Self-protection: An effective system for firefighters’ safety

The Autoprotection system was what helped to limit the burns sustained by the five firefighters who were trapped in their vehicles on Friday evening in Corsica.   What is self-defence? The self-protection system has been fitted to forest fire tanker lorries (CCF) since 1996. Nozzles are fitted to the branch guards and wheel arches; they create a protective water curtain around the vehicle, thereby providing protection against the flames. In the event that firefighting services (fire brigades, rescue services, local forest fire committees, etc.) find themselves surrounded by fire and are unable to escape the area with their vehicles, they can take refuge inside the cab and activate the self-protection system. The CCF has a water reserve of at least 300 litres set aside for this purpose, and when the water level is low, an audible alarm alerts the crew. This system, which is mandatory in certain SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Services), allows the crew to remain safe for a few minutes whilst the fire front passes. The operation of the self-protection system is checked daily by the crews.