NEW FIREFIGHTING TECHNOLOGY
Firefighting technology is continually changing. From the early days of organized fire services to the present, nothing has stayed unaltered, from the materials utilized for protection to the manner fires are treated and dealt with.
Improvements have been made specifically to boost the safety of the fire service, improve their efficacy, and save countless lives. Here are five of the most important technical advancements.
1. Firefighting Equipment:
A water pump invented in Alexandria, Egypt about the 2nd century BCE was the first fire equipment. The technique was lost, only to be rediscovered in the sixteenth century. Initially, mobile pumps were transported by men, and subsequently by horses.
Steam powered the earliest self-propelled engines, which were built in the mid-1800s. They were utilised in the Great Chicago Fire and in numerous other large cities. Such transportable engines, however, did not become ubiquitous until the introduction of internal-combustion engines.
Since the 1970s, stricter rules and more market rivalry have resulted in improvements to practically every component of fire equipment. This includes increased usage of aluminium and stainless steel in the chassis, the transition to automated gearboxes, roll-over safety systems, and tighter design regulations. In addition, the line-voltage electrical systems were modernised.
2. Investigation Of Fire Dynamics:
Understanding how a fire begins, spreads, and consumes materials in its surroundings is an important, if sometimes overlooked, part of firefighting. Many factors influence fire behaviour, including the weather, adjacent materials, and wind direction, to mention a few.
The original fire triangle developed into the tetrahedron as understanding about these factors increased, adding the chemical reaction to oxygen, fuel, and heat. Lightweight residential construction and a shift away from organic home furnishings in favour of petroleum-based plastics have changed the game for firemen.
Modern research now demonstrates the need of understanding how to manage air movement through a fire building, as well as the importance of rapidly cooling the fire chamber to postpone flashover.
SCBA shields firefighters from pollutants in IDLH (immediate danger to life and health) settings. The respiratory system is the biggest and most delicate in the human body. It doesn't take much to do major harm, especially when it comes to smoke and fire, which is why adequate protection is critical.
SCBAs were formerly uncommon in the United States. As technology advanced and they became more affordable and widely available, practically every fire station purchased them. They are now used for more than only safeguarding the user's air supply. They may be a firefighter's closest buddy with features like PASS (Personal Alert Safety System) devices and ADSU (Automatic Distress Signal Unit).
It not only keeps firemen safe in IDLH situations, but it also protects firefighters long after they retire. According to research, combustion pollutants from contemporary fuel loads contribute to, if not directly cause, some malignancies in firemen. Even after the fire has been extinguished and the cleanup has begun, those carcinogens remain, providing SCBA a new and crucial duty on the fireground.
4. Cameras For Thermal Imaging:
Thermal imaging cameras, once developed and used by the military, are now a godsend to firemen and the people they rescue across the United States.
Fabrics, maybe more than any other area of firefighting technology, have given better protection and undergone more substantial improvements throughout time.
Ms.Divyasree - HSE Adviser | Aim Vision Safety Training & Consulting
m: 91 9445508458
e: Admin@aimvisionsafety.co.in
Chromepet, Chennai 600 044 (Above Vodafone Showroom)
www.aimvisionsafety.co.in
www.isoauditorcourse.in
www.aimvisionsafety.co.in
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