By FireRescue1 staff
COLUMBIA, Md. — UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) this week released three new research reports based on the findings and tactical considerations from the Institute’s “Study of Fire Service Residential Home Size-up and Search & Rescue Operations.”
Through funding provided by a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant, the FSRI team conducted 21 full-scale fire experiments involving 11 bedrooms, eight kitchens and two living rooms. Across this series of experiments, the impact of isolation of fire and non-fire compartments, the timing of search actions relative to suppression actions, and the influence of isolation, elevation and path of travel during rescue were examined with respect to firefighter safety and occupant tenability.
The first two reports provide a detailed overview of the experimental series, and the third report provides evidence-based concepts in the form of tactical considerations for the fire service. Nine tactical considerations were developed based on the research findings in conjunction with the fire service technical panel. These can be leveraged by firefighters, along with their current training and experiences, to increase their efficiency and effectiveness on the fireground during search and rescue.
Keith Stakes, FSRI research engineer and FireRescue1 board member, shared the following insight: “Is it best to conduct a search through the front door or the window? What time of day is it? Where is the fire? How do all of these aspects play into our operations on the fireground? Through this study, we’re building upon previous research as we continue taking a closer look at the impact of fireground operations on potentially trapped occupants inside residential structure fires. As we conducted experiments inside single-story, single-family structures, we were also looking to better understand how proximity to the fire and the elevation in the space can impact occupant survivability.”
Click here to learn more and download all three reports.
https://vimeo.com/702898307?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=43463622