Firefighter
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A firefighter, or fireman or firewoman, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people, pets, aid and assist during natural disasters and, increasingly, provide emergency medical services. The fire service, also known in some countries as the fire brigade or fire department, is one of the emergency services. Firefighters are occasionally nicknamed "Jake", "buckethead" (often used a mildly derisive term) "smokeater," and "leather lungs."
Fire fighting is the process and profession of extinguishing fires. Firefighting and firefighters have become ubiquitous around the world, from urban areas to wildland areas, and on board ships. Not all firefighters are paid for their services. In some countries, including the United States, Canada, Finland, Australia, and New Zealand, there are often paid, or "career" ("professional" is falling out of popular usage due to the perception that non-paid volunteers would thus be termed "unprofessional"), firefighters working alongside volunteer and "call" or "retained" (firefighters who are paid for the specific time they are responding to emergencies) firefighters. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the use of retained firefighters (who are part-time, but are paid when on duty) rather than volunteers is standard.
The three main goals in firefighting are (in order) protection of life, the environment and property.
Firefighting is an inherently dangerous occupation. As such, the skills required for safe operations are regularly practiced during training evolutions throughout a firefighter's career. In the United States, the preeminent fire training and standards organization is the National Fire Protection Agency (or NFPA). Often initial firefighting skills are taught during a local, regional, or state approved fire academy. Depending on the requirements of a department additional skills and certifications such as technical rescue and Paramedicine may also be taught at this time.
The NFPA standard for firefighting training is NFPA 1001.
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Fire-fighting skills
Note: this mostly discusses structural firefighting. See wildfire for a discussion of forest fires.
Firefighting has several basic skills: prevention, self preservation, rescue, preservation of property and fire control. Firefighting is further broken down into skills which include size-up, extinguishment, ventilation, and salvage and overhaul. Search and Rescue, which has already been mentioned, is performed early in any fire scenario and many times is in unison with extinguishment and ventilation.
Prevention
Image:Chicago fire fighters walking.jpg Prevention attempts to ensure that no place simultaneously has sufficient heat, fuel and air to allow ignition and combustion. Most prevention programs are directed at controlling the energy of activation (heat). Fire suppression sprinkler systems have a proven record for controlling and extinguishing unwanted fires. Many fire officials recommend that every building, including residences, have sprinklers. Correctly working sprinklers in a residence greatly reduce the risk of death from a fire. With the small rooms typical of a residence, one or two sprinklers can cover most rooms.
In addition, a major duty of fire services is the regular inspection of buildings to ensure they are up to the current building fire codes to ensure they are able to resist fire damage.
Self-preservation
Image:Motte-Picquet-fire-exercice.jpg Self-preservation is critical. The basic technique firefighters use is to know where they are, and to avoid hazards. Current standards in the United States recommend that firefighters work in teams, using two-in, two-out whenever in an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) environment. Tools are generally carried at all times, and a special device called a PASS device is commonly worn to alert others when a firefighter stops moving for a specified period of time (usually from 10-30 seconds depending on manufacturer). Breathing apparatus known as SCBA is worn to protect against smoke inhalation and toxic fumes.
Rescue
Rescue consists of searching and removing trapped occupants of hazardous conditions that are alive. Animals may also be recovered, if resources and conditions permit. Generally triage and first aid are performed outside, as removal from the hazardous atmosphere is the primary goal in preserving life. Search patterns include movement against room walls (to prevent rescuers from becoming lost or disoriented) and methodical searches of specific areas by designated teams. Many fire departments follow a two-in, two-out rule. The two-in, two-out rule states that a) teams made up of a minimum of two firefighters will enter and leave hazardous areas together (hopefully preventing single rescuers from becoming lost) and b) for every team of two (or more) rescuers currently inside a hazardous area another team of two (or more) rescuers will be stationed (or "staged") immediately adjacent to the entry to the hazardous area, ready to immediately enter should the first team require assistance. This team is commonly known as a Rapid Intervention Team, or RIT. Searches for trapped victims are exhaustively detailed, often including searches of cupboards, closets, and under beds. The search is divided into two stages; the primary and secondary. The primary search is conducted quickly and thoroughly, typically beginning in the area closest to the fire as it is subjected to the highest risk of exposure. The secondary search is only begun once the fire has been brought under control, and as redudancy is always (resources and personnel permitting) performed by a different team than that which did the primary search.
