“Are we operating with the old tactics that do not give fire dynamics of today’s fires enough attention?” asked Firefighter John Ceriello of the Fire Department of New York at the Monday afternoon workshop, “The History and Future of Ventilation Operations.” Firefighters need to understand modern fire dynamics so they can make smart decisions on the fireground.
A number of fires nationwide that have brought the ventilation tactics of vent/enter/search (VES), and searching ahead of the line into question.
The fire environment has changed drastically over the years since 1945 with the increased use of plastic and synthetic materials, especially in home furnishings.
Ceriello showed the students a video of an Underwriters Laboratory test comparing two living rooms of the same size, one furnished with nonsynthetic legacy furnishings, the other with modern furnishing containing plastic and synthetic materials. Fires were ignited in each on the sofa. In the modern room, the fire quickly advanced, producing volumes of dense black smoke. It reached flashover by 3 minutes and 40 seconds. The room furnished with natural, nonsynthetic legacy materials, however, did not reach flashover until about 30 minutes after ignition.
Some claim that today’s fires are burning hotter than those in the past. “No, they’re not–but they’re reaching higher temperatures much more quickly,” Ceriello said. He recommended students review the numerous fire dynamics studies carried out by UL and other organizations, which have implications for how and when to ventilate a structure.
The new concepts do not take away the proactive search of our structures, but in fact complement it, Ceriello said. The American fire service needs to wake up and set the standard, not be 25 years behind the curve.
