Fire Fighting
Firefighters are known for dedicating their lives to the fire service, working 24-hour shifts, responding to fires and explosions, automobile accidents and medical emergencies. They clean trucks and service equipment, talk to groups about the importance of fire safety, and take part in physical fitness training.
Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural firefighting and wildland firefighting. Specialized training includes aircraft firefighting, shipboard firefighting, aerial firefighting, maritime firefighting, and proximity firefighting.
Fire fighting systems and equipment vary depending on the age, size, use and type of building construction. A building may contain some or all of the following features:
- Fire extinguishers
- fire hose reels
- fire hydrant systems
- automatic sprinkler systems.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are provided for a ‘first attack’ fire fighting measure, generally undertaken by the occupants of the building before the fire service arrives. It is important that occupants are familiar with which extinguisher type to use on which fire.
Most fires start as a small fire and may be extinguished if the correct type and amount of extinguishing agent is applied whilst the fire is small and controllable.