Every year, fires and other emergencies take thousands of lives and destroy property worth billions of dollars. Fire fighters help protect the public against these dangers by rapidly responding to a variety of emergencies. They are the first emergency personnel at the scene of a traffic accident or medical emergency and may be called upon to put out a fire, treat injuries, or perform other vital function which can be mentioned as follows:
1. Extinguish fires of all types (structure, vehicle, vegetation).
2. Provide emergency medical care to the sick and injured as EMT's or Paramedics. Respond to traffic collisions and perform technical rescue.
3. Respond to hazardous materials incidents.
4. Perform fire prevention and safety inspections of buildings. Prepare and give presentations to the public on fire safety and disaster.
5. Firefighters must be efficient at many things so they need practice regularly.
6. Clean, maintain, and repair fire apparatus or equipments at stations
Fire fighters spend much of their time at fire stations, which usually have features in common with a residential facility like a dormitory. When an alarm sounds, fire fighters respond rapidly, regardless of the weather or hour. Fire fighting involves the risk of death or injury from sudden cave-ins of floors, toppling walls, traffic accidents when responding to calls, and exposure to flames and smoke. Fire fighters also may come in contact with poisonous, flammable, or explosive gases and chemicals or other hazardous materials that may have immediate or long-term effects on their health. For these reasons, they must wear protective gear that can be very heavy and hot.
Fire fighters clean and maintain equipment, conduct practice drills and fire inspections, and participate in physical fitness activities regularly. They also prepare written reports on fire incidents and review fire science literature to keep abreast of technological developments and changing administrative practices and policies.
Fire fighters work in a variety of settings, including urban and suburban areas, airports, chemical plants, other industrial sites, and rural areas like grasslands and forests. They have also assumed a range of responsibilities, including emergency medical services. In fact, most calls to which fire fighters respond involve medical emergencies and 65 percent of all fire departments provide emergency medical service. In addition, some fire fighters work in hazardous materials units that are trained for the control, prevention, and cleanup of materials; for example, these fire fighters respond to oil spills. Workers in urban and suburban areas, airports, and industrial sites typically use conventional fire fighting equipment and tactics, while forest fires and major hazardous materials spills call for different methods.
Fighting fires is dangerous and complex; it requires strong organization and efficient teamwork. At every emergency scene, fire fighters perform specific duties assigned by a superior officer. Most fire departments have a fire prevention division, usually headed by a fire marshal and staffed by fire inspectors. Workers in this division conduct inspections of structures to prevent fires and ensure compliance with fire codes. These fire fighters also work with developers and planners to check and approve plans for new buildings. Fire prevention personnel often speak on these subjects in schools and before public organizations.
At fires, they connect hose lines to hydrants; operate a pump to send water to high-pressure hoses, and position ladders to enable them to deliver water to the fire. They also rescue victims, provide emergency medical attention as needed, ventilate smoke-filled areas, and attempt to salvage the contents of buildings. Their duties may change several times while the company is in action. Sometimes they remain at the site of a disaster for days at a time, rescuing trapped survivors and assisting with medical treatment.
Wild-land firefighting techniques may have to be applied to rural and urban fire situations, particularly where water systems are not active. Aerial delivery of fire retardants or water for structural protection may be essential. In the case of multiple fires, firebreaks may be cleared and burning-out and backfiring techniques may be used.
In national forests and parks, forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists spot fires from watchtowers and report their findings to headquarters by telephone or radio. Forest rangers patrol to ensure that travelers and campers come with fire regulations. When fires break out, crews of fire fighters are brought in to suppress the large fire with heavy equipment, hand tools, and water hoses. Fighting forest fires, like fighting urban fires, is difficult work. One of the most effective means of battling a blaze is creating fire lines—cutting down trees and digging out grass and all other combustible vegetation in the path of the fire— to deprive it of fuel. Elite fire fighters called smoke jumpers parachute from airplanes to reach inaccessible areas. This process is very dangerous because the crews have no way to escape if the wind shifts and causes the fire to burn toward them.
The management of a large firefighting operation is complex, often involving thousands of resources and many different agencies and officials of different jurisdictions. Fire resulting from or independent of a major disaster or emergency may place extraordinary demands on available resources and logistics support systems. A major disaster or emergency may result in many urban, rural, and wild -land fires. The damage potential from fires in urban areas during and after a major disaster (such as an earthquake) exceeds that of all other causes. Numerous fires may have the potential to spread rapidly, cause extensive damage to life and property. Urban fire departments not incapacitated by an earthquake may be totally committed to fires in urban areas. Normally available firefighting resources may be difficult to obtain and utilize because of massive disruption of communication, transportation, utility, and water system.
Article provided by Future-tech Inc.
