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N.Y.C. Fire Dept. Rethinking Tactics in House Fires

Posted by: romduck July 1, 2012

Are our tactics up to date with our enemy?

Are we doing the equivalent of fighting tanks with cavalry?

Still put the wet stuff on the red stuff? Sure, but not in the same way that we have for 30-40-50 years. Fire behavior has changed because of the stuff that burns, how MUCH of it burns and the construction of the buildings that they burn in.

Plastic fillings in sofas and mattresses burn faster than older fillings, leading the New York Fire Department to reconsider some long-held ideas on how to fight fires.

Can we “push” fire to to unburned areas?

How and when is it best to ventilate?

How soon is too soon to go defensive?

The nature of the fires that we fight is changing, demanding a re-examination of the answers to these questions.

See the full article at www.nytimes.com

More information and video at MSNBC

See on Scoop.it – Emergency Services

About romduck

Rom Duckworth is a dedicated emergency responder, author, and educator with more than thirty years of experience working in career and volunteer fire departments, hospital healthcare systems, and private emergency medical services. Rom is a career fire captain and paramedic EMS Coordinator for the Ridgefield (CT) Fire Department and director of the New England Center for Rescue and Emergency Medicine. Rom holds a master’s degree in public administration, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer program, and is the recipient of the NAEMT Presidential Award, American Red Cross Hero Award, Sepsis Alliance Sepsis Hero Award, and the EMS 10 Innovators Award. Rom is the author of "Duckworth on Education," as well as chapters in more than a dozen EMS, fire, rescue, and medical textbooks and over 100 published articles in fire and EMS magazines. A member of the NAEMT Board of Directors, as well as other national and international advocacy and advisory boards, Rom continues to work for the advancement of emergency services professions. Contact Rom via www.romduck.com