BY JOSEPH D. RUSH III
Improvements in fire codes and fire safety standards have been beneficial to the fire service and the communities they protect. The resulting reduction in fires nationally has often led to a false sense of security. Fire departments are increasingly expected to accomplish tasks with a continually decreasing workforce. When large-scale incidents occur, such as a high-rise fire, readily available resources deplete rapidly. It is imperative that fire service professionals embrace new technologies that offer the potential to improve job performance in a cooperative effort with community leaders to reduce risks within the community.
Leaders in the fire service agree that hauling self-containing breathing apparatus (SCBA) cylinders up countless floors wastes highly trained personnel on a menial but necessary task. An in-building high-rise breathing air system is a practical solution to this logistical nightmare, especially when we will be dealing with many more mega high-rise structures (greater than 420 feet) in the near future.
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