Firefighting
Imagine you are asleep and it is a normal night just like any other, when all of a sudden you smell smoke from your bedroom. Immediately, you open your door and you cannot see anything due to the heavy layer of smoke. Your first reaction is to call the fire department and within minutes, they show up at your house. Some firefighters start battling the flames engulfing your house, while others rush into the flames searching for you and anyone else in your family, including your pets. This is just another day at the office for the firefighters but for you it’s a traumatic event and you can’t thank the firefighters enough for saving your life.
Historically, firefighters have been are our modern day first responders and are the most courageous and loyal people in today’s society. One issue buzzing around the media, however, is that fire departments are going over budget extinguishing wildfires. The definition of a wildfire is a large destructive fire that spreads quickly over woodland or brush. To put out any sort of fire, you need to take away any of the three components that fuel it, which include heat, oxygen, and fuel. What most civilians do not know is that most wildfires do have the potential to extinguish themselves, which saves money, health risks and resources. So why are firefighters still spending money to put wildfires out? Due to the overspending on limited natural resources and taxpayer’s money, the fire service should alter their approach on extinguishing naturally started fires, or wildfires.
Most people don’t know that Benjamin Franklin was the one that first came up with the idea of a fire department. He saw that the techniques, at the time, for fighting fires were very ineffective and proposed a n...
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... decreasing the staff on duty, the more at risk firefighters are for being overworked. Another point to include is that firefighters may need the extra resources if the fire grows out of hand and the firefighters need to quickly put out the fire. All in all, the fire service could change a couple protocols to help save money, lives and natural resources but is it worth the risk to experiment and be unprepared?
Through the course of my studies I have gained a lot of knowledge and background of what firefighters go through, along with what could be done to decrease the chance of fire departments going over budget. Letting wildfires extinguish themselves looks good written down on paper but unfortunately it gets increasingly more complicated. However, the fire service should look into better tactics for extinguishing wildfires in order to stay within their budget.
Thousands upon thousands of acres are lost in forest fires every year. We always hear about the dramatic losses caused by forest fires and are often concerned by them. There are so many horrible effects from fires and most of them affect so many people. Studies have shown that out of all of the different methods to decrease fire damage, prescribed burns are the most affective. Many people would argue that they are not as affective because they cause so many health problems. Although that is a very important view and may seem valid, those health issues are not as extreme as one might think. People should look at the majority of the benefits form prescribed burns and they will see how affective and important they are. Prevention is the key to society these days and is definitely an important factor in saving lives. If more lives can be saved as well as land and wildlife, prescribed burns may be the better way to go about forest fires. Although, prescribed burns are better for the environment in order to prevent drastic forest fires, severe damage to timber and extreme death of wildlife; some people feel it affects the health of a firefighter too much and it causes too many long term effects.
Mental health in the fire service is an upcoming problem, but has been occurring for years without firefighters even knowing it. Specifically post-traumatic stress disorder known as PTSD and firefighter suicides are the main issues that have a large impact in the fire service. This outline will lay out the main points that are a result, impact, or other subjects in relation to the two main issues above. Firefighter deaths are rising rapidly, members of the fire service need to be educated on PTSD and suicide to provide treatment before another devastating event occurs in result of the issues effects.
Wildfires started as an annual and seasonal occurrence in the south western region of California since the early 1930’s in part because of the hot dry summers and the hot dry turbulent Santa Ana winds that blow in from the desert during the fall months. Now it has become a yearlong event (Mckay, 2010). These conditions greatly contribute to the “fire season” throughout this area. This set of circumstances in conjunction with downed power lines and humans that ignited fires took place in October of 2007. This led to a series of fires that burned more than 500,000 acres, destroyed 1,500 homes, killed 9, injured 85, and forced the successful evacuation of around 500,000 people out of harm’s way.
# Perry, Donald G.Wildland Firefighting: Fire Behavior, Tactics and Command. Fire Publications, Inc., Bellflower, CA, 1990.
In 1973, one of the most influential reports to ever come out of the fire service was created. This report would change the fire service forever and still to this day have a great impact on the way things are done in the fire service. One of the most impacted sectors within the fire service is the way firefighters perceive and implement fire prevention strategies and techniques. This report was called “America Burning” and was published by the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. The report was sent directly to the president of the United States of America, who at the current time was Richard
For centuries, the men and women of the fire service have been pioneering new ways to “do more with less”. When faced with a predicament, these individuals use the resources available to them to find a suitable resolution. How will this be possible if those resources are not available?
