SURVIVING TUNNEL FIRES

This article offers a series of guidelines focusing on tunnel fire safety. These include: 1) establishing proper maintenance to reduce the potential of starting or prolonging a fire; 2) improving a tunnel fire ventilation system by expanding the emergency exhaust fan capacity; 3) establish a quick ventilation activation system; 4) reconfigure tunnels to handle one-way or unidirectional traffic flow; 5) conduct regular planning, training, and exercises to keep personnel and emergency responders prepared. The article also briefly suggests establishing proper tunnel exhaust ventilation and chemical detection systems for bioterrorism protection.