Understanding fire dynamics in residential structures strengthens a firefighter's ability to operate effectively on the fireground. Although every fireground is different, there are some key fire-dynamics principals all firefighters should know. This class will review these key principles and discuss how they can be employed tactically on the fireground. Topics will include ventilation-limited fires, forcible entry, horizontal/vertical or PPV, search operations, and hose stretches. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how tactical choices will impact the fire dynamics within a residential structure.

This program will introduce the attendee to the best practices regarding rescue squad operations on the modern fireground. A UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute groundbreaking study has provided the fire service with cutting edge information about varying suppression tactics on the modern fireground, specifically, the impact of different tactics on the burn risks of potential trapped occupants. As those responsible for searching the fire building, rescue squad firefighters must incorporate these best practices into their operations for a safe and successful, coordinated fireground. This program will discuss searching in the fire flow path, VEIS procedures, as well as proactive rapid intervention measures.

Every day, firefighters enter the front door of a structure to extinguish a fire. This approach, enabled by the PPE that firefighters wear, has provided positive results, especially if the firefighters can easily locate the fire from their point of entry. However, there have been many cases where the firefighters did not find the fire, instead the fire found them. In fire incidents where firefighters were overtaken by the fire, the “one size fits all” fire attacks were not effective. Unfortunately, there are several these incidents where firefighters were killed or injured. In this presentation, the latest UL FSRI research results, supported by physics, will be coupled with examples from fire ground incidents to demonstrate why additional options are needed in your tactical tool box. Size-up, (understanding what the fire is showing you), and then deciding the best strategic and tactical approach is key to an effective fire attack.

The Close Your Door safety initiative comes as the result of over 10 years of research by the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI). After proving that a closed door could potentially save lives in a fire, UL FSRI has committed to share this finding with the world. This presentation will cover the research data associated with this initiative along with the steps taken for sharing the message with the Fire Service and general public.

Firefighter tactics research has highlighted a need for a more in-depth understanding of fire dynamics. Although live fire training has the potential to provide experience with fire dynamics the training environment and fuels permitted make this difficult. This presentation will look specifically at the challenge of creating realistic fire behavior using wood based fuels.