The good, the bad & the ugly about shower units

PHOTOS GENE MADDEN Hand-washing units must carry a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons for gray water.

Mobile shower units must carry a minimum capacity of 1,500 gallons of potable water. Hand-washing units must carry at least 500 gallons.

Taking a shower at the end of a long, backbreaking, dirty, hot day on a wildfire, or after coming into camp after being spiked out for several days, is truly one of the most pleasurable experiences you can enjoy (legally) in a fire camp. At the same time, taking a shower with a few hundred complete strangers is not something I look forward to. Nor do I feel comfortable standing in my bare feet (or even with flip-flops) in a shower stall where countless others have stood, or seeing someone's long strands of hair on the shower walls, floors or benches. Bet you don't either.

I'm old enough to remember the old gang showers, similar to what most of us experienced after high school gym class. I actually revisited that scenario two years ago at a fire in Arizona, where we were set up in a high school near the Mexican border. But my most unusual shower experience, hands down, was at the dog track in Ebro, Fla., after Hurricane Erin (or was it Hurricane Opal?) back in the mid 1990s. Several of us discovered a "shower stall" that seemed suitable only for Lilliputians; only later did we discover it was where the dog handlers cooled down the greyhounds after their races! (Hey, don't laugh too hard. It did the trick, and the folks who didn't use it didn't get to shower for several more days.)

Today, shower units are well-run, clean, sanitary operations-and a welcome sight in all fire camps. Facility unit leaders (FACL), contract officers (CO), logistical section chiefs (LSC) and safety officers (SOF) all carry responsibility for ensuring mobile shower vendors deliver what's expected. And so do you.

A Range of Possibilities
Mobile shower unit contracts are performance-based for use by the U.S. Forest Service and all the cooperating federal and state agencies. The unit contract is straightforward in its expectations and desired results, which are for vendors to provide: 1) clean, sanitary and properly maintained shower units that meet contract specifications at all times; 2) sufficient supplies for incident personnel, such as towels and soap; 3) sufficient hot and cold potable water to take safe, comfortable showers; 4) timely arrival, set-up and hours of operation that accommodate all incident personnel; and 5) knowledgeable, trained and dependable mobile shower facility managers and other personnel on site at all times.

Occasionally you may encounter a mobile shower unit contractor that just can't seem to get it right. Several years ago on the Icicle Complex in Wenatchee, Wash., one mobile shower unit ran out of soap, paper towels or something else just about every day. Fortunately, I knew the contracting officer, Pat Haddad (now Wands), and she jumped right on it. Unfortunately, this particular vendor seemed to have a personnel issue, and it showed-every day.

On the other hand, you may occasionally enjoy the good fortune of experiencing the other extreme. This past summer on the China Ten Fire outside Grangeville, Idaho, Blue Mountain Showers performed its contract in stellar fashion. It was the first time I ever saw a mobile shower unit nominated by several people, including the LSC and the incident commander (IC), not just for recognition but also the highest "award" the fire's incident management team (IMT) could offer: the Star Award. The Blue Mountain Shower units were the cleanest, most well run showers any of us on the IMT had ever encountered, and to boot, owner/operators Rich and Wanetta Wangerin and their staff were all just as sweet as pie.

"We take pride in our work, and we're [Blue Mountain] just happy to be out here being part of the wildfire effort," says Rich Wangerin. "Blue Mountain strives to make taking a shower in our units as nice as it would be to take one in your own home." What more could anyone ask for?

Today, shower units are well-run, clean, sanitary operations — and a welcome sight in all fire camps.

What to Expect
So what are some key elements you should expect from a shower unit the next time you doff your hat and boots to wash the ash and sweat off your body? Here's a list of some of the general requirements shower (and hand-washing) units should meet and some points to watch for:

• All equipment must be capable of operating in adversely impacted urban areas to more remote, primitive locations with very limited access. Maneuverability of equipment, ground clearances and rapid breakdown and evacuation should be included in the contractors' plans.
• Mobile shower units must carry a minimum capacity of 1,500 gallons of potable water. Hand-washing units must carry at least 500 gallons.
• Mobile shower units must carry a minimum capacity of 2,500 gallons for storage of gray water. Hand-washing units must carry a minimum capacity of 1,000 gallons for gray water.
• Operational hours must be posted at the entrances to the units.
• All facilities must be sanitary at all times.
• Employees must appear neat and clean, and wear nametags and other easily visible identification.
• Alcohol, controlled substances and tobacco products are not permitted around or inside the shower unit.
• Also at the zero-tolerance level: Sexual harassment, civil-rights violations and other behaviors that create a hostile workplace.
• Mobile shower units bear the burden of meeting all federal, state and local laws or standards; e.g. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Department of Transportation, health department, potable-water codes, etc.
• Personnel must conduct water tests in a timely manner. This includes not only ensuring hot water temperatures are OK for use, but also checking for Coliform bacteria and other harmful substances. Local and state health codes vary from location to location, but I'd expect to see these tests performed daily.
• Inside surfaces must be nonporous and easily cleaned, and floors must be non-skid and comfortable.
• Steps must be sturdy and non-skid.
• Mobile shower units must have at least 12 showerheads inside and eight washbasins and mirrors outside. Additional washbasins may be required if more showerheads are present.
• Each shower stall must feature a liquid-soap dispenser and a shelf for shampoo and other personal items.
• Each showerhead must feature at least three sturdy hooks for hanging personal items.
• Shower units and hand-washing units should operate at a minimum water temperature of 101 degrees F, and always with potable water.
• Shower units must always provide privacy from the outside and be segregated between the sexes. Shower stalls must feature curtains.
• The interior and exterior must be adequately lit and covered with plastic shields or the equivalent.
• Contractors must provide at least one chair outside for each showerhead inside.
• Contractors must provide a ground cover outside and a rain/shade cover.
• Personnel must wash the entire unit completely with soap or detergent at least twice a day.
• Personnel must sanitize the entire unit with bleach twice a day.

Looking at this list, there's quite a bit to watch for and track, and at times things will get gummed up a bit. Typically, the FACL is the person who monitors how well the shower (and/or hand-washing) units are performing. Should a significant issue occur and remain unresolved, the FACL, working within command, general staff and others, will document transgressions and charge the vendor for any costs incurred and, in extreme cases, terminate the contract for default.

Conclusion
So the next time you enter a mobile shower unit or a hand-washing station, take comfort in the guidelines established to ensure a clean facility, and in the people who operate them, who are concerned your needs are met.

Mobile shower and hand-washing facilities are closely regulated through the National Contract Program. You can view the present National Mobile Shower Facilities Contract (NFES #2729), which runs from 2005-2008, on the Internet at www.fs.fed.us/fire/contracting.

Gene Madden, an SOFI, is the chairman of the NWCG Safety and Health Working Team and a member of the NWCG Emergency Medical Support Group. Madden is employed as the division safety officer for the Florida Division of Forestry and is an IOFI and a medical unit leader. E-mail him at maddeng@doacs.state.fl.us.