city, now the group has branches in different cities across India.

    Usha Fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd.

    1. Chennai ESTD 1988.
    2. Mangalore ESTD 1993.
    3. Coimbatore ESTD 1994.
    4. Madurai ESTD 1994.
    5. Hyderabad ESTD 1994.
    6. Mumbai ESTD 1995.
    7. Pondicherry ESTD 1998.
    8. Pune ESTD 2002.

    Apart from the above branches satellite branches are in, Ranipet, Goa, Visakhapatnam.

    Usha Armour Pvt Ltd.

    1. Bengaluru ESTD 1991.
    2. Gurgaon (NCR) ESTD 2007.
    3. Rudrapur ESTD 2007.

    Sarvam Safety Pvt Ltd.

    1. Chennai ESTD 2013.
    2. Coimbatore ESTD 2013.
    3. Madurai ESTD 2013.

    When It Strikes Crisis Management Pvt Ltd.

    1. Bengaluru ESTD 2002.
    2. Hyderabad ESTD 2002.

    Resguardo Industries Pvt Ltd.

    1. Manufacturing unit located at Bengaluru ESTD 2013.

    From being traders and dealers, to a group patenting and manufacturing 17 different life safety products is no mean task. Make in India has been given a true meaning in all respects. Starting from selling fire extinguishers, to providing solutions in Safety is a big achievement. Whatever be the industry whether big or small, National or Multinational, all have been protected by Usha Fire Safety in one way or the other. From generating a business of a few thousand rupees to more than 400 crores annually, something which is remarkable. 

    All this has been possible as the directors and employees believe in the Core values of the company and today from zero employees to employing more than 1500 it has been an enjoyable journey which is continuing. Many who have started their lives at Usha Fire have gone on to become much better in their lives. One unique factor of Usha Fire was to take people with minimum competence and develop them to maximum results. The one who has blossomed in Usha Fire will never fade in the sun.

    Though sales and service of equipment is the major activity of the group, the love and affection has come from the training activities. The training revolution created has grown to be a separate entity in itself and I will discuss all that in my next blog.

    Till then enjoy reading about a Business Organization with a Noble Intention of Saving Lives and protecting property.

    Seshadri Varadarajan – 9840814353

    For more information visit, www.ushafire.com, www.resguardo.com, www.sarvamsafety.com, www.ushaarmour.com

    Complete Fire Fighter – II

    Fire & Life Safety Education, Innovation, , , ,

    Trust all my readers are safe and doing well. Slowly but steadily we all are recovering but the threat of the pandemic has not vanished. We need to be careful and not let our guard down at any cost. This blog is a conclusion of the complete firefighter. In the first part we had basically dressed up the firefighter for facing the Hazardous condition called Elevated Temperature. Here we shall equip him to deal with Oxygen deficiency and Smoke Conditions. In some places the firefighters are called to rescue persons trapped in confined spaces. Without further ado let us get started.

    In any fire ground operation when the fire is in the Fully Developed or Fully Involved stage it is very deadly. The heat and smoke emitted from the fire has often taken the lives of firemen and the threat of back draft is ever present. Any human has to breathe air to live and a fireman too needs to breathe if he has to bring the fire under control. But in fire ground operations there is always a thick blanket of smoke that makes breathing next to impossible and the noxious gases like Carbon monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide and a lot of other gases which can kill within minutes. A firefighter needs a device which can help him breathe and help him to fight the fire. That apparatus is called SCBA. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus. The SCBA helps the firefighter to breathe air so that he can breathe easy and still do his job of firefighting and Rescue. Let us see how the apparatus is made and how it works.

    A SCBA typically has 3 main components,
    1. A cylinder under pressure
    2. A pressure regulator
    3. Inhalation connection
    All connected together and mounted on a back plate with harness and straps.

