BY ALAN BRUNACINI
WHEN I DEAL WITH YOUNG firefighters during my travels, I continually hear their concern about the challenge of understanding and learning how to effectively and safely operate at fire situations. They tell me (I'm a lot like their grandfather) that today there are fewer fires and the fires that do occur are more dangerous and unforgiving because modern material now burns faster and hotter also, lightweight construction that is burning is ready to fall down just about when they are pulling attack lines into the fire area. Many of the old 20minute tactics in the books no longer apply to the fiveminute collapse world we now live in.
They also lament that many of the more experienced officers are retiring and the department loses the wisdom of their experience when they "go out the door." They also are concerned that firefighting skill training and prefire planning must now compete with all the other department training and certification programs like EMS, hazmat, special operations, Occupational Safety and Health Administration mandates, public/community education, homeland defense, and so on.
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
