PORTABLE LIVE FIRE TRAINING PROP
SPECIFICATION
Pennsylvania State Fire Academy
Office of State Fire Commissioner
1150 Riverside Drive
Lewistown, PA 17044
April 3, 2014
Portable Live Fire Training Prop
PROJECT SCOPE: This project provides the specifications to install a completely portablelarge area multi-zone live fire training prop (system) that burnsliquefied propane fuel at the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy (PSFA) in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. The live fire training prop (system) shall be designed to provide safe and effective training in the safe approach, cooling, control and extinguishment of a simulated liquid fuel spill fire. The prop shall utilize an automatically monitored propane-fueled flame generation system that includes a portable control station that is manuallycontrolled by PSFA staff to provide realistic training fires.
GENERAL PROP REQUIREMENTS: All major components (enclosures, burner elements, burner flex lines)shall be constructed of stainless steel, must be personnel-portable (transported by two personnel with our without removable wheels), and capable of being moved in, out or around our existing infrastructure: a rectangular (approximately 1,130 sq. ft. footprint) curbed metal pit that was previously utilized to burn flammable liquids.
All fuel (propane) connections and delivery lines to the burners are constructed of stainless steel flex hoses with quick connect/disconnect hoses and all electrical connections shall be by cables. The fire training prop supplier will also provide a minimum of one rated liquid propane supply line, 100 ft. in length, with adapters for mobile truck propane supply as required.
The pilot control components (with removable wheels) adjacent to the pit and the burner control components (with removable wheels) located approximately 5 feet of the fuel spill burn area boundary must be designed to be water-cooled. The system operation is as a flame-pilot electronic-ignition system with a burner control system. The flame pilot shall not be extinguished by agent application. The flame pilot shall be instructor controlled. The pilot enclosure and burner control enclosure may share the same physical envelope.
The pilot shall be controlled by a pilot monitoring system which shall control the operation of all liquid propane gas valves. Main flame operation shall be inhibited until pilot operation is confirmed. All propane inlets shall each have a manual shutoff valve and an automatic main safety shutoff valve with an integrated proof-of-closure switch. These main safety shutoff valves shall close on the loss of electrical power or upon actuation of any switch in the emergency stop circuit. Pressure regulators, gauges, and flow adjustment valves shall be provided as necessary to set the pilot and main flame heights, and permit periodic maintenance and adjustment when required.
A control stand/console (with wheels) interfaces with the pilot and burner control systems and is moveable to various locations surrounding the burn pit.. Main flame gas flow to each of the four (4) propane liquid fueled fire zones shall be controlled by separate motorized flow control valves or equivalent means of electronically providing continuously variable flame height control. Each control valve shall have an associated control switch on the control stand that shall permit the instructor to drive the valve open or closed to start, continuously vary, and extinguish the related burner flame.
The operator shall have control of pilot flame, fueled by vapor propane, and of the four (4) burn zones, fueled by liquid propane. The control stand/console includes an “E-stop” button that when engaged shall close all fuel supply valves and terminate all fire(s) being operated. The flow of liquid propane to each burn zone can be controlled by the operator from the control stand and be capable of creating varying heights of flame at each burn zone.
For added safety, a Safety Officer “dead-man” switch on a 70’ cable shall be included.Live fire operation to any of the four fire zones shall be enabled by pressing and holding the button on the Safety Officer’s cable switch. The safety officer must be continuously depressing the button throughout the training exercise. Release of this button at any time shall cause the training fires to extinguish making it functionally a “deadman” switch.
PSFA provides electrical power that meets the requirements of the system and a mobile delivery of propane service. The system is enabled using the "Main Power" key on the control stand/console. The main safety gas shutoff valves shall fail closed on loss of electrical power to the trainer.
The pilot shall be turned on by pressing the "Pilot" button on the control stand/console. The control system shall be designed so that under no circumstances shall any of the main flame burners be enabled without confirmation of the presence of a pilot flame. Main flame shall be initiated for each fire zone using the valve control switch on the control stand for that particular fire zone. The valve control switch for each liquid fueled zone shall control flow to the fire to continuously vary the flame height from no flame to maximum flame height. Fire extinguishment shall be effected by the operator reducing the fire size and turning off main flame using the valve control switch for that zone.
