BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 1 UNIT II STUDY GUIDE Public Fire Protection and Fire Department Resources Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Identify the origins of modern fire protection. 2. List the general responsibilities of the modern fire service. 3. Describe the evolution of modern firefighting equipment and protective clothing. 4. Analyze the fire department’s role within the community. 5. Describe the purpose of each of the fire department facilities. 6. Differentiate between the different types of tools and equipment carried and used by firefighters. 7. Compare the different types of personal protective equipment used by firefighters. Unit Lesson Chapter 3: Public Fire Protection Evolution of fire protection: Historically it is written that the true origins of firefighting began in Rome around 6 AD under the reign of Roman Emperor Augustus who is credited with organizing the first firefighting force known as the Corps of Vigiles. Each battalion of the Vigiles was comprised of 1,000 men under the leadership of a single man who reported directly to the Emperor. The men of each battalion were outfitted with buckets and axes that would be utilized in fighting any fire that might erupt. The members of each battalion had the additional responsibility of patrolling the streets of Rome in watch of fires or hazards that might lead to fire. Here in the United States, the first colonists settling in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 would soon discover the need for firefighting service in the winter of 1608 when nearly the entire settlement burned to the ground. Though firefighting had been established in their native England, here in the New World the lack of firefighting equipment and knowledge forced the colonists to develop a plan of action for the prevention of fire. Less than 40 later, in 1647, the governor of New Amsterdam (New York), Peter Stuyvesant, would draft the first building codes of the infant nation. Stuyvesant’s codes outlawed chimneys of wood and clay found to be the primary source of uncontrolled fires, sparks, and conflagrations. By 1679 Boston would establish the first publicly funded fire department, though its members would continue to be volunteers for many centuries to come. In 1736, Benjamin Franklin established the Union Volunteer Fire Company at Philadelphia. Franklin’s newly formed fire company was part of a fire insurance plan. Citizens would purchase fire protection and display a fire mark on their dwelling thereby signifying that their property was covered and guaranteed proper firefighting services. Many prominent Americans served as volunteer firefighters during the early years of the Nation. Among them were such men as George Washington, John Reading Assignment Chapter 3: Public Fire Protection Chapter 6: Fire Department Resources Suggested F ...

1. BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 1
UNIT II STUDY GUIDE
Public Fire Protection and Fire
Department Resources
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Identify the origins of modern fire protection.
2. List the general responsibilities of the modern fire service.
3. Describe the evolution of modern firefighting equipment and
protective
clothing.
4. Analyze the fire department’s role within the community.
5. Describe the purpose of each of the fire department facilities.
6. Differentiate between the different types of tools and
equipment carried
and used by firefighters.
7. Compare the different types of personal protective equipment
used by
firefighters.

2. Unit Lesson
Chapter 3: Public Fire Protection
Evolution of fire protection: Historically it is written that the
true origins of
firefighting began in Rome around 6 AD under the reign of
Roman Emperor
Augustus who is credited with organizing the first firefighting
force known as the
Corps of Vigiles. Each battalion of the Vigiles was comprised
of 1,000 men
under the leadership of a single man who reported directly to
the Emperor. The
men of each battalion were outfitted with buckets and axes that
would be utilized
in fighting any fire that might erupt. The members of each
battalion had the
additional responsibility of patrolling the streets of Rome in
watch of fires or
hazards that might lead to fire.
Here in the United States, the first colonists settling in
Jamestown, Virginia in
1607 would soon discover the need for firefighting service in
the winter of 1608
when nearly the entire settlement burned to the ground. Though
firefighting had
been established in their native England, here in the New World
the lack of
firefighting equipment and knowledge forced the colonists to
develop a plan of
action for the prevention of fire.

