Alarms for Refrigerant Leaks

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From the Regulations for the Uniformed Force

11.2 Explanation of the use of signals

7-4. Preliminary signal for combination special call for first due or nearest available ladder company and battalion chief to a refrigerant leak.

The signal 7-4 is used in connection with verbal and telephone reports of refrigerant leaks as described in Section 11.5 and Section 11.6 of this chapter.

11.5 Still and Verbal Alarms

11.5.8. Before an engine company responds to a verbal alarm of a refrigerant leak, the officer shall send a special call as provided in Section 11.5.3. In addition, he shall notify the dispatcher of the location and whether the alarm is for a household unit or a large refrigeration system. In the case of a household unit, the dispatcher shall transmit special calls for the company and the nearest available battalion chief. In the case of a large refrigeration system, the dispatcher shall transmit special calls for the company and the nearest available rescue company, The rescue company and battalion chief shall be notified of the location before special calls have been transmitted.

 

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11.5.9. Before a ladder company responds to a verbal alarm of a refrigerant leak, the officer shall send a special call as provided in Section 11.5.3. In addition he shall notify the dispatcher of the location and the nature of the leak , as provided in Section 11.5.8. For a household unit, the dispatcher shall transmit signal 7-4 for the box nearest the location. If the 1st due battalion chief is not in service, the dispatcher shall special call the nearest available battalion chief. For a large refrigerant leak, the dispatcher shall transmit a 7-4 signal and notify the nearest available rescue company of the location, and transmit a special call for the company.

11.5.10. Upon receipt of special calls indicating companies are responding to verbal alarms, the dispatcher shall acknowledge the signals and transmit such calls on the primary circuits, except in the case of a ladder company responding to refrigerant leak. Companies shall not await receipt of the special call signals on the alarm circuits.

 

[68jk09]

The Signal 7-4 ( Truck & Chief ) is very old & was from the days of the Bell system...there used to be many refrigerant leaks / Ammonia leaks in NYC when the old Breweries & Ice Cream plants etc were more in existence ( & their infrastructure was extremely old ) .... when I was in R*2 we used to Respond to the large commercial leaks & back before Haz Mat came into existence we used rubber waders & a rubber jacket & rubber hood ((WW2 surplus ) with a Scott Mask & a Wilson face piece to make entry for search & or to locate shutoff valves or plug a leak .....the jacket & hood had drawstrings around the wrists as well as around the face piece .....the seal was never perfect & you were almost guaranteed to get some minor but very annoying burns to your skin mostly around your neck especially when sweating .....with the leak kit we carried bottles of vinegar which after leaving the leak area & having our gear removed we would get wiped down with vinegar in the affected areas to inert the burning.....as annoying as the Ammonia leaks were using the same antiquated gear at an Acid leak was cause for much more concern.