Rescue may also involve the extrication of victims of motor vehicle accidents. Here firefighters use spreaders, cutters, and hydraulic rams, tools more commonly known as the Hurst tools. More technical forms of rescue include subsets such as rope rescue, swiftwater rescue, confined space rescue, and trench rescue. These types of rescue are often extremely hazardous and physically demanding. They also require extensive technical training.
Property
Buildings that are made of flammable materials such as wood are different from so called "fire-resistant" buildings such as concrete high-rises. Generally, a "fire-resistant" building is designed to limit fire to a small area or floor. Other floors can be safe simply by preventing smoke inhalation and damage. All buildings suspected of being on fire must be evacuated, regardless of fire rating.
While sometimes fires can be limited to small areas of a structure wider collateral damage due to smoke and water is common. Utility shutoff (such as gas, electricity and water) is typically an early priority of arriving fire crews, and whever possible movable property is moved into the middle of a room and covered with a heavy cloth tarp to prevent damage from water, smoke and burning embers. Firefighters are often forced to open holes in the roof or floors of a structure (called "vertical ventilation") or open windows or walls (called "horizontal ventilation") to remove smoke and heated gasses from the interior of the structure.
Fire control
Main article: Fire control
Fire control consists of depriving a fire of fuel, oxygen or heat. Firefighters are equipped with a wide variety of equipment to accomplish this task. Some of their tools include extrication equipment, ladder trucks, tanker trucks, pumper trucks, and ambulances. Very frequent training and refresher training is required.
History of fire brigades
The history of organized combatting of structural fires dates back at least to ancient Egypt where hand-operated pumps may have been employed to extinguish fires. However, such attempts could be of limited value given the large structural conflagrations that could sweep through Rome and other cities. The Roman fire brigade (Vigiles) was formed in AD 6 by Augustus to combat fires using bucket brigades and pumps, as well as poles, hooks and even ballistae to tear down buildings in advance of the flames. It is generally thought that this is where the "hook" in "hook and ladder company" comes from. The Vigiles patrolled the streets of Rome to watch for fires and served as the police force.
Rome suffered a number of serious fires, most notably the fire that started near the Circus Maximus on 19 July AD 64 and eventually destroyed two thirds of Rome. The Emperor Nero was blamed for the conflagration, and may in fact have allowed the fire to burn. At least one Roman may have become very rich from this fire, buying properties in advance of the flames and using teams of slaves in attempts to defend his recent acquisitions from being consumed.
Another great city that experienced such a need for organized fire control was London, which suffered great fires in 798, 982 and 989. Little is known about the development of firefighting in Europe until after the Great Fire of London in 1666. It started in a baker's shop on Pudding Lane, consumed about two square miles (5 km²) of the city, leaving tens of thousands homeless. Prior to this fire, London had no organized fire protection system. Afterwards, insurance companies formed private fire brigades to protect their clients’ property. Insurance brigades would only fight fires at buildings the company insured. These buildings were identified by a badge or sign. Still, it was not until 1672 that the Dutch inventor Jan Van der Heiden invented the firehose. Constructed of flexible leather and coupled every 50 feet (15 m) with brass fittings, the length and connections remain the standard to this day. Image:Firefighters Microcosm edited.jpg Meanwhile, in America, Jamestown, Virginia had been virtually destroyed in a fire in January, 1608. Fire "wardens" were appointed in New Amsterdam in 1648. Wardens were to patrol the cities to inspect chimneys. "Rattle Watches" were performed at night by eight appointees, who were to rouse citizens to fight fires by bucket brigade if necessary. In Boston, serious fires in 1653 and 1676 had inspired the city to take greater measures towards combatting fire.