    The Cylinder: The cylinder is made of either Steel, Aluminium or Carbon composite (Carbon fibre) material. Initially the cylinders were made of steel as it was durable and could withstand high pressure, but they were heavy and impeded movement. With the advances in technology now the material is Carbon Composite and considerably lighter. The pressure ranges from 2,216 to 5,500 psi or 154 to 376 atmospheres (BAR). The cylinder is filled with breathable air and to the neck of the cylinder is fitted a valve to open and release the air for breathing. The cylinders comes in various sizes like 4ltrs, 6ltrs and 6.8ltrs. The modern fire fighters mostly use 6ltr or 6.8ltrs. The cylinders have to tested hydrostatically once in 5 years. These cylinders are commonly called air bottles. 

    Pressure Regulator or Demand Valve: The demand valve supplies air to the wearer on demand. It has a bypass facility and a reset button. The demand valve is connected to the facemask through bayonet fitting. A reducer reduces the pressure from 300 BAR to 6 – 11 BAR. It will also have a pressure gauge to indicate the pressure and will have an alarm whistle to indicate to the wearer that the air is getting exhausted. Hence a trained firefighter will not use the air in the cylinder unless necessary.

    Inhalation Connection: The modern breathing apparatus have a full face polycarbonate mask to which the demand valve is connected to help the firefighter breathe easy. It contains an inner mask and head straps.

    There are 2 different types of SCBA which are positive pressure and negative pressure, but modern firefighters use positive pressure only. The air in the apparatus can last only for a certain amount of time and the calculation of time is as under.

    The above calculations are as per standard formula and will vary from individual users and conditions.

    Breathing through an SCBA is not as easy as breathing normally. Hence the wearer needs to be physically, medically and mentally fit. Usually the firefighters need to wear the fire suit and SCBA while practicing and during drills.

    The wearing of an SCBA is called Donning and some of the donning methods are.

    1. Over the head.
    2. Coat Method.
    3. Seat mounted method.

    The only problem faced by firefighters while wearing it they cannot communicate effectively. Hence firefighters design specific signals to communicate.

    When the firefighter is dressed in fireman suit and he has the breathing apparatus with him then he is complete in all respects and can save numerous lives. Trust this article of mine will underline the importance of protecting our firefighters.

    The Fire and Rescue Services Act says that a Fire suit and SCBA are compulsory in organizations which have the internal fire hydrant system so that the trained people can fight the fire safely till the time the firefighters arrive. What is a Fire hydrant and how it is used in firefighting we shall discuss in the subsequent blogs.

    For technical specifications of SCBA, visit www.ushafire.com and www.resguardo.com

    Till then stay safe and be safe.

    Seshadri Varadarajan.

    Complete Fire Fighter – I

    Fire & Life Safety Education, Innovation, , , ,

    Trust all my readers are staying safe.  We have discussed a lot on Fire safety in the past year. A lot of aspects were covered and I trust the information has been helpful to understand the dynamics of Fire and its character. We all know that fire fighting is dangerous and not to be done by untrained people. In this blog let us discuss the dangers faced by the Fire service personnel while battling the fire and how to ensure they return back safely to their families.

    Fireman ready for Battle

    There are 5 common hazardous situations most fire fighters find themselves during a fire ground operation.

    1. Elevated Temperature
    2. Smoke
    3. Oxygen Deficiency
    4. Toxic Atmosphere
    5. Structural Collapse

    All the above situations present different challenges and are life threatening conditions. Though the fireman in advanced countries are highly trained it is not so in developing countries. To face these situations, rescue people and still coming out alive is a huge task. Hence a fire fighter needs to be properly equipped before he can even fight the fire.

    Let us start with the dress of the fire fighter. This is called the fireman suit and it consists of the following.

    1. Helmet with Neck Protector
    2. Protective Flash Hood
    3. Jacket
    4. Gloves
    5. Trousers
    6. Boot

    Helmet: The helmet protects the head, neck and face. It consists of a cap shell, cap hoop, the buffer layer and chin strap. It has an anti-scratch outer coating and anti-fog visor. The shell is made of TPE (Thermo Plastic Elastomer) material for resisting high temperature. The visor is polycarbonate. The neck protector has to be made of genuine leather. The interior of the helmet should have ventilating channels for sweat absorption and a shock absorber made of Poly Ethane foam. The chinstrap should be made of flame retardant cotton.

