Paradigm Shift

An Analysis of Trends in the Fire Service

Complete Rapid Response Vehicle_Andrew Zanoni's Design Portfolio

Introduction

Firefighting is a dangerous industry. Over the past few years, technological advancements have forced the fire department to evolve. Their duties have expanded to not only include extinguishing fire but also technical rescue, medical aid, and community engagement. This whitepaper aims to describe the four most prevalent trends that are driving change in the fire service industry, and to explore each trend from the perspectives of firefighters, and the civilian population.

Key Trend: Information Everywhere, Now!

From a firefighter’s perspective, successful management of an emergency depends on reliable on-scene communication and access to information. Unreliable data signals through the cloud can have a negative effect on information transfer in rural areas.

Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) software is a leader in managing fire department data requirements, such as, incident command, personnel accountability, and pre-fire planning operations. To help fire departments work more effectively, ERP software is frequently integrated with other tools such as Rosenbauer’s EMEREC system. Rosenbauer’s EMEREC system is accessible through a tablet, PC, or phone, and includes databases a first responder needs at the scene. Additionally, the EMEREC system provides navigation, building plans, rescue plans for vehicles, proximity sensors for trucks being driven, and special forward-facing cameras for enhanced vision through smoke.

From a civilian’s perspective, the fire service can no longer be a one-service organization. They must expand their vision by looking at a community’s sociological and economical values, and embrace technology that enhances fire prevention, mitigation, and education.

Proper firefighter training is essential to do the job safely, but in most cases should not have to occur. Educating the public on fire safety, mitigation, and best practices for preventing fires, accidents and medical emergencies should become the focus of the fire service’s mission. The new public education plan should teach the proper care of smoke detectors and how fires can be caused by smoking and cooking. The education plan should also include the benefits of a sprinkler system and keeping an emergency escape ladder in at least one upstairs bedroom. Educating the public can be implemented through fire safety events, social media campaigns and individual consultations.

Rosenbauer's EMEREC System

Fire is Everyone's Fight

Trend: Working Connected.

From a firefighter’s perspective, technology allows firefighters to perform their jobs safely and effectively while minimizing the effects of decreased staffing. Even the briefest lapse in communication can be deadly. Digital systems are being integrated into firefighter’s personal equipment to give then an added edge.

Technology must withstand extreme heat and flames without interfering with the firefighter’s ability to work. Lapses in communication cause injuries, making wireless communication systems more popular. Many wireless communication systems use a mech network to ensure the wireless signal stays strong. While Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) continues to improve, firefighters can be injured if they misjudge the limitations of their PPE. Some firefighters are using lighter PPE made with smart fabrics that can monitor vitals. One example of a lighter PPE is Globe’s WASP (Wearable Advanced Sensor Platform). WASP provides physiological monitoring through a base layer t-shirt and a locator sensor on the belt of each firefighter’s turnout pants.

From a civilian’s perspective, the rise of synthetic and petroleum-based products and lightweight building materials decrease the amount of time it takes for a fire to engulf a building. As the industrial internet revolution progresses, Internet of Things (IoT) devices are helping homeowners protect their property and lives.

A few years ago, a “smart smoke detector” was considered to be a smoke detector that could automatically notify emergency services. The proliferation of IoT allowed manufacturers to incorporate technology into different fire and home protection devices. One such product by Safer Alarms is a small heat sensor for homeowners to place near areas where fires are more likely to occur, such as above a stove top or a Christmas tree. The sensor quickly sends an alarm that sets off all the IoT smoke alarms in the home and notifies 911. Another IoT product called Life Door can be attached to any door. It automatically closes the door when a smoke alarm sounds so the room and possible exit from the home are protected.

Globe's WASP Turnout Gear

Safer Alarms

Trend: Training for Everyone.

From a firefighter’s perspective, the fire service has gone through a renaissance as their main mission shifted from fire prevention to all-hazard prevention. The fire service’s job now includes EMS, hazmat, and disaster mitigation. Firefighters now wear body armor while working on the front lines with the police during violent incidents.

A strong training system is key for firefighters who are continually asked to take on more responsibilities. Virtual Reality (VR) training is used to expose cadets to rare large-scale events that are tricky to reproduce in traditional training environments. VR training helps cadets think critically and experiment with different outcomes. If the fire department can pass FAA regulations, drones can provide a tactical advantage to the fireground and rescue efforts. During violent incidents, ballistic gear helps firefighters work with police to provide first aid on the front lines. First responders should train with the police to gain experience handling dangerous situations, such as mass casualty events and gunfire.

From a civilian’s perspective, as infrastructure ages and violent incidents increase, the public needs to be educated on how to properly identify early warning signs and notify the proper people. Training first responders in key public buildings to diffuse disasters quickly is just as important as educating civilians to save lives.

Fire departments around the country hold yearly drills in schools with other first responders to practice diffusing active shooter situations. In active shooter or other violent incidents, a speedy response is key so the situation can be rendered safe and aid can be delivered to the injured. To help prevent more violent incidents, several nonprofit organizations offer training to individuals and teachers on how to recognize the warning signs of violent situations. As infrastructure continues to age, fire departments are working to teach proper fire safety, including how to maintain safety systems and recognize structural issues within a building.

VR Firefighter Training

Recognize the Signs

Trend: Work More with Less.

From a firefighter’s perspective, staffing continues to get tighter and fires engulf buildings faster and produce more toxic gas and smoke than before. As a result, fire departments are buying smaller pickup based rapid response vehicles and forming mutual aid agreements with other nearby fire departments.

