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‘Daisy chains’ pose base billet fire hazard

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class David Dobrydney
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department has recently responded to several close calls involving "daisy chains" being used in base billets, nearly causing a fire. These daisy chains are multiple, high-voltage electrical devices joined together and are considered a major safety hazard here in Southwest Asia.

In an effort to prevent a catastrophe, the fire department conducts random no-notice inspections of all billets.

"The main things we look for during inspections are working smoke detectors, proper use of transformers, surge protectors, air-conditioning units and the general cleanliness of the billets," said Tech. Sgt. James Shultz, 379 ECES lead fire inspector, deployed from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. "The billets in CC aren't fireproof. In the short time it takes us to respond, there is the potential to lose three or four rooms."

While there has not been a major fire in several years, the possibility exists. Inspectors almost always find something dangerous in the rooms during their random inspections.

"We've seen people do a lot of different things they shouldn't with surge protectors," Sergeant Shultz said. "People have connected multiple surge protectors together and tried to hide them by running the wires behind their beds, refrigerators, or wall lockers. But any time we find daisy-chained surge protectors or transformers, we remove the hazard."

Surge protectors, also, should not be run under a rug. In addition, appliances that draw a large amount of power, like televisions, refrigerators, microwaves or coffee pots should be plugged directly into a wall outlet.

Air conditioners are the most widely-used appliance on the base. When units are left running on the highest setting and dust is allowed to build up in the filter, they can overheat and catch fire. Sergeant Shultz said this was the likely cause of an air conditioner fire in 2005, which destroyed both the unit and the wall around it. When leaving a room, A/C units should be turned to the lowest setting.

Besides unsafe practices with plugs and appliances, inspectors sometimes find outright tampering with smoke detectors.

"We've seen where people have ripped detectors clean off the wall, cut the wires and then put it back up so the alarm wouldn't sound any more," Sergeant Shultz said "We find it frequently and it's something you definitely don't want to do. It puts people at risk, and it's punishable under the [Uniform Code of Military Justice]."

In case a fire does break out, residents also need to know how to evacuate a building.
"For example, the CC trailers have three exits suitable for evacuation purposes," said Staff Sgt. Michael Hawkins, deployed from Tinker AFB, Okla., to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Safety Office. "It is vitally important that everybody knows the evacuation procedures for the building in which they live or work."

Sergeant Hawkins also said personnel should know where to meet after an evacuation for proper accountability to take place. "People still in the building will affect how fire protection personnel fight the fire," the Ventura, Calif., native said.

In a hot, windy climate, fire is an ever-present danger and has the ability to spread quickly.

"Fire prevention is not just the job of fire prevention or safety personnel; it is everyone's responsibility," Sergeant Hawkins, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., said. "Simple things such as smoking only in designated areas and properly storing flammable materials go a long way to ensure we stay fire-safe."

Sergeant Shultz said it's important to pay attention to what people are doing because even if a person is doing the right thing, their personal belongings could go up in smoke because someone else is doing something unsafe.

"In the time it takes us to get from the fire station to the billet that's on fire, damage could occur," he said. "Everyone needs to pay attention because it only takes one person not doing the right thing to ignite a fire that could make someone lose all their belongings, or worse, their life.