    Protective Flash Hood: The protective hood provides thermal insulation to the sensitive parts of the head. It should have an elasticated face opening with comfortable seams. The hood should be flame and abrasion resistant. The flash hood should be double layered and made of 50% Meta-aramid and 50% viscose fabric and manufactured as per the latest fire safety standards.

    Fireman jacket and trouser: These are the largest and most important parts of dressing up a fireman. Both the jacket and the trouser should consist of 4 layers.

    1.Outer Layer
    2.Moisture Barrier Layer
    3.Heat Barrier Layer
    4.Inner Lining

    The outer layer is the most important layer which is exposed to heat and flame. It should be made of molecular engineered fire resistant fabric. The outer layer is made of 60% Para-aramid and 40% Meta-aramid. The outer layer should be 245 GSM fabric.

    The moisture barrier layer protects the firefighter against water, chemicals, blood borne pathogens and microorganisms. It should be made of 80% Meta-aramid 20% Para-aramid coated with PTFE (Teflon). The moisture layer must be made of 110 GSM fabric.

     The heat barrier layer provides protection from heat. The material should be non-woven spun laced fire resistant material. It should comprise of 80% Meta-aramid and 20% Para-aramid fabric. The heat barrier layer fabric should be 70 GSM.

    It is common knowledge that a firefighter would sweat a lot and hence absorption of sweat is important too.  The inner layer should made up of 50% Meta-aramid and 50% Para-aramid fire resistant viscose material. The inner layer fabric should be 150 GSM.

    A wrist guard is sewn into the jacket, which protects the exposed skin between the edge of the sleeve and the glove. The collar is designed to protect the throat and the back of the neck. The special elbow guards protect the fireman’s elbow while crawling.

    The special reinforced knee guards protect the knees while fighting fire. The trouser also consists of cargo pockets, suspenders, and stretch waistbands.

    Gloves: Fireman gloves provide protection to the hands from heat and is also water repellent. It should be made of leather and lined with Cotton and a split leather cuff, stitched with fire resistant threads. The glove is Gunn cut designed with winged thumb, gauntlet type.

    Boot: The fireman boot comes in black and yellow colour. It has vulcanized rubber uppers and soles and is lined with Woven Cotton material. It has Epoxy toe caps and has lacquer coating for weather protection.

     It is thermal resistant, waterproof, puncture resistant, chemical resistant, anti-crush and electrically insulated. The soles are slip resistant, highly durable and have minimum heel impact. The steel midsole provides protection from pins and sharp objects.

    Every Fireman suit made should pass the following tests as per the world standards.

    1. Flame Spread
    2. Heat Transfer (Flame)
    3. Heat Transfer (Radiant Heat)                                              
    4. Residual Strength of Material (All Layers)
    5. Heat Resistance (All layers)
    6. Tensile Strength (Outer layer)
    7. Tear Strength (Outer layer)
    8. Penetration by Liquid Chemicals
    9. Resistance to Water Penetration
    10. Water Vapour Resistance

    By donning the fireman suit a firefighter is ready for fire ground operation but to fight the oxygen deficiency and smoke he needs a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). We shall discuss about it in the next blog.

    Till then stay safe and be safe.

    Seshadri Varadarajan – 9840814353
    For more information on Fire Man Suit, visit www.ushafire.com and www.resguardo.com

    Innovate or Evaporate – II

    Uncategorized, , , ,

    Hello readers! Trust everyone is safe and staying safe. Safety today has assumed utmost importance as we are all going through a time which has been the toughest one in the century. The month of August was pretty tough for me personally, however the period taught me a lot of things which will help me a lot in life. This blog will be a continuation of the last blog where we had discussed innovative lifesaving products, patented and produced in India by Jayasheel Adapa. In fact, he has patented a total of 17 products of which I have written only about four of them. In this blog, we shall discuss three more products.

