Safety First 2: Ode to the Worcester 6

Yesterday I blipped a photo of the sprinkler above my bed. Today I blip the sprinkler above the front door of my apartment. I blip this, instead of my original idea, because today is the 11th anniversary of the Worcester, MA Cold Storage Fire that claimed the lives of 6 heroic firefighters.

Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire of 1999
Dec. 3. 1999
Box 5-1438
Rescue 1
Ladder 2
Engine 3
Paul Brotherton
Jeremiah Lucey
Thomas Spencer
Timothy Jackson
James Lyons
Joseph McGuirk

This was written in my friend Pheenyx's blipblog: "11 years ago today 6 fellow fire fighters went into an abandoned cold storage building fire in Worcester Massachusetts. They went in because there were reports of 2 homeless people living there. These 6 fire fighters lost their lives doing their job, doing what we do as fire fighters. These are true heroes."

I have several friends, past and present, who serve or have served as firefighters, both volunteer and career.

Blessed be those who run into burning buildings as everyone else runs out.

On to the actual blip:

This is a Standard Response 155 deg Dry Horizontal Side Wall Sprinkler. Light Hazard use only. Being a dry sprinkler means this: there is no water AT the sprinkler. There is a barrel (a pipe) attached to the sprinkler with a mechanical "stopper" in the end of it. these are made to order, in specific lengths. The barrel goes through the wall into a heated area. It operates basically the same way as the one I blipped yesterday, with a heat activated bulb. The bulb breaks and releases the "stopper" and water flows through the barrel to the sprinkler. Horizontal sidewall is for applications when a sprinkler cant be put in a ceiling. it throws out and to the sides and down. This particular sprinkler operates at a minimum end head pressure of 7 psi. at a density of .10 gpm/sf (light hazard standard calculated density).



I am purposely putting less information, as the real reason for my blip is not the sprinkler, but to pay homage to the 6 souls who lost their lives 11 years ago, fighting fires that this sprinkler is designed to help fight.

I also honor today, those in my life who are strong enough to be the ones to run into the fire to pull out those of us not strong enough to escape.

Pheenyx and Christina, you are my best friends. Thank you for what you do, and what you have done. I love you both!