National study discusses personnel for high-rise fires
Here's what Bill Post had to say: The head of the Chicago Firefighters Union used a new federal report on high-rise fire response to push back against potential job cuts during tense labor negotiations with Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration. The report, conducted by the U.S. Commerce Department and several fire organizations, highlights the importance of having larger crews when responding to fires in buildings with 13 or more stories. The study found that teams of five or six firefighters were significantly faster at extinguishing fires and conducting search-and-rescue operations compared to smaller crews of three or four. The current Fire Department contract requires five firefighters per truck, but the mayor has hinted at the possibility of reducing staffing levels. Despite this, no progress has been made in negotiations, so the old rules remain in place for now. Firefighters Union Local 2 President Thomas Ryan argued that high-rises aren't just concentrated downtown; they exist throughout the city in places like schools and factories, which pose similar challenges. He claimed the report “scientifically proves†their long-standing argument that cutting firefighter numbers would put the public in danger. A spokesperson for the administration, Bill McCaffrey, responded by saying high-rise fires are rare and make up only a small portion of the city's total fires. He emphasized that Chicago already has highly trained high-rise response teams, updated protocols, and strict fire safety regulations that ensure safety in these buildings. You can find more information about the study here. Excerpts from the press release include: Landmark High-Rise Fire Study Evaluates Effectiveness of Crew Sizes, Elevator Use PHOENIX – A major new study conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with five other organizations, shows that larger firefighting crews—five or six members—are much more effective at putting out fires and performing search-and-rescue operations in high-rise buildings than smaller crews of three or four. The research, presented at the 2013 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Phoenix, involved 13 fire departments in the Washington, D.C. area. According to lead researcher Jason Averill, the difference isn’t just about having more people—it’s about how those crews are deployed, which leads to faster task completion and better outcomes. Analysis of 14 critical tasks revealed 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. Using elevators instead of stairs to move equipment and personnel also improved response times by two to four minutes. The study concluded that smaller crews face larger fires due to the extra time needed to complete tasks. For example, a three-person crew could be dealing with a fire almost 60% larger than a six-member team, which would start fighting the fire over three minutes earlier. In an office setting, this could mean four cubicles burning versus just two for a smaller crew. Adding two more firefighters to three- or four-person crews led to significant improvements in key tasks like advancing water hoses and starting rescues. The researchers also found that sending fewer but larger crews initially was more effective than dispatching multiple smaller crews. According to Lori Moore-Merrell of the International Association of Fire Fighters, larger crews can work in parallel, saving time and ultimately lives. While sprinklers are common in many high-rises, not all buildings are equipped with them, and they fail in about one in 14 fires. Although high-rise fires are less frequent than house fires, the U.S. still experiences around 43 such incidents daily. From 2005 to 2009, high-rise structure fires averaged 15,700 annually, resulting in 53 civilian deaths, 546 injuries, and $235 million in property damage each year. Near-field Flexible Absorbing Materials,Near-field Flexible Absorbing Material,Near Field Flexible Absorbing Material Zhejiang Yuanbang Material Technology Co., LTD , https://www.yoboemiemc.com