    Mr.Jayasheel Adapa

    The last blog ended with the product called Escape Smoke Hood and the one which we will discuss is an extension of the same. It is known as Emergency Escape Breathing Device or in short EEBD. In some factories and industrial establishments, it is not easy to evacuate immediately whenever an alarm is raised. Some processes have to be shut down properly before the employee can move out of the area. The inherent dangers in such situations are Smoke and Heat. The oxygen levels too go down and the smoke hood even if available will not be sufficient in such a situation. The EEBD consists of a cylinder filled with air and is connected to a Hood with a visor. The Hood is aluminized and as such can withstand heat. All this is placed in a bag which one needs to hang over his shoulder. To wear it one needs to open the bag, place the hood over his face and pull a pin in the cylinder to start the flow of air. The air in the cylinder can be used for 15 to 20 minutes thereby helping the person to breathe easy and come out. This facilitates easy evacuation and this is not a rescue device. Though popular in marine and shipping industry by the name ELSA (Emergency Life Saving Apparatus) it is not much known elsewhere and this is where Mr. Jayasheel stepped in by making and patenting it so that anyone in a process can easily use it.

    EEBD

    I was always fascinated by an old story written by Leo Tolstoy named “A SPARK NEGLECTED BURNS THE HOUSE”. Though the story talks about broken friendship this maxim is true in case of Fire. Most fire accidents that have been caused during the pandemic time can be attributed to Electrical malfunctions. Though we install fire extinguishers and smoke detectors near electrical panels, by the time anyone comes and uses it may be too late. There are a lot of micro environments and unmanned areas which are highly vulnerable to such electrical sparks. To take care and suppress the fire right at the Incipient stage a product called Fire Sniper was patented by Jayasheel. This is a micro fire suppression system which simply extinguishes the fire within 10 seconds of inception. The Sniper has a cylinder filled with the extinguishing media and has actuation and solenoid valves. To the valves is connected a pressurized polymer heat sensing tube which can be routed through the area that needs protection. If there is a fire and the flame touches the tube, it punctures and discharges the media right at the heart of the fire like a surgical strike thereby the fire is put out immediately and it will not go to the next stage. This product has not only been patented but has been approved by LPCB (LOSS PREVENTION CERTIFICATION BOARD UK). This certifies that this product is manufactured stringently and qualitatively to the highest standards. The snipers are available in various capacities. The extinguishing media used is either Mono Ammonium Phosphate Dry Chemical Powder, or Clean Agent gas.

    Fire Sniper

    Due to globalisation, many corporate and industrial houses have kitchens in their premises, as a lot of people have to be fed. The food courts in IT companies occupy huge space and the entire cuisine of the world is made available, and as such the kitchens have a lot of equipment and are big. Fire hazard is quite prominent and all these kitchens have Hoods which can be the cause and spread of fire. Heated fatty oils too are dangerous and are difficult to put out. Here is where the mind of Jayasheel worked overtime, to create a version of the Kitchen Sniper. This is similar in design to the normal fire sniper, with the only differences being the colour and extinguishing agent. The extinguishing agent here is the Wet Chemical specific for fatty oils and kitchen fires.  

    The innovations in such products have reminded me of the verse of an old Hindi song

    Suraj Dekh Rukh Gaya Hai,

    Tere Aage Jhukh Gaya Hai,

    Jab Kabhi Aise Koyi  Mastaana,

    Nikhle Apni Dhun Mein Deewana,

    Shaam Suhaani Ban Jaate Hain Din Intezar Ke,

    Oh rahi Oh rahi,

    Ruk Jaana Nahin Tu Kahin Haar ke.

    God Bless You Mr. Jayasheel Adapa. May you create many more innovation in Life Safety.

    In my next blog we shall be creating a complete fire fighter. Till then Stay safe and be safe.

    For more info on the products visit ushafire.com and resguardo.com

    Seshadri Varadarajan.