3. Less than 40 later, in 1647, the governor of New Amsterdam
(New York), Peter
Stuyvesant, would draft the first building codes of the infant
nation. Stuyvesant’s
codes outlawed chimneys of wood and clay found to be the
primary source of
uncontrolled fires, sparks, and conflagrations. By 1679 Boston
would establish
the first publicly funded fire department, though its members
would continue to
be volunteers for many centuries to come.
In 1736, Benjamin Franklin established the Union Volunteer
Fire Company at
Philadelphia. Franklin’s newly formed fire company was part of
a fire insurance
plan. Citizens would purchase fire protection and display a fire
mark on their
dwelling thereby signifying that their property was covered and
guaranteed
proper firefighting services.
Many prominent Americans served as volunteer firefighters
during the early
years of the Nation. Among them were such men as George
Washington, John
Reading
Assignment
Chapter 3:
Public Fire Protection
Chapter 6:
Fire Department
Resources

4. Suggested Further
Reading
See information below.
Key Terms
1. Articulated boom
2. Baffles
3. Cascade system
4. Drafting pit
5. Duff
6. Ground strikes
7. High-angle rescue
8. Jake brake
9. Master stream
appliance
10. Positive pressure
mode
11. Sling load
12. Standpipe system
13. Unprotected vertical
shafts
14. Urban interface
15. Urban intermix

5. BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 2
Hancock, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams, and Paul Revere.
During those
early years, fighting fires was limited to bucket brigades where
volunteers would
line up standing side-by-side from the source of water to the
fire. Each member
of the brigade brought with him his own bucket. Water was
drawn from a source
well or stream, and passed hand-over-hand to those closest to
the seat of the
fire. The bucket of water was tossed onto the fire and the empty
container
passed back in the opposite direction to the water source. The
process was
repeated until the fire was extinguished.
Fire would continue to plague the newly formed villages and
towns of colonial
America, promoting fire codes and fire prevention requirements
in an effort to
stem the threat of conflagration. From Boston to Philadelphia,
fire prevention had
become an integral part of daily life. It was recognized early on
that bucket
brigades needed a better source of water supply. Various
solutions soon began
to appear. Man-made water cisterns were constructed at key
locations in heavily
populated areas of each town. Wooden water pipes were laid
beneath the road

6. surface with holes drilled at intervals allowing the firefighters
to insert leather
hoses and draw water.
Firefighting techniques continued to evolve, however the
demand for an
established department of full-time firefighters would not be
realized until 1853
when Cincinnati, Ohio, formed the first fully paid fire
department in the United
States. The following year, Providence, Rhode Island followed
their example and
created the second paid department in America (Kelly, Yatsuk,
& Routley, 2003).
From that year the race was on across the Nation for cities and
towns to
establish either a paid full-time or organized volunteer fire
department.
Equipment – fire apparatus: Like the physical human power of
the fire service,
the evolution of firefighting equipment took on its own
character and life. From
the earliest primitive means of fighting fire to the present day,
high-tech
apparatus innovations were often the results of creativity on the
part of
firefighters both individually and collectively.
The first hand-operated fire engines came from England where
the ancient
principle of pumping water using a siphona was incorporated
into a hand-drawn
hand-operated pumper. Boston had obtained such an engine in
1654; however
the design was rudimentary although serving its purpose. In

7. 1719, Philadelphia
would begin hand-operated fire engines under the direction of
Benjamin
Franklin. New York would take possession of two such engines
in 1731 arriving
from London and within two days of their arrival would be used
to stop the
spread of a fire that threatened conflagration (Kelly et al.,
2003).
From hand, to horse drawn wagons and engines, the delivery of
men and
equipment would continue to evolve as knowledge and
technology would
continually re-invent the wheel. Soon horse-drawn steamers
would appear on
the scene with powerful pumping capabilities. Now the work
formally requiring up
to 24 men to operate the hand pumps could be handled by only
three or four.
With the passage of time and the invention of the gasoline
powered engine, the
fire service would realize some of its greatest advances in
firefighting
capabilities. In the early 20th century, motorized fire engines
began to appear on
the streets of cities and towns. These machines were faster, and
with the
inclusion of centrifugal pumps water could now be pumped
from the apparatus
through hoses of cotton and rubber to great heights with
minimal effort by the
human operator.
Fire service symbols:

8. Maltese cross: Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the fire
service. The
cross has its origins during the Crusades when the Christian
knights were pelted
with glass bombs containing naphtha during their approach to
Saracens. Many
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 3
of the knights were Knights of St. John and stationed on Malta.
In honor of their
bravery and survival, their leaders presented them with the
cross which came to
be called the Maltese Cross. Below is the original Maltese Cross
on the left, on
the right is the modern day version.
Dalmatians: Exactly when the Dalmatian dog made its first
appearance in the fire
service is unknown. However what is known is that the world
famous fire icon
was used as guardians of horse-drawn coaches. The dog would
run just in front
of the team of horses keeping both humans and animals from
impeding the
roadway and thereby prevent the horses from being startled.
After the arrival of
gas powered fire engines, the Dalmatian would slowly fade from
the front seat to

