Fire Suppression

When we arrive at any structure fire each crew works as a team, under the direction of a Platoon Chief. This person is the Incident Commander, and makes tactical decisions on how to reduce the risk, and bring it to a safe conclusion given the information they have at the time.

Firefighters carry out tasks according to the situation, and direction from the Platoon Chief. Firefighters also need be confident and problem-solve on the spot to handle any unusual circumstances.

Priorities of Emergency Services
1. Rescue Any People
2. Protect Exposures & Save Property
3. Confine & Extinguish the Fire
4. Ventilate - Smoke out of the structure
5. Salvage - Save property from further damage
6. Overhaul - Looking for burning material

Protective Equipment

A firefighter wears heavy canvas gear weighing 50-60 lbs. It protects them from temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius). The heavy canvas protects them from broken glass, steel shards, and heavy abrasions. The insulation and gore-tex barrier protects them from heat and water.

The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus consists of 4 components:

1 Air tank
2 Harness
3 Regulator and hose
4 Mask

It weighs 35 lbs, and provides 45 minutes of fresh air. Healthy physical conditioning is vital due to wearing heavy protective gear, and get maximum use of the SCBA, as a SCBA tank can empty in 20 minutes under a firefighter?s heavy workload.