    9840814353

    Innovate or Evaporate

    Uncategorized, , ,

    Wish all my fellow Indians a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY. It is exactly on this day 74 years ago India became free from the British rule. We have progressed quite a lot and still a lot remains to be done. We all need to proactively work towards making the country safe, and by doing that we build a stronger and a healthy country. Let us on this day Pledge to be SAFE and cut down life loss in Emergency situations.  

    The world is going through a tough pandemic time and everyone of us has been affected. But this pandemic has forced us to think better and improve ourselves. We are doing many things which we had never done before. During an online interview of mine a question was asked what is new in the field of Safety and are there any one innovating in the field of safety? This blog is dedicated to one such man, who not only dared to innovate, but even put up a manufacturing unit for the products he innovated upon.

    Mr. Jayasheel Adapa, is the founder director of Usha Fire Safety Equipments Pvt Ltd, Managing Director of Usha Armour Pvt Ltd and Managing Director of Resguardo Industries Pvt. Ltd. An Engineer by profession, an innovator at heart, and a business man with a noble cause, he is instrumental today in patenting and marketing Innovative Rescue Products in India. A passionate trainer, who believes that a trainer should not only train, but identify and eliminate gaps in safety and rescue. This part of him has led to many innovations in manufacturing and marketing rescue products. His innovations are many and hence this blog will be in 2 parts.

     As a trainer while conducting Evacuation drills or Fire drills in high rises, one of the major factors is about evacuating people with special challenges like mobility impairments or expectant mothers. During a drill they are exempted from participation, or they are evacuated in advance. However, in real time what do they do and where do they go and how they will be rescued? In advanced countries an Evacuation Rescue Chair is used for the same. They are made available in all the floors over there and the ERT (EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM) use it to save lives. A thought occurred to Jayasheel why not we make the same in India. He not only started manufacturing them, but even patented the product, something which not many do in India. This chair basically moves like a wheel chair on the floor and can glide on the stairwell to evacuate people with mobility impairments.

    A separate model of the chair was designed for hospital use also where one can easily hang the intravenous tubes and keep all the relevant documents of the patient in a pouch. This helps in evacuating a patient from a hospital despite all the challenges.

    We all are familiar with a wheel chair but how many of us are familiar with a liftable wheel chair? This Innovative chair is not only a wheel chair but it can also be lifted. The Liftable wheel chair was designed by him to evacuate people trapped in basements, and where there are no ramps it is difficult to bring up injured people. This equipment helps rescuers to easily and quickly rescue persons from basements. This product too is patented and manufactured by him.

    One of the most important elements of rescue or medical evacuation is to carry patients in a stretcher. Most stretchers do not fit into elevators and the staircase is the only option. When the victim is carried in usually his legs protrude out, and if oxygen has to be administered it is even more difficult. Two problems which did not really have a solution till Jayasheel thought of it and designed a stretcher, with a Foot pouch to lock the feet, and a pouch for a portable oxygen cylinder. Now rescue and medical evacuation have become easier. It requires a high level of thinking to understand the problem, and to arrive at this kind of innovative solutions.

    For the ERT team doing the evacuation one situation they always have to encounter during a fire is deadly smoke. We have discussed about smoke in the earlier blogs, and we know exactly what to do. But for the last person coming out, the density of smoke could increase and the life can be in danger, and here is where the Escape Smoke Hood comes into play. It is made of fire-retardant fabric and has a cartridge with chemicals, that can filter deadly gases like Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Acrolein to name a few for a period of 15 minutes. This enables the last person whether an ERT, production manager in a factory, a doctor in an OT, and even a resident coming out of his home to be protected from Smoke.

    When all these products were imported, one man dared to produce all these in his factory in India. All the products are registered with the Controller General of Patents and Trademarks, Government of India and other International approvals like LPCB.  This to me signifies Aatmnirbhar Bharat, the clarion call of the Prime Minister of India. More such products and innovations from Mr.Jayasheel in my next blog.

    Till then stay safe and be safe.

    Seshadri Varadarajan.

    9840814353.

    For more info on the products visit www.resguardo.com