Evolution of Technology in Firefighting
Since
the beginning of civilization, firefighting has evolved with the implementation
of procedural guidelines, the advancement of technology, and the organization
of fire departments. With the advent of
gasoline-powered engines, electricity, and the mechanized pumper, firefighting
has developed significantly in many areas. From firefighting to medical
rescues, firefighters have top equipment and protective gear to help them in
any rescue.
Earliest recorded
history of firefighting was instituted in 24 B.C. by Roman Emperor Augustus. He
brought about the formation of a corps of firefighting watchmen. Watchmen had
the task of sounding alarm when a fire was discovered. Their principle means of
fighting the fires was a bucket of water passed hand to hand. Another key
firefighting tool was the ax, which was used to create fire breaks and remove
debris that would fuel the fire. After the Great Fire of London in 1666,
insurance companies were the first to implement official firefighting brigades.
Until 1865 in Britain, firefighting was done by volunteers or paid for by
private citizens or companies. The government became involved in 1865
transforming the former volunteer organization into London’s Metropolitan Fire
Brigade. By 1648 in New York, fire wardens were appointed, thus forming the
first public fire department in North America[i] Generally, the responsibilities of
firefighters are the same around the world: to save lives and property from
fire. Although, not all fire departments approach this goal in the same manner.[ii]
Recently, each
culture has developed its standard operating procedures or guidelines that help
govern the science of firefighting.
These written guidelines have been implemented in the last 150 to 200
years with the growth of industry and technology. Procedural guidelines allow for the proper
management of disaster areas and accepted station etiquette. Modern standards for fire departments were
not implemented until 1830 in Edinburgh, Scotland. These standards described what it was to be
an exemplary fire department. In the
U.S., the first fire regulations were implemented in 1631 in Boston after a
major fire. These first guidelines or
standard operating procedures gave some safety and firefighting rules to be followed.
Basic principles that have not changed is that the firefighters’ first duty is
to protect life and property.[iii]
After the Civil War, some general guidelines for fire service changed again.
Veterans brought many new ideas to the structure of command in the
firehouse. Among these concepts,
military ranking and command were added. Uniforms, insignia, and ranking all
took on a military-like system. Thus, the fire service was brought into a new
era of professionalism and organization with the end of the Civil War.[iv]
These basic principles have not changed.
With
advancements in technology, firefighting has evolved significantly. Before notable progression of technology and
science, buckets, axes, and shovels were the main tools used when firefighting
was in it’s infancy. Buckets used by the volunteer or paid firefighters were
painted with their owner’s name. Early
laws pertaining to firefighting required residents to purchase and keep the
buckets in repair. The number of buckets a home or business needed in 1680 in
New York was determined by the fire risk of that structure. A baker had to have
three buckets on hand while a brewer had to have six in case of fire. “Bucket
Brigades” were often utilized which consisted of two lines of people stretching
from the fire to the town well. The
lines acted as an assembly line passing full buckets of water from the well to
the fire and empty buckets from the fire to the well. With the invention of the hand pumper which
was a wagon pulled by a horse, the bucket brigade focused on keeping the pumper
full of water. Hooks and chains were
also used for pulling down the walls of burning buildings to stop the spread of
the fire. Swabs or mops were utilized in
putting out fires on thatched roofs.[v]
Another tool of early firefighting, the
wooden rattle was used to alert civilians of a fire. Fire wardens, who had the task of walking the
streets searching for fires, were given wooden rattles which they used to make
as much noise as possible to alert others of a fire.[vi]
Before
the invention of the career firefighter, volunteers made up the backbone of
most fire departments. These men competed regularly for the services they
provided. Many were not only picked for their strength in fighting fires but
also to protect the company and its equipment from other teams. Because
Insurance companies were the primary provider of outside funds to the men of
fire companies, regular competition between different teams of firefighters was
enacted constantly. Fire teams who first
reached a conflagration were compensated by the insurance companies while those
who were last gained nothing for their trouble.[vii] Dalmatians became synonymous with fire departments
and fire wagons for their ability to bond with the horses and protect the
equipment. Dogs were an integral part of
the fire companies during the era of hand pulled wagons and horse drawn wagons.