Interestingly, during the 1800s and early 1900s volunteer fire companies served not only as fire protection but as political machines. The most famous volunteer firefighter-cum-politician is Boss Tweed, head of the notorious [Tammany Hall] political machine, who got his start in politics as a member of the Americus Engine Company Number 6 ("The Big Six") in New York City.
The fire engine was developed by Richard Newsham of London in 1725. Pulled as a cart to the fire, these manual pumps were manned by teams of men and could deliver up to 160 gallons per minute (12 L/s) at up to 120 feet (40 m).
Image:Victor Pierson, Paul Poincy. Volunteer Firemen’s Parade, March 4 1872.jpg Benjamin Franklin created the Union Fire Company in 1736 in Philadelphia, the first volunteer fire company in America. There were no full-time paid firefighters in America until 1850. Even after the formation of paid fire companies in the United States, there were disagreements and often fights over territory. New York City companies were famous for sending runners out to fires with a large barrel to cover the hydrant closest to the fire in advance of the engines. Often fights would break out between the runners and even the responding fire companies for the right to fight the fire and receive the insurance money that would be paid to the company that fought it.
Napoleon Bonaparte is generally attributed as creating the first "professional" firefighters, known as Sapeurs-Pompiers, from the French Army. Created under the Commandant of Engineers in 1810, the company was organized after a fire at the ballroom in the Austrian Embassy in Paris which injured several dignitaries. Image:HGs-Dhu-Dem1.jpg In the UK, organized firefighting arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, when the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was formed in 1824, led by James Braidwood. London followed in 1832 with the London Fire Engine Establishment.
The first horse-drawn steam engine for fighting fires was invented in 1829, but not accepted in structural firefighting until 1860, and ignored for another two years afterwards. Internal combustion engine fire engines arrived in 1907, built in the United States, leading to the decline and disappearance of steam engines by 1925.
Today, fire and rescue remains a mix of paid, call, and volunteer responders. While urban areas such as New York, NY and Boston, MA are typically served by large, well-coordinated paid responders, there is no requirement demanding either paid, call, or career firefighters and many departments are so-called "mixed" departments - full time responders handle the day-to-day needs of a department and work with either call or volunteer responders when more manpower is needed. Other departments are completely "call" or volunteer, depending on local tradition, needs, and, most importantly, financial ability.
National information
France
French firefighters are called Sapeurs-Pompiers, and reflecting the rural nature of much of the country (wide areas with low density of population), the Volunteer Fire brigade (SPV, sapeur-pompier volontaire), with over 190,000 firefighters is the largest firefighting force in France. In addition to being called out from work to attend an incident, they may be on standby at firestations outside their working hours; the intervention and attending hours are paid by the session. The volunteer firebrigade is also a way to promote the culture of civil defense and of solidarity amongst the population. The Professional Fire Brigade (SPP, sapeur-pompier professionnel) numbers over 30,000 firefighters, employed by the départements and working on shifts. In some towns there is a mixture of professionals and volunteers, in others only one or the other.
In Paris and Marseille, the fire brigades are made up of military personnel, but under the control of the Ministry of the Interior in a similar way to the Gendarmes. The Paris Fire Brigade (BSPP) has around 7,000 firefighters, and the Marseille Marine Fire Battalion (BMPM) has over 2,000.
French firefighters tackle over 3.6 million incidents each year:
- 10% fires,
- 10% traffic accidents (freeing the casualties and prehospital care as first responders),
- 59% other help to people (mainly prehospital care as first responders),
- 21% other incidents (gas escapes, stuck elevators, etc).