9. the firehouse as a mascot.
Fire stations: Fire stations are more than just a house with a
garage attached as
once characterized by a disillusioned taxpayer. The fire station
or firehouse is in
fact a house for apparatus, a home for firefighters, and an
educational center. A
greater detail on fire station design is found later in Chapter 6.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): In the very early days of
firefighting, the
term PPE was unknown. Each member of a formally organized
fire brigade was
outfitted with a leather helmet signifying his membership. The
front-piece of the
helmet would display his company identification. The helmet is
perhaps the most
important component of the uniform as it provides protection to
the head from
falling debris. The helmet has undergone a transition from the
early leather
construction to a metal (tin), back to leather, and most common
today is the
high-impact composite fiberglass worn by many firefighters
worldwide.
Rubber was once the material of choice for upper and lower
body protection.
Rubber was waterproof and therefore provided the firefighter
with protection
from being water soaked. Unfortunately, rubber had a high
degree of
flammability and often could not provide adequate protection
from thermal
exposure. Today’s turnout gear ensemble is constructed of

10. layers of flame
resistant thermal barrier materials that afford the firefighter
greater protection
from heat exposure.
Footwear has evolved from knee high rubber boots, to the “roll-
up” rubber boots,
to leather boots. Today’s boot ensemble includes the bunker
pant which is pulled
over the boot and held in place by wide suspenders. Heat
resistant Kevlar®
gloves protect the hands and a Nomex® hood protects exposed
areas under the
helmet. One component of PPE that is arguably the most
important is the self-
contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
Consisting of a tank of compressed air, regulator, and face-
piece (mask) the
SCBA is a positive pressure device that permits firefighters to
enter hazardous
environments to save lives and fight fire. Collectively, all the
components of the
PPE work together to protect the firefighter from the extreme
heat and smoke
conditions. Though with all the modern PPE available the
occupation of
firefighter is still inherently dangerous.
Fire losses: The primary goal of American fire service is to
prevent fire and
reduce the threat of conflagration. Conflagration has plagued
the human race
since recorded time. In the United States, major conflagrations
have claimed
hundreds of human lives and destroyed billions of dollars’

11. worth of property.
Conflagration as a result of natural disasters such as
earthquakes is not
necessarily preventable, however conflagration resulting from
carelessness with
flame is often found to be quite preventable.
One of the first recorded major conflagrations in the U.S. is the
Great Chicago
fire of 1871, which is often attributed to a kerosene lantern
being kicked over by
a cow. That fire burned for three days and destroyed 3.5 miles
of the city, killing
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 4
300 inhabitants. On the same day of the Chicago fire, October
8-10, another
major conflagration was underway just north of Chicago in
Peshtigo, Wisconsin.
Starting as a forest fire and spreading beyond human control,
the fire would in
the end consume 2,400 square miles and result in the death of
nearly 1,000
people.
Other nationally recognized conflagrations include the February
7, 1904 fire of
Baltimore, the April 12, 1908 Chelsea, Massachusetts fire which
would be

12. repeated again in October 1973. In the wake of each
conflagration came the
creation of new and tougher fire codes and standards from both
federal and
state governments.
The U.S. fire problem: While statistically the U.S. has some of
the more
stringent fire prevention and fire protection laws in the world,
the nation
continues to have one of the highest fire death rates per capita
of the
industrialized world. Senior citizens are at the highest risk of
being killed in a fire,
while the southeastern U.S. has the highest per capita fire death
rate. Careless
smoking continues as the leading cause of residential fire
deaths. Working
smoke detectors can double the chances of human survival from
a fire.
Though statistics reveal that nearly 90 percent of all U.S.
residential dwellings
have at least one working smoke detector, 40 percent of
residential fires and 60
percent of fire fatalities take place in a dwelling with no smoke
detectors. It is
likely that the scientific and fire service communities will never
determine the
reason human behavior dictates that smoke detectors are non-
essential or
remove them as being a nuisance.
Purpose and scope of fire agencies: While the perceived purpose
of the
modern fire department is to provide lifesaving and property

