Bloomington Fire Department: Exhaust Removal System

The Challenge

While providing a great service to their communities, firefighters are exposed to many occupational health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, due to the pollutants and particles they inevitably inhale while performing their duties. 

While the typical perceived danger for firefighters are fires themselves, an underlying, and often overlooked, threat to their safety occurs within their fire stations. With each Bloomington fire station housing at least one engine, the exhaust released from operating 35,000 plus pound trucks silently seeps through the walls and ceilings of the bays and into the lungs of our first responders. 

The image on the right illustrates the prior conditions of the walls within the bay areas of the fire stations. This represents what firefighters, along with any guests, were exposed to each time they entered the bay. 

The Idea

Chief Moore is always looking for the next innovation that can help the Fire Department improve efficiency and the quality of services they provide to our community. The idea of new air filters came to Chief upon reading an article in a fire magazine that highlighted the different types of exhaust filter and removal systems. 

Battalion Chief Neville Vaughan conducted further research on the three different air improvement systems which include:

• Hose-based - a hose is attached to the exhaust pipe and reroutes emissions to outside of the building

• Whole station - a series of filters exchange the exhaust-filled air 

• Truck filtration - attached to the truck, this option diverts the exhaust through a filter for a specified period of time as the trucks enter and leave the bay

Upon careful consideration of the prices, outcomes, and documented proof, Vaughan recommended implementation of the truck filtration system for the Bloomington Fire Department. 

How it Works

The truck filtration system is one piece of a much larger air filtration process. The fire trucks come with filters already installed, but they don’t remove the much smaller particles that can travel deeper into the lungs of those who breathe them in. The new truck filtration system is mounted alongside the exhaust system, and diverts exhaust through a filter for a designated period of time when the truck is first started and right before it is shut off. 

A benefit of this system is its capability to be connected with the department’s locution system, a system that notifies first responders of an occurring emergency. This connection allows the filtration system to begin running before the truck is started, preventing any hazardous exhaust to enter the bay while the fire truck is leaving the station. It also kicks on when the fire truck is put in reverse, which is when the trucks are returning to the station, to prevent any exhaust from entering the bay upon the trucks return. 

The Cost

There is no price too high to preserve the health and well-being of our first responders, but it was just an added bonus that this project came in at one-half of its original estimated cost! Instead of the projected $300,000, the purchase and installation of a filtration system came in at $149,000. This project was bonded out as a Public Works project. 

The Benefits

This type of filtration also comes with usage benefits, as it is the most passive system that requires no interaction from employees. No employee engagement on the filtration system is critical for adhering to health standards (such as OSHA), and additionally comes with fewer problems due to fewer human errors. 

This innovation marks another step in the Fire Department’s mission to be more proactive in preserving the health of their responders. Chief Moore also oversaw the implementation of new gear washers that allowed the firefighters’ gear to be washed after each fire, reducing exposure to dangerous carcinogens. 

Metadata

City Department(s): Fire, Public Works

City Department Point(s) of Contact: Fire Chief Jason Moore and Battalion Chief Neville Vaughan

Partner(s): n/a

Partner Point(s) of Contact: n/a

Type of Innovation: Mechanical/Equipment 

Date Implemented: August 2017