Years ago, fire department fleets were made up of large trucks filled with gear. In an effort to get to emergency scenes and save money on fuel, insurance and personnel fire departments have replaced some larger vehicles with rapid response vehicles that have the frame and drive train of a heavy-duty pickup truck. Rapid response vehicles use integrated hydraulic technology to power essential firefighting and rescue tools such as: generators, light towers, 150pgm pumps, rescue tools, and winches. If extra help is needed at the scene of a large fire, departments have mutual aid agreements with nearby fire departments to automatically dispatch extra manpower and vehicles to the scene.

From a civilian perspective, fires progress faster than ever before in newer homes. Within two to three minutes, the breathable air is gone, and the home is fully engulfed in flames. This is faster than a fire department can respond, making it wise for residents to install systems that prevent fires from spreading quickly.

Despite the negative political environment surrounding residential sprinkler systems, they are slowly gaining traction in several states where legislators have made sprinklers a requirement for all new homes. In older homes that do not have built-in sprinklers, several companies offer alternatives that can be retrofitted into a home at a reasonable cost. One such company is Automist. Automist’s Smartscan product detects fire, then automatically scans the room with an infrared camera to target the hottest part of the fire before spraying it with a fine mist of water. A standard kitchen water supply and wall outlet is required to
operate Smartscan.

Mutual Aid Agreements

Automist Smartscan

Trend: The Rise of Contextualized Tools.

A firefighter’s tools can reduce the chances of injury and make it possible to extinguish the fire faster with less destruction of property. Every call a firefighter responds to is different. While some require tools specific to the incident, the most common tool firefighters use is a set of irons which comprises of an ax and a Halligan tool. The Halligan has remained virtually unchanged throughout its 71-year history.

A Halligan is a multi-purpose tool frequently used by emergency services and military personnel during forcible entry operations. This double-sided tool characteristically has an adz or wedge on one end and a claw or fork on the opposite end. The Halligan tool is commonly used with a fire ax when forcing entry. This pairing of tools is traditionally referred to as a set of “irons.”

Ultimately it comes down to Abraham Kaplan’s Law of the Instrument: “Just because certain methods happen to be handy, or a given individual has been trained to use a specific method, there is no assurance that the method is proper for all problems.” In other words, “Give a boy a hammer and everything he meets has to be pounded.” The capabilities of a traditional set of irons have been outmatched by growing duty requirements and constantly evolving building construction methods that now incorporate innovations such as lightweight construction methods, increasingly energy-efficient materials, and greater security. A traditional set of irons may fail to open many doors, thus requiring a longer Halligan-like add-on to be used concurrently with the traditional Halligan during forcible entry operations. A set of irons by itself is unwieldy and difficult to use properly. In many cases, two people are needed to complete a forced entry using the traditional set of irons. If the longer and heavier Halligan-like add-on is needed, the number of individuals required to efficiently complete a forcible entry operation rises to three. This change in procedure further prolongs rescue operations and stresses municipal budgets.

A traditional set of irons is a multifunctional tool and can be used for many different tasks around the fireground, just like the Bernoulli Bar. While many of us wish there is a multifunctional tool that is capable of performing each of its functions perfectly, this is just not the case. Even though a tool is multifunctional there are always a few functions that it can perform better than the rest. A set of irons is best suited for high-risk tasks that could end in the tool being destroyed. For example, Halligans are great as anchor devices, prying apart pieces of a flaming vehicle to allow water to reach the flames, and as forcible entry tools inside a fully engulfed residential home with a Rapid Intervention Team. The Bernoulli Bar can perform the tasks described above but its higher purchase price and weight make it not the ideal candidate. However, the Bernoulli Bar leverage advantage over a traditional set of irons and the inclusion of a hydrant wrench make it the obvious choice for a number of tasks around the fireground outside of a burning building. These tasks include forcing entry on heavy exterior or fortified doors and window bars, as well as securing the building’s utilities and setting up a water supply. This is how a multifunctional tool becomes a contextual tool. Several different multifunctional tools can all perform the same tasks equally in perfect conditions, but in real world situations one multifunctional tool will gain an edge over another.

The Bernoulli Bar: A Contextualized Forcible Entry Tool

The Bernoulli Bar is a multifunctional tool made up of two main bodies that can mate together in multiple configurations by sliding together. Largely intended to replace the traditional sets of irons, the Bernoulli Bar can be used for search and rescue, automotive extrications, overhaul, and forcible entry for the fire service, law enforcement, and the military. The Bernoulli Bar is primarily constructed from metals, such as carbon steel and titanium, proved capable of withstanding the rigors of rescue operations while still being versatile, simple in design, and familiar to veteran emergency services personnel. To further increase the Bernoulli Bar’s strength, many of its components are secured in redundant ways.

One end of the Bernoulli Bar features an axe head. The hollow handle of the halligan-like pry bar acts as an outer shaft and the ax head’s handle acts as the inner shaft and may be inserted from either end of the halligan-like pry bar. Detents built into the handle and a locking mechanism built into the halligan-like, pry tool allow the Bernoulli Bar to be locked into various configurations. The Bernoulli Bars ability to increase its length when combined with the precision engineering necessary to position each component’s center of gravity over where the firefighter is most likely to hold, make the Bernoulli Bar very easy for a single firefighter to use. The Bernoulli Bar allows a single firefighter to apply significant prying force on an object while using less energy and equipment than a pair of emergency services personnel equipped with two or more separate tools (e.g. a halligan coupled with a wedge and a longer prying tool called a New York Hook or fire axe).

Firefighter Opening Car Door with the Bernoulli Bar_Andrew Zanoni's Design Portfolio

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