
Why use CAF in ARFF?
The mathematics, physics and chemistry of a BLEVE
This feature provides readers with an insight into one of the most troubling incidents, the much-feared Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) that can occur in the Dangerous Goods Supply Chain, but most crucially how to avoid the horror of…

Building a safer tomorrow
Future proofing firefighting with drone technology
The past two years have highlighted the growing pressures on the fire service to protect their personnel and the public. This, alongside increased urbanisation, traffic and natural disasters has meant that the fire service is more aware of the opportunities…

Protecting rail yards with new developments in fire fighting
Asap Water Rescue Jet Board: a new water and flood rescue tool
Professional Rescue is a training services company very interested in research, always scanning for innovative water rescue equipment. So, when Ross Kemp of Asap Water Crafts Limited, inventor of the Asap Water Rescue Jet Board reached out to us, it…
Emergency lifting with levers – Part 2
Following on from the first part of this feature we will now explore the different types of levers and discuss how they can be used to best effect by rescuers. Types of levers In a traffic accident, depending on how…
Fire Departments stand down on the PFAS front
In Wisconsin, the Kenosha Fire Department stopped using a firefighting foam that contained PFAS chemicals known to contaminate ground water.1 The decision had been made in the fall of 2019. These types of foams are usually used in fighting fuel…
Selecting and using a thermal imaging camera for wildfire – Part 1
For wildfire, the use of a thermal imaging camera (TIC) can have significant benefits. However, like any other item of firefighting equipment it also has limitations and standard practices and procedures must still be followed. Incorrectly interpreting displayed images could…
Immersive learning for the fire service
The use of drones to tackle wildfires and why connectivity is key
Across the globe, destructive wildfires are becoming more common. Of the top 20 largest wildfires in California’s history, six occurred in 2020 alone. In the same year, Australia saw wildfires consume millions of acres of land and destroy billions of…
Uncovering the cause: Fire Forensics investigates Australian house fires
Our team at Fire Forensics are leading experts in fire and explosion investigation in Australia and abroad and have offered our clients thorough and impartial fire investigation services for over 40 years. Our qualified and experienced specialists solve the puzzle…
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, dioxin, some consider to be the second most…
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…