Walker discusses how a wide fog pattern will protect a firefighter caught in a flashover. "Right for Reach/Left for Life" means if the nozzle is rotated to the right, a straight stream is produced; if the nozzle pattern is adjusted to the left, a fog pattern results. The wide fog pattern provides protection from the heat and flames if the nozzle team were caught in a flashover. Among other things, the best method of surviving a flashover is to know how to avoid it in the first place, but if firefighters become caught in one, they should aggressively retreat from the area using a nozzle stream that won't hasten their demise. Excellent research proves that excessive moisture in a superheated environment amplifies the chance and severity of injury. To use a nozzle pattern that knowingly produces the maximum amount of steam within the fire compartment may stop flame production but will cause steam injuries that could make a deadly possibility an absolute certainty.
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