With the SAMU (French EMS), they are the backbone of the French civil defense.
Germany
Image:Löschzug.jpg German fire brigades (Feuerwehr) are organized on a town/village basis, with each town having at least one brigade. In Germany there are about 25,000 fire departments - 24,000 volunteer fire departments (Freiwillige Feuerwehr), 800 private fire departments (Werkfeuerwehr; which mostly protect large industrial complexes) and 100 public fire departments (Berufsfeuerwehr; in the larger towns and cities). These have a total of 1,300,000 active fire fighters. German fire departments are often very well-equipped. For further information read the article in the German Wikipedia or at least have a look at the article "fire engine" here in the English Wikipedia.
the Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China
The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (HKFSD) not only has firefighters, but Ambulanceman/Ambulancewoman. As of 14/5/2005, there are 8,675 uniformed personnel (including ambulanceman/ambulancewoman) and 676 civilian members.
The head of HKFSD is called Director but not Commissioner. Assisted by the Deputy Director, Director of the HKFSD is the head of three Operational Fire Commands: Hong Kong, Kowloon and N.T.(i.e. The three Districts). Each of the Commands is under the control of the Chief Fire Officer(CFO). In reality, there is one additional Command : The Heartquarters(HQ), which is under control of the CFO(HQ).
New Zealand
In New Zealand, fire protection in urban areas is provided by the New Zealand Fire Service. This is a nationwide organisation, run as part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of New Zealand, and established by the Fire Service Act 1975. This provides statutory authority to fight and prevent fire and to respond to hazardous substance incidents. In addition to fire fighting, the NZFS responds to motor-vehicle collisions and has a significant role in Urban Search and Rescue. Specialist forest fire fighters from New Zealand are often requested to provide assistance at wildfire events in Australia and the United States, where their skills in incident management are utilised within the Incident Command System.
Spain
Fire brigades in Spain are different in each autonomous community with the exception of Barcelona and Madrid which have their own brigades. The Fire Brigade of Valencia is famous for having created a NGO called Bomberos Sin Fronteras (Firefighters Without Borders) which helps in any natural disaster that could happen anywhere in the world.
United Kingdom
Main article: Fire brigades in the United Kingdom
The fire brigades in England are organised on a county basis, with each post-1974 county having its own brigade. In Scotland and Wales they are on a regional basis, with eight and three brigades respectively. Northern Ireland has a single brigade, the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade. In rural areas, there are often fire stations manned by part-time retained firefighters. In addition there are a number of independent fire brigades, such as the Peterborough volunteers, the Downe House School brigade and those run by large industrial concerns. As well as responding to fires and such like, British fire brigades also have a legal obligation (in the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004) to respond to any emergency, which can pose a threat to life, and the environment. Many of these legal changes have come about as a result of the increased terrorist threat and recent industrial action. More information can be found here. Information on fire safety issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister can be found here.
United States
U.S. firefighters work under the auspices of fire departments (also called fire protection districts, fire divisions, fire companies, fire bureaus, and fire-rescue). These departments are generally organized as local or county government subsidiaries, special-purpose district entities or not-for-profit corporations. They may be funded by the parent government, through millage, fees for services, fundraising or charitable contributions. Some state governments and the federal government operate fire departments to protect their wildlands, e.g., California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) [1], New Jersey Forest Fire Service [2], USDA Forest Service – Fire and Aviation Management [3] (see also Smokejumper). Many military installations, major airports and large industrial facilities also operate their own fire departments.
A small number of U.S. fire depeartments are privatized, that is operated by for-profit corporations on behalf of public entities. The City of Scottsdale, Arizona and Port Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio are among the largest public entities protected by privatized fire departments.
Most larger urban areas have career firefighters. Most rural areas have volunteer or paid on call firefighters. Smaller towns and suburban areas may have either. 74% of career firefighters are in departments that protect 25,000 or more people. 93% of volunteer firefighters are in departments that protect fewer than 25,000 people. Departments range in size from a handful of firefighters to over 11,400 sworn firefighters and 4,600 additional personnel in the New York City Fire Department.
