|
Tactical Firefighting & CFBT - A 21st Century Approach to Saving Firefighter's Lives. COMPARTMENT FIRE BEHAVIOR TRAINING - USING MODULAR BURN SIMULATORS - TEACHING FIREFIGHTERS HOW TO SURVIVE IN A STRUCTURAL FIRE ENVIRONMENT. |
 |
|||
|
Paul GRIMWOOD ______________________________________________________ View this article in full HERE ______________________________________________________ Training for offensive (interior) firefighting operations is perhaps now more important than ever. The modern day firefighter needs both a theoretical and practical understanding of how fires develop and are likely to behave under a wide range of ventilation parameters, in a selection of single compartment, multi-compartment and structural settings. Such training should place great emphasis on how fire gases are likely to form and transport within a structure and must clearly define the term 'risk assessment' inline with the hazards associated with flashover and backdraft phenomena and other forms of rapid fire progress. Further to this, the varying range of offensive firefighting applications including Direct Attack (using both water & CAFS); Indirect Attack; and 'new-wave' 3D water-fog applications should be clearly explained and practiced under a broad range of firefighting conditions. This training may prove costly but is essential if the safety of firefighters is to be advanced. In countries such as Sweden, the UK and Australia, structured Compartment Fire Behavior Training (CFBT) programs have effectively reduced the life loss and serious burn injuries suffered by firefighters to forms of rapid fire progress and resulting structural collapse. |
Past experience has demonstrated that live training burns in unoccupied or derelict structures can often breach the fine line drawn between 'realism' and 'safety', even where national guidelines are closely followed. Such training fires also provide varying situations and conditions that are often unpredictable and may be difficult to repeat or control for the sake of uniformity in teaching basic principles. In Europe it has long been recognized that purposely designed structures offering optimized fuel-loading within a geometrically coordinated compartment, provide the safest environment in which to teach firefighters how compartment fires develop whilst also demonstrating a range of fire suppression and control techniques. Such facilities also offer the most economical option to train firefighters whilst effectively creating realistic but controlled conditions within. Since 1984 death and injury from flashover has been dramatically reduced amongst European firefighters! The steel shipping container offers versatility, adaptability and a ready made modular approach in constructing cheap but effective burn buildings and 'flashover' simulators. The single compartment observation; window and attack containers have been used in Europe for over 20 years to demonstrate fire growth; rollover; flashover and backdraft phenomena whilst enabling firefighters to witness fire gas formation, transport and ignitions from extremely close quarters with their safety being the prime concern. It is from such close quarters that firefighters are then able to practice and evaluate the various firefighting options and suppression techniques, offering them an unequalled experience and providing an element of confidence in relation to structural firefighting. The simulators are also used to teach door entry techniques whilst recognizing a range of fire conditions from the exterior, including the under-ventilated fire. For advice on live fire CFBT training programs contact Paul GRIMWOOD at UK500@aol.com
VIEW THIS BACKGROUND AS A PRINT
|
For advice on live fire CFBT training programs contact Paul GRIMWOOD at UK500@aol.com
VIEW THIS BACKGROUND AS A PRINT
|
||