13. conservation
measures, public education for fire safety and prevention has
taken center
stage. The 21st century fire service has evolved into a well-
educated agency
where risk assessment and pre-planning for any number of
incidents has taken
the forefront.
Fire service managers and leaders have more education and
technology at their
disposal than did their predecessors. While there are still small
communities in
need of greater funding mechanisms for resources, the concepts
of risk
management reach across economical boundaries. Today’s fire
service leader
must incorporate the components of risk assessment in their
respective
communities.
Knowing and understanding the level and type of risks likely to
be faced will
impact the community’s ability to reduce associated hazards.
Knowing what lies
before them, fire service managers and leaders are put in a
position to execute
poor mitigation methods in the event such an incident arises.
Here the operative word is planning. Only through planning and
pre-planning for
potential risks will the community’s safety and health be
properly guarded. While
an individual community’s budget may not be adequate to fund
resources
needed, there are in every state and at the federal level, a

14. variety of public
safety agencies providing education and resources. It is the
responsibility of all
fire service leaders to research and secure these services.
The future of fire protection: The 21st century fire service is no
longer the “fire
department.” Rather it is more appropriately the “emergency
services agency” as
fire prevention education, fire suppression, and emergency
medical care have
become the major service divisions. Emergency medical
services (EMS) have
taken the lead in services provided over fire suppression. This
is due largely to
effective fire prevention education. However, as cited
previously, there is still a
demand for fire suppression.
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 5
What exactly the future holds for American fire services is yet
to be seen. One
can only speculate that until all building materials are made
truly fire-proof and
fire sprinkler systems are mandatory in all structures:
residential, educational,
commercial, and industrial, it is unlikely that fire suppression
units will “go out of
business.” Therefore it is incumbent upon today’s fire service
leadership to plan,

15. plan, and plan again.
Chapter 6: Fire Department Resources
Fire department facilities: Depending upon the actual size of the
community
and its fire department, the size and number of fire department
facilities will vary.
Large metropolitan cities, i.e. Los Angeles, Dallas, Phoenix,
Chicago, New York,
and Boston have numerous buildings, while small villages and
hamlets might
have one centrally located facility or perhaps none at all. It is
likely that all
communities regardless of size and population have some sort
of fire
headquarters.
Fire headquarters: This location may be a stand-alone building
or be
incorporated in with department offices such as City Hall.
Typically, fire
headquarters (HQ) is where one will find the office of the chief
of the department,
administrative support staff, and in many communities the
primary firefighting
and EMS units. In most cases however, the primary chief
executive officer
(CEO) of the fire department can be found at HQ. As with many
other
occupations, there are both advantages and disadvantages to
having the office
of the chief in a station housing fire and EMS personnel.
Among the advantages: personnel are better informed and
receive first-hand any

16. news or information generated by the office of the chief.
Conversely, the chief is
aware of personnel issues sooner and is in a better position to
take action to
resolve matters that otherwise might escalate more quickly.
One disadvantage to remote personnel is that they are for the
most part “out of
sight and out of mind” and their actions or inactions may go
without proper
leadership or supervision. Having all the managerial staff in one
place has a
tendency to foster misrepresentation and misinformation of
department policy
and plans. It therefore is incumbent upon the progressive
department leader to
establish a communication network that transmits and receives
the inner
workings of the department.
Automotive repair facility: The existence of a dedicated
mechanical repair
facility will depend on budget and necessity of the individual
department. Again,
large metro departments are more likely to have a separate
dedicated facility for
routine maintenance and major repair work on department
apparatus. Another
component of this facility is the need to employ mechanics
qualified to work on
modern and aging fire equipment.
Training center: Smaller departments most likely will have
limited space for
training and education, while others will have a designated
facility for these

17. activities. Many states have regional fire academies to which
fire personnel must
travel for formal entry level training. On-the-job daily, weekly,
and monthly
training exercises are often conducted station to station or with
all personnel
assembling at a central location.
Fire towers, classrooms, and spare apparatus and equipment are
but a few of
the possibilities and necessities of an efficient and effective fire
training center.
Warehouse/central stores: Here again, the size of the department
will dictate
the existence of a central supply or warehouse where equipment
and supplies
are stored and distributed. Some departments having a
Paramedic EMS system
may have a designated station where all EMS supplies and
medicines are kept
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 6
and issued to EMS units. Another station may be the warehouse
location for fire
suppression equipment such as nozzles, hoses, and hand tools.
And still, a third
station might house the air supply system and tank repair and
replacement