As of 2003, there were 1,096,900 firefighters in the United States.¹ Of these, 27% are career and 73% are volunteer. These firefighters operate out of 30,452 fire departments. Career firefighters represent 12% of all departments but protect 61% of the U.S. population. Meanwhile 88% of fire departments are volunteer or mostly volunteer and protect 39% of the population. Source: U.S. Fire Administration [4] and National Fire Protection Association [5]
U.S. fire departments are usually structured in a paramilitary manner. Firefighters are sworn, uniformed members of their departments. Rank-and-file firefighters are equivalent to enlisted personnel; supervisory firefighters are command officers with ranks such as Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief and Chief. Fire departments, especially larger ones, may also be organized into military-style echelons, such as companies, battalions and divisions. Fire departments may also have non-sworn or non-uniformed members in non-firefighting capacities such as administration and civilian oversight, e.g., a board of commissioners. While adhering to a paramilitary command structure, most fire departments operate on a much less formal basis than the military.
Firefighting in the United States is becoming more of a profession than it once was. Historically, especially in smaller departments, little formal training of firefighters was required. Now, most states require both career and volunteer firefighters to complete a certificate program at a fire academy. Associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in firefighting disciplines are available at colleges and universities. Such advanced training is becoming a de facto prerequisite for command in larger departments. The U.S. Fire Administration operates the National Fire Academy, which also provides specialized firefighter training.
- This does not include firefighters who work for the state or federal government or in private fire departments.
Miscellaneous
In popular literature, firefighters are usually depicted with Dalmatian dogs. This breed originated in southern Europe to assist with herding livestock and run along with horses, and in the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus the horses were usually released on arrival at the fire and the Dalmatians would lead/direct the horses to a safe place to wait until the fire was out. Dalmatians also filled the role of protecting the horses` feet from other dogs as the fire equipment was being transported to the fire scene.
In reality most fire dogs were mutts pulled from the street (and thus cheaper to acquire). In addition, dalmations have a reputation for skiddishness and congenital defects such as deafness due to interbreeding.
Firefighters work closely with other emergency response agencies, most particularly local and state police departments. As every fire scene is technically a crime scene until deemed otherwise by a qualified investigator often there is overlap between the responsibilities of responding firefighters and police officers such as evidence and scene protection, initial observations of first respondents, and rope of evidence issues. The increasing role of firefighters in providing Emergency Medical services also brings firefighters into common overlap with law enforcement. A favorite example of this is a common state law requiring all gun shot wounds to be reported to law enforcement agencies.
Fire hydrants are referred to in some regions as "fire plugs". This term originated with the advent of the first municipal water systems, in which the "pipes" were often actually hollowed out logs. For firefighting purposes, cobblestones were removed from the street or sidewalk to access the wooden water main. A hole was drilled into the log and then "plugged" with a wooden plug or stake. In the event of a fire, firefighters would locate the "fire plug" and unplug it to obtain water.
See also
- Arlington County Fire Department
- Bushfire
- Country Fire Service
- FDNY
- Fire/Burglar alarms
- Fire engine
- Fire station
- Fireboat
- Fire safety
- Glossary of firefighting equipment
- Glossary of firefighting terms
- Glossary of wildland fire terms
- LAFD
- List of historic fires
- Smokejumper
- Smoke detector
- Water tender
External links
Ultimate Firefighting at Squidoo.com
References
ca:Bomber da:Brandvæsen de:Feuerwehr eo:Fajrobrigado es:Bomberos fr:Sapeur-pompier hr:Vatrogasci ja:消防吏員 ja:消防団員 nl:Brandweer nds:Füerwehr pl:Straż pożarna sl:Gasilec fi:Palokunta sv:Brandförsvar