Fire Service and Technology Mark Shanahan Wyatt Lansdale Thomas Zakrzewski
Dec 28, 2015
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