They helped, not only in protecting horses and equipment, but also with making
sure civilians stayed clear of the fire and fire wagon during a call. The greatest humiliation to any department
then, and even now, is when a company from a different district arrives at
their call before the primary department reaches it. [viii] Women have been in firefighting for over 200
years in the U.S. The first woman
firefighter in 1815 was a slave in New York City named Molly Williams who
became a member of Oceanus Engine Company # 11. In San Francisco in 1859, an
heiress Lilli Hitchcock Coit became an honorary firefighter after helping drag
an engine uphill to a fire. The first officially recognized woman who became a
firefighter was Emma Vernell in 1920 by the state of New Jersey, at the age of
50, after her firefighter husband died in the line of duty.[ix]
The duties of these women were very few. Most were just honorable mentions and
not actual firefighters.
Since
the beginning of the firefighting industry, principles that the company or
department were to follow have been used. When the first fire department was
instituted these principles had basic guidelines. In the 21st century firefighting,
standard operating procedures are required reading for any rookie firefighter
who is joining a department and going through fire training. Each station has a
general list that is universal to firefighting but that also have that
departments own standards based on terrain, demographics, primary types of
fires in that area, and emergency medical procedures. Standard operating
procedures are not regulations or rules but are basic instructions to make it
easier for the firefighter to better understand the call they are on without
excessive commands given over the radio. This gives the firefighters
individuality as well as being team players in any area of an emergency call. Modern fire departments not only have the task
of fighting fires, but also the responsibility of any medical emergency they
are called to. SOGs give each firefighter the information for types of fires,
medical calls, positioning, chain of authority, order based on time of arrival,
approach, announcement of arrival, address need of additional resources,
interior coverage, and confinement of the fire.[x] Standard operating principles are not
officially rules but recommendations on how best to work a fire, medical, and
search and rescue scene. SOPs also
address zoning, evacuation, emergent driving, slip and fall hazards,
accountability systems, incident command, riding apparatus, and power tool use
to better help the firefighters in any aspect of their work.[xi]
As technology and
inventions advanced civilization into the modern times, the art of firefighting
has taken on grander proportions. Firefighters are better able to control
larger and more dangerous fires with the equipment invented for their use. Firefighting of today is a direct result of
evolution in methodology, technology, and responsibility of a service that has
been imperative to communities since the beginning of civilization. Fire
protection has remained an essential part of local government since the
beginning of firefighting service. New implements
in fighting fires are required to be of the best quality. Not only must they be
extra strong, but also extremely powerful, tough, and durable to be able to
complete their function in the fire service.
Different types of tools and equipment are used. These range from simple
devices such as hoses, ladders, and axes, to portable radios and thermal
imaging cameras. The art of applying water to extinguish burning materials can
seem simple to outsiders but they require a complex array of implements that
can be changed to fit any situation or circumstance. Designs for hoses have
become more sophisticated as new materials for their manufacture have been
discovered. Today the standard fire hose is 5 inches in diameter and can easily
deliver 1,500 gallons of water per minute. They are made of a variety of
material including rubber, cotton, and light weight synthetic fibers. Along
with the hose, there are a vast number of specialized nozzles which allow the
firefighters to control the pressure and amount of water used in any
situation. Specialty nozzles are prime
examples of ingenuity in the fire service as each unusual design has a purpose
based on a need discovered during previous fires.[xii]
Even now, in the modern world, firefighting tools and strategies are still
evolving to best fight fires. In the
beginning of fire service, the apparatus used to fight fires was just a bucket
of water and a hand-held pump. Now, the fire service apparatus is a tractor
truck especially designed for firefighting.
