Transcript Slide 1
Fire Service and
Technology
Mark Shanahan
Wyatt Lansdale
Thomas Zakrzewski
Past Technology
The first organized teams to
put out fires dates all the way
back to ancient Egypt and
Rome.
The first Roman fire brigade
was a group of slaves who
were hired by an aedile by the
name of Marcus Egnatius
Rufus. Wikipedia
This was a crude method of
using buckets and poles to
fight fires.
->Published picture of
firefighters in London, back in
1808
Transportation in the past
In the past fire fighters would have bucket
lines to bring the water to were the fire
was. The first horse drawn steam carts
came in back in 1829.
Fire Engines Evolve
First Combustion fire
Engine back in 1907,the
1st modern fire truck
Triple-combination
pumper was constructed
by a small New Jersey
builder in 1909
Incorporated pump,
hose and chemical
extinguishment
equipment
Communication of the past
Officers first used them to call cadence
through the trumpets to keep the men on
the hand pumpers in time
They were later used for overall command
at the scene of working fires
Communication of the past
The first two-way radio was developed by
the FDNY radio lab in 1940
It weighed 131 pounds and was worn like
a backpack
Smaller and Portable radios were
available when scientists at Bell Labs
invented the transistor in 1948.
Current Technology
Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA)
Provide breathable air in a hostile
environment
When they were first introduced into the
fire service SCBAs were a option rather
then a necessity like they are today
Scott Aviation was the first large scale
manufacturer of SCBAs for the fire
service.
Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA)
Three parts: High Pressure
bottle, Regulator and Mask
Two Different types: Open and
Close
Open Circuit bottles are rated
for 30 min
Closed Circuit bottle are rate for
1 to 4 hours
Scott, Survivair, MSA,
Interspiro, and Draeger
Personal Alert Safety System
(PASS Device)
Alerts other firefighters with a
loud sound that the firefighter
wearing that device may be in
trouble.
Activated when firefighter has
not been moving for apox. 30
seconds or manually
Integrated with SCBA or
External device
Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC)
Camera that translates infrared radiation onto a
graphical screen and helps firefighters tell
temperature differences of the environment
Used in Search and Rescue and to detect fire.
Manufacturers: Scott, MSA, Bullard, Draeger
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous Materials – any substance that
can cause harm to a human.
Examples: gasoline, blood, corrosives,
propane, poisons, blasting agents and
chlorine.
Today HazMat teams use special suits in
combination with SCBA to approach
hazardous material scenes
Types of HazMat Suits
Class A
Vapor and
respiratory
protection
Class B
Liquid protection
but no
respiratory
protection
Class C
Particle
protection,
Some
respiratory
protection
Class D
Fire Gear,
thermal
protection but
very limited
protection from
Hazmats
New and Future Technology
Goals of new
equipment
They should be:
Safer
Lighter
More
reliable
Able to simplify the job
More durable
PASS Device Improvements
Work with GPS
Help to locate downed firefighters
Will show exact coordinates of downed
firefighter
Unfortunately it will not be able to tell what
floor firefighter is on
Someday may be able to give vitals
Dispatch/Communication
Can trace where 911 call came from
(including cell phones)
Location of fire engines can be shown using
GPS
Communication between departments easier
Alarms can be sounded in other towns for
mutual aid
Portable radios makes on scene communication
easier
Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus
Made out of lighter material
Smaller size/same amount of air
Possibly
more air
Nuclear, radial, biological, and chemical
protection
HUD shows amount of air left in cylinder
Ergonomically designed
Ability to give victims air w/o removing mask
Foam
Advantages
Smothers
flame easier
Can be used on fires water cannot
Less steam
Disadvantages
More
expensive
Limited supply
Different types of fires require different types of foam
Require durable laptop and special software to create
mixture
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PL3Iu
PREXo