Fire Service and Technology

Mark Shanahan Wyatt Lansdale

Thomas Zakrzewski

Past Technology The first organized teams to

put out fires dates all the way back to ancient Egypt and Rome.

The first Roman fire brigade was a group of slaves who were hired by an aedile by the name of Marcus Egnatius Rufus. Wikipedia

This was a crude method of using buckets and poles to fight fires.

->Published picture of firefighters in London, back in 1808

Transportation in the past

In the past fire fighters would have bucket lines to bring the water to were the fire was. The first horse drawn steam carts came in back in 1829.

Fire Engines Evolve

First Combustion fire Engine back in 1907,the 1st modern fire truck

Triple-combination pumper was constructed by a small New Jersey builder in 1909

Incorporated pump, hose and chemical extinguishment equipment

Communication of the past

Officers first used them to call cadence through the trumpets to keep the men on the hand pumpers in time

They were later used for overall command at the scene of working fires

Communication of the past

The first two-way radio was developed by the FDNY radio lab in 1940

It weighed 131 pounds and was worn like a backpack

Smaller and Portable radios were available when scientists at Bell Labs invented the transistor in 1948.

Current Technology

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Provide breathable air in a hostile

environment When they were first introduced into the fire

service SCBAs were a option rather then a necessity like they are today

Scott Aviation was the first large scale manufacturer of SCBAs for the fire service.

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Three parts: High Pressure

bottle, Regulator and Mask Two Different types: Open and

Close Open Circuit bottles are rated

for 30 min Closed Circuit bottle are rate for

1 to 4 hours Scott, Survivair, MSA,

Interspiro, and Draeger

Personal Alert Safety System (PASS Device) Alerts other firefighters with a

loud sound that the firefighter wearing that device may be in trouble.

Activated when firefighter has not been moving for apox. 30 seconds or manually

Integrated with SCBA or External device

Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC)

Camera that translates infrared radiation onto a graphical screen and helps firefighters tell temperature differences of the environment

Used in Search and Rescue and to detect fire. Manufacturers: Scott, MSA, Bullard, Draeger

Hazardous Materials

Hazardous Materials – any substance that can cause harm to a human.

Examples: gasoline, blood, corrosives, propane, poisons, blasting agents and chlorine.

Today HazMat teams use special suits in combination with SCBA to approach hazardous material scenes

Types of HazMat SuitsClass BLiquid protection

but no respiratory protection

Class AVapor and respiratory protection

Class D

Fire Gear, thermal protection but very limited protection from Hazmats

Class C

Particle protection, Some respiratory protection

Goals of new equipment

They should be: Safer Lighter More reliable Able to simplify the job More durable

New and Future Technology

PASS Device Improvements

Work with GPS Help to locate downed firefighters Will show exact coordinates of downed

firefighter Unfortunately it will not be able to tell what

floor firefighter is on Someday may be able to give vitals

Dispatch/Communication

Can trace where 911 call came from (including cell phones)

Location of fire engines can be shown using GPS Communication between departments easier Alarms can be sounded in other towns for mutual

aid Portable radios makes on scene communication

easier

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus

Made out of lighter material Smaller size/same amount of air

Possibly more air

Nuclear, radial, biological, and chemical protection

HUD shows amount of air left in cylinder Ergonomically designed Ability to give victims air w/o removing mask

Foam Advantages

Smothers flame easier Can be used on fires water cannot Less steam

Disadvantages More expensive Limited supply Different types of fires require different types of foam Require durable laptop and special software to create

mixture

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PL3IuPREXo