Fire Technology the Firefighting Industry,

Fire Technology

The firefighting industry, like many others, face a paradigm of continuous change today. Not only is the world changing, but its needs and the way that it uses services are changing as well. One of these is protection against threats from nature, as well as threats from attack such as terrorism. After 9/11 especially, the firefighter's important role in protecting the public has been at the forefront of attention. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina have also taught many lessons in terms of what the fire service needs in order to optimize its service to the public.

According to John Nicholson, the fire service, among other rescue services, is one of the first to arrive at the scene of terrorist attacks or natural disaster. This is why, in 2003, the fire service called upon Congress to take its service into account when developing the new Department of Homeland Security. To this end, Nicholson also suggests that staffing and continuous training for firefighting personnel is of the greatest importance, and standardized national training and equipment requirements need to be in place for this. Training should also be continuous in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the community the fire department serves.

Another important aspect of change in the fire department is communications. Technological and electronic developments have made very sophisticated communication equipment possible. In this, firefighters now have access to technology that can track the position of a firefighter in a building, and thus save their lives if necessary. on-scene communication is also supplemented by intelligence data on terrorist or disaster threats where these are likely to occur, so that the fire department can be ready ahead of time to mitigate or even avert the disaster.

For the fire department, change is nothing new. Indeed, according to Charlie Dickinson, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has been deeply connected to the changes needed to best serve its community since its inception. In this, its first recognition of better fire regulation and legislation has evolved to become sophisticated questions relating to the fire department's response to disaster, its connections with a variety of government organizations, and the technological equipment needed to perform their function adequately.

The basic functions of the USFA is to ensure that the fire service is equipped with the necessary knowledge to perform at an optimal level. In this, the Administration provides research, data and training. It also provides the public with knowledge regarding how to handle disasters and threats in terms of education and prevention.

In terms of organization, the events on 9/11 have also revealed the necessity of working closer with government agencies in order to mitigate, prevent, and respond to national disasters. Hence the USFA moved to the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Preparedness Directorate in 2005 (Dickinson). This connection helped the Administration to become more involved in creating a paradigm of preparedness not only for the fire service, but also for the general public. It association with the DHS means that the USFA is closer to the Secretary's office, with a direct presence at the DHS headquarters.

The USFA's association with the DHS brought a number of new opportunities to represent the nation's fire service. The National Operation Center (NOC), for example, works closely with the U.S. FA in order to create a safe environment for citizens. The Center provides the DHS with data regarding national and global situational awareness. According to Dickinson, it is vital that the fire service be represented in this organization, as it can only protect the country's citizens properly if it has access to the most relevant, up-to-date information regarding threats to the country.

Another contribution by the USFA within the Preparedness Directorate is the Incident

Management Teams created in order to handle emergencies. These teams are trained according to the best, most up-to-date training techniques of the fire service. The USFA staff are also making important contributions to the Emergency Support Function #4 of the National Response Plan. Training, data collection, prevention and preparedness, and ensuring that firefighters are prepared for the challenges of terrorism form further parts of the functions the USFA performs within the DHS and the Preparedness Directorate. In terms of the terrorism threat, the fire service is therefore much more involved in the politics of prevention and response than the case had been before 9/11.

In terms of natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina has been the worst in many years. Like 9/11, it shook the nation to its core. Also like 9/11, the fire department, along with other rescue services, was at the center of providing the public with support during this time. One of the interesting results of Katrina is the focus on preparedness of firefighters themselves and their families. If firefighters are concerned about their families and their own safety, they cannot be properly focused on response. Furthermore, the fire department also needs to plan for a continuity of operations in the midst of local disaster. The public relies on this service to help them when disaster strikes. Therefore it is essential that the fire department keeps itself as safe and protected as possible, especially during disasters such as Katrina or 9/11.