chapter 01-american fire service: past, present, and future

© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning

American Fire Service: The Past, Present, and Future

Chapter 1


Objectives

• Examine how the history of our society has shaped the American attitude toward fire prevention and fire control efforts

• Describe and explain how other countries approach the control of fires and compare and contrast their approach with U.S. efforts

• Describe new technologies and systems the fire service has implemented in recent years


Objectives (cont’d.)

• Describe the fire service of today, its successes, its problems, and its efforts toward improvement

• Examine and envision the challenges and opportunities open to the fire service in the twenty-first century


Introduction

• U.S. culture and its rich and complex history has shaped the American fire service into what it is today

• Reflection on the history of fire service is necessary to understand how it has evolved


Figure 1-1 The fire service of the past, present, and future has a tradition of many service challenges.


Fire Service of the Past

• Early colonial settlements experienced several major conflagrations and a number of large fires– Conflagration: A fire with major building-to-building

flame spread over a great distance

• Pattern of occasional conflagrations and large fires has continued through history to present day


The Industrial Revolution

• Focus on growth and expansion in cities • Increased growth in building construction• Corruption in building departments resulted in

poor construction practices and little or no fire code enforcement– Resulted in large fires that destroyed entire cities

• Growth and expansion took precedence over fire and life safety concerns


Two Great Fires

• October 9, 1871: two major fires raged out of control – Wisconsin forest fire

• Death of 1,152 persons; burned 2,400 square miles of forested land

– “Great Chicago Fire”• Death of 300 persons; destroyed buildings in a 2.5

square mile area

• Buildings used quick, poor-quality construction with little or no fire-resistant materials


Insurance Companies Respond

• The National Board of Fire Underwriters– Organized in 1874– Led to enforcement of ordinances by city council

• Insurance Services Office (ISO)– Independently applies grading schedule to city fire

departments– Sets the rate for fire insurance premiums for individual

structures


The Decade of Conflagrations

• The years 1900 to 1909 called “the decade of conflagrations”– Five of the most significant fires in U.S.– Earthquake and fire in conjunction in California

• Triggered formation of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and ISO grading schedule

• Cylindrical occurrence of conflagrations and rebuilding continues to exist


Fire Service of Today

• We are still plagued with conflagrations that devastate our towns and cities

• Today’s fire students need a better understanding of:– Fire combustion processes– Use of improved fire-resistant building materials and

methods– Use of improvements in fire technologies


Discovering the U.S. Fire Problem

• Studies by international associations pointed to causes and trends

• Fire service realized need for public support• Recommendations from fire service conferences:

– America Burning (1973); America Burning Revisited (1987); America Burning Recommissioned, America at Risk (2000)

– National Professional Development Model: education and training requirements


Comparing the U.S. Fire Problem

• Differences from other highly industrialized countries:– Low percentage of budget spent on fire prevention– Low or inadequate funding– Use of wood– Use of plastics: increase of BTUs; greater chance of

flashover– Social acceptance of uncontrolled fires


Emergency Medical Services

• Began in 1930s with first aid to firefighters• Radio communications improved• 70% of today’s requests for fire department

assistance are for medical emergencies• Communication and scientific advancements will

continue to increase opportunities for enhanced services


Building and Fire Code Enforcement and Improvements

• 2003 World Trade Center study– Found a number of needed improvements in modern

high-rise buildings– Discussed relationships between building construction

methods, fire-resistant materials, fire combustion processes, fire behavior, and impact on firefighter safety

• Improvements in one area of building construction can lead to unanticipated problems for firefighters


Training and Education

• Firefighters are better trained today due to improved procedures, requirements, and techniques– Example: dealing with hazardous materials

• Training requirements are strictly enforced• Higher education will soon be required for

promotion into fire service decision making positions


Administration and Coordination• Resources need to be consolidated to deal with

emergency incidents such as wildland/urban interface fires

• Incident Command System (ICS)– Management system utilized on emergency scene – Designed to keep order and follow a sequence of set

guidelines

• National Incident Management System (NIMS)– Comprehensive; integrates resources from public and

private agencies


Equipment and Personnel Protection

• Fire equipment has improved significantly and will continue to advance technologically– Powerful diesel engines– Better braking systems– Larger capacity pumps– New larger-sized hose– Better designed nozzles– Safer protective equipment and clothing


Protective Systems

• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors– Available to greater numbers of citizens due to lower

cost

• Quick-acting fire sprinkler head• New and improved residential sprinkler systems• Increased use of protective systems in

residential, commercial, and multifamily dwellings


Fire Service of the Future

• U.S. must begin to use SI measuring system to effectively communicate globally– Meter: basic unit of length– Surface and volume relationships both divided and

multiplied by factors of 10– Joule: unit of energy (work)


Fire Service and Technology

• ERT advisory group established by a FEMA grant to identify needs of emergency responders:– Alternative fuels– Infrared imaging– Global positioning– Ultrafine water mist– Compressed air foam systems


Improvements in Building Safety

• Research is being conducted in the following areas:– Increasing structural integrity– Enhancing fire resistance– Improving emergency egress and access– Cybernetic building systems

• Preparation for higher levels of technology necessary for future challenges


Summary

• Long history of conflagrations and large fires– Lack of social pressure; abundance of timber for

construction; rapid growth of poorly planned cities; insufficient building and fire code

• Continued improvement is vital– Must adopt SI measuring system – Continue enhancing fire resistance of materials– Require increased training and education– Embrace technological advances