Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tactics
Ready, Aim, Fire
By Rick Markley
A German inventor turns surplus military equipment into a novel way to battle wildfires....
Bellwe(a)ther
By Rick Markley
Forest Service meteorologist John Snook says monitoring and prediction were critical in wildland firefighting in Southern California....
NIST Firebrand Ignition Research Sends Sparks Flying
By Douglas Page
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has gathered its resources to attempt to learn how to mitigate airborne fire threats....
History Revealing
By Gary P. Morris
Conditions leading up to the Charleston Sofa Store fire had similarities to a fatal fire in Phoenix. What was learned after that fire also may apply....
Maximum Reach
By Chris Cavette
Fire departments may find that a combination of distances and obstacles requires a much longer aerial than they expected....
Put to Task
By Janet Wilmoth
Charleston Fire Chief Rusty Thomas talks about moving forward after tragedy with the recommendations of a fire assessment task force....
Colorado Springs Receives Valor Award
Lt. Brian Moffitt, Driver/Engineer Christopher Richardson, Firefighter Nicholas Chapel and Firefighter Ryan Douglas of Colorado Springs (Colo.) Fire Department's...
Situational Awareness Low in Attic Fires
By John Tippett
The National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System has received 65 near-miss reports relating to attic fires. Nearly half the submissions report a collapse...
Fire Research Foundation Receives FEMA Grant
The Fire Protection Research Foundation's $990,000 grant will support research in fire safety code compliance, firefighting tactics under wind-driven conditions and thermal capacity of firefighter protective clothing....
NIST Launches Charleston Fire Investigation
The NIST team of fire experts i in Charleston responding to an invitation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to participate in the interviews of the Charleston Fire Department personnel who witnessed the fire. Th team will use the interview data to establish a timeline for reconstructing the fire in a computer simulation, both for NIOSH’s use and for further NIST research....
Medics Under Fire
By Jim Weiss & Mickey Davis
As law enforcement becomes more dangerous, fire and rescue agencies are training in tactical combat-casualty care....
Upgraded Water Supply Saves Town
The May 2007 issue of FIRE CHIEF featured Stanley, Iowa, and the improvements it made to its water supply. Those improvements were put to the test recently and helped save the town from a wind-driven fire....
'Wood' You Know?
Recently I took a road trip with two safety officers to the National Fire Academy for a meeting. During the trip, we had a discussion about new construction materials that pose serious threats to firefighter safety — threats that are increasing rather than decreasing....
Scenic Duty
By James William Witt, Ph.D.
Multi-jurisdictional planning and response are key to wildfire suppression in historic Red Rock Country. ...
Cold Shock
By Robert D. Stephan
Mass decontamination in frigid temperatures can be particularly problematic. Alternative facilities and dry decon are two options. ...
Upgraded USAR
By Kenny Shaw & David Martin
The Dallas region’s needs revealed that a Type I urban search-and-rescue team would be a better fit than the originally planned Type III task force. ...
Forgotten Customers
By Dan Sisson
It’s important to consider the transient members of the community when preparing for possible emergencies....
NIST Tests PPV in High Rise
By Kevin Daniels; Managing Editor
Recent positive-pressure ventilation experiments in an abandoned Chicago high-rise have helped to put some hard numbers behind experience and anecdotes....
Pressure Precepts
By Kriss Garcia & Reinhard Kauffmann
As more incident commanders turn to positive-pressure ventilation as part of their firefighting attack strategy, the potential for injuries rises. ...
Operational Periods: An Important Command Tool
By I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
Most public safety service delivery systems have been established to mitigate relatively short incidents. These systems rely on a quick response with resources of an adequate quantity and quality to “overpower” an event. In the event of an incident that exceeds the capacity of those resources, however, incident commanders may have difficulty adjusting. ...
High Aspirations
By Keith Klassen
Your department took the plunge and purchased a compressed-air foam system for your new apparatus. You've heard the talk about enhanced operations and...
Liquid Assets
By Chris Cavette
The use of tankers or other water supply apparatus was relatively rare 50 years ago. A few innovative departments saw the value of such vehicles, but...
Md. Town Mandates Sprinklers for New Homes
In the near future, all new homes built in Frederick, Md., will have at least one thing in common: a fire sprinkler system. The Frederick Board of Aldermen has passed an ordinance requiring all newly built one- and two-family dwellings to have sprinklers....
Safe Returns
By Jeffrey Pindelski
Make sure firefighters train in rapid intervention while taking the proper precautions....
Polish Pilgrimage
By Mary Beth Michos
A trip to the Main School of Fire Service in Poland finds a fire service eager to learn....
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