Dioxins – the most hazardous substance in structure fire environments
Post-structure fire settings, especially those where plastics, synthetic materials, or household products made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) have burned, are where extremely hazardous and carcinogenic chemicals are created. One chemical in particular,…
Pre-fire planning
Fate favours the prepared. No matter the industry whether military, fire service, or business the difference between success and failure can be a short phone conversation, radio transmission, even seconds to make a decision that may mean life or death…
The power of turbine response systems: watermist for effective cooling and firefighting
Industrial fire brigades are showing increasing interest in turbine firefighting systems: turbines that generate a powerful watermist with very fine water droplets. The technology is already being used successfully by many industrial fire brigades for industrial incident scenarios, such as…
Integration of innovation and technology and USAR coordination in major disasters
Developing non-technical skills in emergency response
Emergency lifting with levers – Part 1
In many emergency situations firefighters will need to lift large weights to perform the rescue of injured people. The manoeuvres we use must be done safely, quickly and efficiently since the time we have to release the injured is limited. …
Outthink Wildfire – Part 3
The Wedge: aggressive goal setting
The most crucial aspect of our work isn’t the finish line – it’s the aim. Goals are often designed with good intentions but poor technique. The Wedge is a free and open-source programme to aggressively enable the fire service with…
The future of fighting wildfires is drones
From California to Turkey to Australia, wildfires, also known as bushfires, are everywhere – and they’re increasing in both frequency and intensity. In 2020, over 10.2 million acres of land were affected by wildfires in the United States alone, compared…
Food on the Stove is changing the culture of health in Washington, D.C. firehouses
Food on the Stove is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization founded to promote healthy lifestyle management among firefighters. With programmes ranging from healthy cooking demonstrations to partnerships with local farms that supply food to firehouses, this firefighter-operated and focused organization…
Major rail incidents – how prepared are you really?
It is true that rail travel globally is officially the second safest mode of transport behind the airline industry (fatalities per billion passenger kilometres – Source: European Union Agency for Railways), but evidence from many major rail incidents has shown…
Firefighting PPE in the mining industry
Paul Gibson, International Sales Manager for MSA Bristol, a global leader of cutting-edge firefighter protection, talks to Matt Campbell, Emergency Services Principal at Rio Tinto in Australia, about the role of Emergency Responders in the mining industry and their specific…
Firefighter safety, 30 years in the making
Safety. Comfort. Unless both are built into their protective clothing, no firefighter will be able to perform the tasks demanded of them. But how do you achieve that? For technical textiles specialist Otego, the answer lay in FIRESHIELD, a fire…
Portable hydraulic rescue tools 60 years on
Firefighters, police forces and urban search and rescue teams need the best tools for their demanding jobs. Saving lives and effective extrication is all about functionality and reliability of equipment. Hydraulic-powered tools first came to the fire and rescue service…
Thermal imaging: breaking down the scan – Part 2
In Part 1 of our article, we discussed the importance of proper interpretation of the image along with understanding the key attributes of thermal imaging. We also discussed some ‘behavioural problems’ that occur during a scan such as failing to…
The blood of firefighters, the first line of defence
Firefighters have been unaware of the toxicity of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals: although the National Health and Nutrition Study (NHANES) has been testing Americans’ blood for PFAS chemicals since 1999.1 The programme of studies is designed by the US…
Firefighting with foam: approaching the transition to fluorine free
The flammable-liquid challenges that have existed in the high-hazard industries for over a century are still there today. Moreover, they are not going away in the short term, no matter how quickly we can achieve a carbon-neutral world. Foam, in…
Always-on communication for emergency services
The Middle East is no stranger to natural disasters, even if the types of emergency change over time. For example, increasing climate variability and a fast-growing population crowded into a tiny portion of the region’s surface area, have seen more…
Outthink Wildfire – Part 2
Setting the scene
Most of us can walk around our own homes in the dark with relative ease, but when you’re navigating somewhere you have never been before it’s a whole different story – especially if you’re against the clock and lives are…