The burn area shall consist of four(4) personnel-portable, individual and independently controlled burner zones, each a minimum of 15 ft. by 8 ft. in sizethat are fueled by liquid propane. The flame height at each of these 4 burner zones shall be continuously variable. The overall appearance of the fully engulfed training surface shall be continuous with no perceptible breaks in individual zones. This hardware is placed inside the rectangular pit or easily transported to other locations for use. The existing rectangular pit will be leveled with crushed rock to support the burner zones. The specification for the rock shall be the responsibility of the prospective live fire training prop supplier but shall be provided and installed by the PSFA. Once leveled, the pit will be filled with water to create a level surface of flame.
These individual training zones and all flame producing components shall be located as required to produce the general appearance of a large simulated burning liquid fuel spill fire. The main flame pilot ignition system shall be inextinguishable during training exercises. Each training zone fire’s main flame shall be extinguishable only by the control system. All main flames shall be inhibited until the system has confirmed the presence of an operating pilot. All fires shall continue to burn until the PSFA staff reduces fuel flow and commands the fires off.
All installation, safety provisions and component parts (liquid dispensing and control systems) must operate in compliance within the National Fire Protection Association 1402 Standard – Guide to Building Fire Service Training Centers, Chapter 13.2.6on Gas-Fire Props and operate in accordance with NFPA 1403 - Standard for Live Fire Training, Chapter 8 on Exterior Live Fire Training Props.
SUPPLIERS:Manufacturers who wish to bid a live fire training system must provide the followinginformation and materials requested to be a qualified supplier. Any bid from a prospective live fire training supplier which fails to submit the information shall be rejected. The prospective live fire training system supplier shall provide:
Qualifications and capabilities that fully describe the suppliers’ability to provide the required system equipmentand system support.
Provide a list of five (5) completed liquid propane-fuelled,portable, large area, multi zone fuel spill fire trainer systems. The minimum size of the qualifying reference trainer must be equivalent to this project for the active burn areaof equal or greater complexity. Include award date, completion date, and the name and telephone number of a person employed by the buyer who has personal knowledge of the training system supplier’s contractual and technical performance.
Provide some form of evidence that the supplier has employed and dedicated service technicians with sufficient experience with the installation, calibration, and maintenance ofliquid propane-fuelled fire training equipment.
The prospective live fire training prop (system) supplier shall submit written evidence that the Controlled Burn Equipment has been certified and labeled by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and include copies of placards with the label and the NRTL’s authorization to mark said equipment. A Certificate of Compliance for manufacturing facilities is not acceptable to meet this requirement, the training equipment must be labeled per NFPA 1402, Section 13.2.6.3.5.
A system safety design that includes the description of the process by which the safety analysis of the system was conducted, a fault tree analysis of system failures and a safety design checklist that supports the confirmation of the system safety design goals.
Complete descriptive and technical information on the proposed live fire training system so that the Owner can assess the capabilities of the applicant to furnish an acceptable training system. References to catalogs or other descriptive documents not included with the submittal shall not be acceptable.
Fire Training Prop Supplier must provide:
Manufacture, install, integrate and test the live fire training system defined in this specification.
Provide three (3) copies of an Operator and Maintenance Manual to the Owner.
Conduct an acceptance test with facility personnel in observance. The purpose of this test is to show compliance with the functional requirements of the props purchased.
Provide a one-day operation and maintenance training course for up to ten persons designated by the Owner. The course will cover operation, calibration, and maintenance of the system.
Provide one-day set up and operation of the trainer during five (5) separate live fire training sessions at the Owner’s discretion to familiarize staff with the operations and maintenance of the training device. These sessions shall be provided within one year of acceptance of the device. Training provided by staff from the supplier familiar with all aspects of the device.
Warrant the system to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one (1) year after the system acceptance date. Provide a replacement part for any part that fails in normal use. The supplier will provide a toll free customer service telephone number that can be used by the PSFA 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to contact the suppliers customer service department.
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