A pumper chassis with a rear-mounted engine called the Hush introduced
in 1985 allows for a quieter cabin environment, better weight distribution, and
more room in the cabin to accommodate the firefighters. Another contemporary design is the European
Bronto Skylift’s three-section articulating boom which is available in greater
heights than most platforms fashioned in the U.S. Other apparatus’ used
especially on coastlines and on large lakes in firefighting and rescue are: fireboats,
helicopters, and jet skis.[xiii]
The modern
firefighter is viewed as a hero by most and rightly should be. Firefighters go
through some of the most rigorous and intense training of any emergency
responder. With added scientific
knowledge and technology, firefighters are better equipped to handle any
disaster or medical emergency. But, with this added responsibility there is
still significant risk to the overall health of a firefighter. That is why
firefighters stick to such an inflexible workout and training schedule. Mandatory training covers all aspects of
firefighting whether they do medical rescues, fires, or arson investigation.
Each skill, knowledge item, or behavior that is learned in basic academy are
required to be drilled, retested, or confirmed every year.[xiv] A firefighters job description can cover many
areas of management. They are not only urban firefighters but also paramedics,
detectives, clean-up crew, and wildlands firefighters. Their calls range from minor crashes to major
four or five alarm fires. They work crime scenes with police, hazardous
material spills, emergency medical calls, high-rise rescues, collapsed
structure or cave-in rescues, diving rescues, and search and rescue. Wildland
firefighters are firefighters with the job of keeping National parks cared
for. Their job is even more hazardous
than an urban firefighter. Fires that spread on open range can be even more
dangerous than those that pop up in settled areas. Open range with added wind
fluctuation allows for the rapid growth of a comparatively small blaze to one that
explodes in a new direction. All
firefighters in an operation are required to have a partner so that if there is
any problem in the implementation of a rescue or operation they will have help
if needed. Women in the modern fire service have the same responsibility and
paid positions as their male counterparts. Women firefighters can advance in
rank or hold positions of authority in the fire service compared to women who
were just honorable mentions at the advent of firefighting service in the U.S.
There are over 30 to 40,000 women in firefighting industry throughout the
United States. The history of these women and their forebears in firefighting
may not be as long as the fire history but it is a proud one and is still being
written.[xv]
Civilization has
been blessed with men and women who gladly give their time, health, and
strength to protecting others. Firefighting is a noble and honorable profession
that has grown with advancements in science, technology, and the manufacturing
industry. They have saved countless lives and property to the detriment of
their own health. Without these men and
women and the services they provide, society would definitely lack a crucial
service in the survival of technology, science, civilization, and property.
[i]
https://www.emergencydispatch.org/articles/historyoffirefighting.html
[ii]
Thomson Learning, Firefighter’s handbook 2nd ed. Texas ed. (Thomson
Delmar Learning, 2004) 4
[iii]
Norman, John Fire Officers handbook of Tactics 4th ed. (PennWell
Corporation, 2012) 7
[iv]
Thomson Learning, Firefighter’s handbook 2nd ed. Texas ed. (Thomson
Delmar Learning, 2004) 14
[v]
http://afirepro.com/history.html
[vi]
Thomson Learning, Firefighter’s handbook 2nd ed. Texas ed. (Thomson
Delmar Learning, 2004) 8
[vii]
http://afirepro.com/history.html
[viii]
Kelly, JoEllen L. Editor-in-Chief, Firefigters (Rizzoli International
Publications, 2012) 20
[ix]
https://www.i-women.org/firefighters/history-of-women-in-firefighting/
[x]
http://www.firehouse.com/article/10467293/standard-operating-procedures
[xi]
Thomson Learning, Firefighter’s handbook 2nd ed. Texas ed. (Thomson
Delmar Learning, 2004) 118
[xii]
Kelly, JoEllen L. Editor-in-Chief, Firefigters (Rizzoli International
Publications, 2012) 72-75
[xiii]
Kelly, JoEllen L. Editor-in-Chief, Firefigters (Rizzoli International
Publications, 2012) 100-109
[xiv]
Thomson Learning, Firefighter’s handbook 2nd ed. Texas ed. (Thomson
Delmar Learning, 2004) 114
[xv]
https://www.i-women.org/firefighters/history-of-women-in-firefighting/
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