Prescribed fires are used to clean up the dead plants that will produce harmful fuels after a wildfire. The problem with these fires are even though these fires are supposed to be controlled, they can get out of hand. May 20, 2016, a prescribed fire in Minnesota escaped and burned more than what was planned and continued unstopped for a few days. Firefighters finally were able to put a stop to it. This has increased in the United States quite a bit this year. The acres burned by escaped fires are forty-six percent above normal. Unlike what many think, prescribed fires are not always watched. Sometimes, they will be left for a couple days with no one checking on them. How do they expect to keep them controlled when no one wants to control them?
The fire service was started by Benjamin Franklin in 1748. In order to have what they called the bucket brigade come to your home, you must have a plaque on the front of your home showing you have fire insurance. Today we respond no matter what. If you call 911, we will be there.
As people of the twenty-first century, we are all too familiar with the frequent occurrence of wildfires in our nation’s forests. Each year millions of acres of woodlands are destroyed in brutal scorches. It has been estimated that 190 million acres of rangelands in the United States are highly susceptible to catastrophic fires (www.doi.gov/initiatives/forest.html.). About a third of these high-risk forests are located in California (www.sfgate.com). These uncontrollable blazes not only consume our beautiful forests but also the wildlife, our homes and often the lives of those who fight the wildfires. The frequency of these devastating fires has been increasing over the years. In fact, in the years 2000 and 2002, it has been reported that the United States has faced its worst two years in fifty years for mass destruction fires (www.doi.gov/initiatives/forest.html.). The increased natural fuels buildup coupled with droughts have been a prevailing factor in contributing to our wildfires and unhealthy forests (www.blm.gov/nhp/news/releases/pages/2004/pr040303_forests.html). Due to the severity of these wildfires, several regulations and guidelines have been implemented to save our forests. In fact, the President himself has devised a plan in order to restore our forests and prevent further destruction of our woodlands.
Every year communities struggle each year around the nation with issues of life safety. In 2012, the nation’s fire departments responded to 31,854,000 responses that resulted in the deaths 0f 2,855 civilians and injuring 16,500 causing an estimated $12,427 million dollars in damage. (United States Fire Administration, 2014) These incidents put at risk 345,950 career and 783,300 volunteer firefighters that resulted in the deaths of 81 individuals (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2013) and nearly 70,000 reported injuries. ( Karter & Molis, 2013) These numbers represent incidents that are determined to be in the line of duty but do not take into consideration the long-term health risk issues that may develop. Evidence shows that he hazards associated with Fire and Emergency Services are consistent across the board whether paid or volunteer and jeopardize the lives and health of each individual, placing administrative and physical control measures reduces this risk to firefighter within an organization. While it is impossible to eliminate the hazards firefighters face, it is important to identify these hazards as the first step in reducing the potential for loss of life and wellbeing both physically and mentally.
According to Lewis and Gilman (1997), public service is held to infallible ethical standards, highlighting the importance of professionalism and ethics in the fire service. Four of the most prominent issues identified
The job now is becoming a little safer to do because of new advances in computers in the firefighting field. Three important ways computers have contributed is in the ways firemen can refine their own personal knowledge of the job, personal protective equipment (PPE), and one of the tools invented to locate people. The topic of computer advancement, is of a field that is one of the most critical services given to people. Why do you need to be a member? It is one of the most demanding jobs because of what the fireman actually does.
12) Some communities are relying on enacting rolling brownouts. It would be equally beneficial as well as dangerous. In the recent past, the budget cuts have become so large that loads of fire stations are on the verge of closing while many have already undergone closure. We, as workers in the fire department, cannot stay calm and watch this vital facility be methodically eradicated by violent expenditure cuts.
Fire at any level can be devastating, yet the effects that wildfires have on every worldwide country really has left its mark on the land. As written by world renowned wild fire spokesperson Smokey the Bear, “Every year, wildfires sweeps through parts of the United States setting wilderness and homes ablaze. On average these raging infernos destroy about four to five million acres of land a year. But in 2012, wildfire burned more than 9.3 million acres, an area about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined” (U.S. Wildfires). Destroying homes, crops, towns and of course forests. Yet the effects of these fires can be seen from a negative perspective as well as some positive. Plus there are natural causes as well as manmade that makes these destructive fires erupt and become almost unstoppable in seconds.
firefighters in action with a few conflicts that they would resolve, someone may die or get hurt