18. center.
Communications center: Since the inception of 9-1-1, the matter
of central
receiving of emergency calls and dispatching of apparatus has
grown into a
sophisticated science. Depending on what region of the U.S. the
department is
located in, the 9-1-1 communications center could be local,
county, state, or
regional. With the growth of the cell phone industry, virtually
all states have a
9-1-1 call system where the caller is directed to a state police
facility. Once the
9-1-1 call is received by a state police dispatcher, the call (or
the information) is
then forwarded to a local fire or police department for
processing and response.
In a general sense, most all states now also have E-9-1-1
service. Enhanced
means that caller data, name, address, and map location are
displayed on a
monitor which is visible to the dispatcher. Computer aided
dispatch (CAD) has
become an integrated part of the overall 9-1-1 system in a
growing number of
U.S. fire departments. In most all settings, the 9-1-1 operators
are required to
have specialized training in order to staff the center.
Fire stations: Fire stations, sometimes called firehouses, are the
true character
of the local fire department. Often the exterior and interior
design of the station
reflects the community or geographical region. In very small

19. hamlets, the fire
station might be a single bay wood or metal structure housing
the only piece of
fire apparatus owned by the community or local firefighting
association.
On the other hand, the fire station might be a large complex
with multiple bays,
offices, living quarters, and educational facilities.
As with many other dimensions of the fire department, the size,
number, and
locations of stations are dependent upon the needs and demands
of the
community involved.
Fire apparatus: Modern fire apparatus, whether for suppression
or EMS, can be
found in a number of sizes, types, and prices. As with the many
other elements
of a public fire service, the specific type will be dictated by the
demand of the
type and level of service being provided. With the exception of
many staff
vehicles, today’s fire service apparatus is largely diesel
powered. Diesel motors
provide greater horsepower and efficiency over that of the
traditional gas-
powered engine.
Most apparatus are now built with automatic transmissions
making driving an
easier transition from privately owned vehicles to fire
apparatus. Gone are the
days of standard transmissions and the need to “double clutch”
the changing of

20. gears.
Since the mid-1990s fire apparatus have been required to be
built with fully-
enclosed cabs for personnel safety. Open cab apparatus are
becoming the
dinosaur of the fire service as firefighter health and safety are
taking the
forefront. Fire apparatus, like conventional motor vehicles, can
be found in a
range of types, each having a specific function.
Fire pumpers: The traditional fire engine! This is the primary
apparatus for the
delivery of firefighting personnel, water, hoses, and a variety of
associated tools
and equipment. Modern fire pumpers have a water pumping
system that can
pump up to 1,500 gallons per minute (GPM), a water tank with a
capacity
between 500 and 1,500 gallons, various ground ladders, safe
seating for up to
seven (with seatbelts), hundreds of feet of various diameters of
hose lines,
nozzles, and other assorted fire suppression equipment.
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 7
Aerial ladder, articulating, and elevating platform apparatus:

21. Today’s aerial
apparatus are a far cry from the old “hook and ladder” trucks of
yesteryear.
Ladder trucks have aerials that can reach upward of 125 feet in
height. Aerials
can be mounted at the rear of the truck (rear mount) or in the
middle (mid-
mount) and many have pre-piped waterways with a combination
or
interchangeable nozzle at the tip end of the aerial. Articulating
boom apparatus
are in the same class as aerials and where once called “snorkel”
trucks.
The term “snorkel” was a trademarked name, however the
popularity of the
articulating boom with its attached basket would for many years
be known as the
snorkel regardless of the manufacturer. One advantage of the
articulating aerial
device over the straight ladder is that the boom can be
positioned into tighter
spaces or “wrapped” around corners where the straight aerial is
incapable of
doing so.
As with pumping apparatus, aerial apparatus should be
purchased based on the
needs of the community. Building height and reach from street
to upper floors
must be given consideration. Of course the bottom line, price, is
another major
decision maker.
Fire tools and appliances:

