National study discusses personnel for high-rise fires
This message comes from Bill Post: At a recent meeting, the head of the Chicago Firefighters Union used a new federal report to argue against potential job cuts during labor talks with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration. The report, developed by the U.S. Commerce Department and several fire organizations, examined how different crew sizes affect response times in 13-story buildings. The study found that five or six-member crews were significantly faster in extinguishing fires and conducting search-and-rescue operations compared to smaller teams of three or four. The current Fire Department contract requires five firefighters per truck, but the mayor has suggested the possibility of reducing staffing levels. Negotiations have stalled since the contract expired in June, so the old rules are still in place for now. Although most of Chicago's high-rises are located downtown and along the lakefront, union leader Thomas Ryan pointed out that large buildings like schools and factories exist throughout the city and face similar challenges. He claimed the report "scientifically proves what we've been saying for years," warning that cutting firefighter numbers would endanger public safety. A spokesperson for the administration, Bill McCaffrey, said high-rise fires are rare and that the report only covers a small portion of the city's properties. He emphasized that Chicago has well-trained high-rise response teams, updated protocols, and strict fire safety regulations, which he believes are the key to maintaining safety. You can find more information about the study here. Here are some key excerpts from the press release: Landmark High-Rise Fire Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes, Elevator Use PHOENIX – A major new study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with five other organizations, concludes that five- or six-member firefighting crews are significantly faster at putting out fires and completing search-and-rescue operations than smaller crews of three or four members. The research, conducted with 13 fire departments in the Washington, D.C. area, was presented at the 2013 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Phoenix. Lead researcher Jason Averill noted that larger crews perform tasks more efficiently due to better deployment strategies. An analysis of 14 critical tasks—those most dangerous to occupants and firefighters—showed that three-person crews took nearly 12 minutes longer than four-person crews, 21 minutes longer than five-person crews, and 23 minutes longer than six-person crews to complete all tasks. Four-person crews also lagged behind their larger counterparts by nine and 11 minutes, respectively. The study also found that using fire service elevators to move personnel and equipment up to the staging floor allowed crews to start tasks two to four minutes faster than using stairs. Based on computer modeling and live experiments, the researchers concluded that smaller crews face larger fires because of delays in task completion. For example, a three-person crew might fight a fire almost 60% larger than a six-person crew, who could begin extinguishing it over three minutes earlier. The study also showed that increasing crew size from three to five or four to five produced the greatest improvements in performance, with time savings ranging from one minute to 25 minutes depending on the task. Finally, the team evaluated whether sending more smaller crews to a high-rise fire would be as effective as sending fewer but larger crews. They found that a low-alarm response with crews of five or six performed better than a high-alarm response with smaller crews. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), high-rises are defined as buildings seven stories or taller. While many new high-rises are required to have sprinkler systems, a significant percentage lack them, and sprinklers fail in about one in 14 fires. Despite being less frequent than house fires, there are approximately 43 high-rise fires in the U.S. each day. Between 2005 and 2009, an average of 15,700 high-rise structure fires occurred annually, resulting in 53 civilian deaths, 546 injuries, and $235 million in property damage. Electromagnetic Noise Suppression Sheet EMAS Ferrite Absorbing Material,EMAS Ferrite Absorbing Materials,Ferrite Absorbing Materials Zhejiang Yuanbang Material Technology Co., LTD , https://www.yoboemiemc.com