A landmark fire service study on firefighter safety and the deployment of resources was recently released by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). Because of its significance for America’s fire service, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) analyzed the salient points contained in the “Report on Residential Fireground Field Experiments,” (PDF, 8.5 MB) dated April 2010. (Note: This large document will take time to download.)
According to the NIST Release, the report is the first to quantify the effects of crew sizes and arrival times on the fire service lifesaving and firefighting operations for residential fires. “The study found that four-person firefighting crews were able to complete 22 essential firefighting and rescue tasks in a typical residential structure 30 percent faster than two-person crews and 25 percent faster than three-person crews.”
The study is the culmination of more than a year’s worth of work by NIST, the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and a broad coalition in the scientific, firefighting, and public-safety communities. The results from this rigorous study on the most common and deadly fires in the country—those in single-family residences—provide quantitative data to fire chiefs and public officials responsible for determining safe staffing levels, station locations, and appropriate funding for community and firefighter safety.
The EMR-ISAC noted that more than 60 full-scale fire experiments were conducted to determine the impact of crew size, first-due engine arrival time, and subsequent apparatus arrival times on firefighter safety and effectiveness at a low-hazard residential structure fire. Considering ongoing budget restraints or funding reductions, the results of these field experiments come at a crucial time for the fire service and should contribute significant knowledge to the firefighting industry nationwide.