22. Hose: Once made of leather riveted together and highly
inflexible, today’s
modern hose, hand lines, and supply lines, are typically
lightweight and longer
lasting. The purpose of the hose has not changed since its
creation: to carry
water from a source of supply to the intended use. After the
human component,
the hose is the most important piece of equipment used in fire
suppression.
Supply lines are needed to carry water from a water source,
hydrant, stream, or
other engine, and then carry that water to the seat of the fire.
Generally, hoses are made of either cotton or synthetic thread in
one of two
types: single jacket or double jacket. The inner lining of the
hose is typically a
lightweight rubber material. Hoses are typically supplied for
two uses: hand lines
(attack) and supply lines. Hose lengths can be found in 50, 75,
and 100 foot
lengths. Typically hand line hose come diameters of one inch, 1
½ inch, 1 ¾
inch, two inch, and 2 ½ inch. Forestry hose is generally a rubber
line in 50 or 100
foot lengths and diameters of one and 1 ½ inch diameters.
Supply line hose can be 50, 75, or 100 foot in length and have
these diameters:
three, four, five, or six inch. Supply lines are used to bring
larger volume (GPM)
of water from a source to the pumper or master appliance. A
quick rule of thumb
with hose is the larger the diameter the greater the volume and
the lower the

23. friction loss. Four, five, and six inch supply lines are typically
referred to as large
diameter hose (LDH) and more and more are being carried and
utilized by
modern fire departments.
Nozzles: There is a wide range of nozzles that are capable of
delivering water at
the rate of 30 GPM to 2,000 GPM or more. A typical hand line
might consist of 1
¾ inch hose line with a combination nozzle (straight/fog
pattern) capable of
delivering up to 250 GPM at a specific pressure. The
distinguishing difference
between and hand line and a supply line is the GPM being
carried by the hose
and the capability of the hose line being handled by one person.
Generally a hand line flows under 350 GPM and can be handled
by one person
while the supply line flows 350 GPM or more and cannot be
easily handled by
one person. It is recommended that all hand lines have no less
than two persons
at the nozzle end should one person become incapable of safely
handling the
hose pressure and directing the stream.
BFS 3251, Introduction to Fire Protection 8

24. Nozzle types: Nozzles consist of combination, smooth bore, and
master stream.
A combination nozzle will be capable of delivering two types of
stream: straight
and fog pattern. Smooth bore delivers a solid stream of water
and should not be
confused with a straight stream, as the two are entirely different
from one
another. A master stream nozzle is often called a master
appliance and can
supply water at the rate of 350 GPM to 2,000 GPM or more.
Master appliances are intended to be kept stationary and moved
from room to
room or location to location.
Threads and fittings: Typically hose threads are between three-
fourths and six
inches in diameter. Generally hand line hose threads are 1 ½
inch diameter; two
inch hose with two inch threads; 2 ½ and three inch hose with
either 2 ½ or three
inch threads. LDH can be found with either conventional
threads appropriate to
diameter of hose or the unisex thread less Storz connections.
Most of today’s
fire departments operate hose lines using a nationally accepted
“standard”
thread diameter that permits mutual aid departments to make
hose connections
without adapters.
Hand tools: Among the many tools carried on fire pumpers one
can find hose

25. spanner and hydrant wrenches, both of which are essential to
connecting and
disconnecting hoses to hydrants, nozzles, and other engines.
Other tools might
include: claw hammers, Haligan, axes, pike holes, glass cutters,
punch tools,
rakes, brooms, shovels, screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench
sets, Allen
wrench sets, and almost any other tool available to the
“handyman.”
More and more engine companies, and in some districts aerial
companies, carry
hydraulic tools for the extrication of victims of crashes.
Commonly known as the
jaws-of-life, this is one of the firefighter’s most useful tools as
there are different
interchangeable appliances used for a number of purposes:
spreaders, cutters,
and rams.
Thermal imaging camera: Perhaps one of the more important
modern era
inventions, this device allows firefighters to see heat generated
images through
a hand-held electronic “camera.” The firefighter need only aim
the optical lenses
in a direction and view the heat outline image of any person or
animal. The TIC
is invaluable for locating victims in heavy smoke conditions or
hidden fire behind
walls. Though expensive, many departments have won state and
federal grants
for their purchase. Additionally, many civic organizations have
donated the
device to underfunded departments, often in the wake of a fire

26. fatality.
Reference
Kelly, J. L., Yatsuk, R. A., & Routley, J. G. (2003).
Firefighters. Emmitsburg, MD:
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates.
Suggested Further Reading
Kelly, J. L., Yatsuk, R. A., & Routley, J. G. (2003).
Firefighters. Emmitsburg, MD:
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates,