© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning
American Fire Service: The Past, Present, and Future
Chapter 1
© 2009 Delmar, Cengage Learning
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
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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
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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
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Figure 1-1 The fire service of the past, present, and future has a tradition of many service challenges.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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
