Q. Who do you feel has been one of the most influential people in the fire industry within the last decade and why?

A. Retired Fire Chief Alan V. Brunacini of the Phoenix Fire Department –The PFD are on the leading edge of many new policies, procedures and modern technologies. They have a unique take on modern leadership and span of control and Alan had a lot to do with that.  Also, former State Fire Marshall, Ronnie Coleman.  He’s been doing fire service accreditation around the state and that’s making big differences in the quality of service being offered.  Agencies are reviewed using a set of criteria which verify that departments are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.  This helps raise the bar in terms of their service to the community and being accredited gives departments ammunition in the fight for funding.

Q. Who has been your biggest influence and why?

A. Alan Brunacini – He’s not enamored with tech and he’s a big proponent of safety.  He won’t let firefighters take risks over property, especially when it’s only going to be torn down a few days later anyway.  He always asks the question “What are we risking here?”  Life risks are taken only for life saves.

Q. What changes do you see (or imagine) coming to the fire service within the span of the 21st century?

A. The core mission will remain the same, but expansion in the medical field would be good.  The scope of practice for the paramedic is what it is, but bringing in more advanced techniques and a broader reach with drugs could be beneficial.  One potential change I hope doesn’t happen is the idea that more and more will be done at the Fire station itself.  Getting stitches at the ER takes forever; it might start being done at the Fire House.

I think we’ll need to prove our public value and worth through accreditation. Take our budget (which pushes $50 million dollars a year) and consider if that much money was even at fire risk over the course of the year. What is it really worth to go in, stop a fire, and save a house which is going to end up being torn down and rebuilt anyway?

Q. What do think the biggest “hole” in firefighter equipment is today?

A. We struggle in getting all people in the fire service to understand the value we need to provide to the public. We need to understand how important public value is.  The big budget and these fire engines need to “enhance” the value of living in the city in which we live. “I think the fire service believes its own press-clippings.  Also, we still kill people (firefighters) for no good reason. We need to recognize what’s worth the life risks we’re taking.

Q. In regards to fire prevention, what changes need to come, and where have we seen recent success?

A. Residential sprinkler ordinances have been a huge success.  Problem is, the building industry fights us at every turn.  Also, we need to ban wood-shake roofs.  We need to have the insurance industry come down on people who do not take proper fire prevention precautions.  I see homes all the time that are un-savable, but could easily be modified for fire prevention.

We are seeing success in hazard and weed abatement.  Between The “cedar fire” in San Diego county and the “Witch Fire” (2003 and 2007)…. they set up the reverse 911 system which did a tremendous job getting people out of the way of those fires, and ultimately saved a lot of lives.

Q. Are you familiar with any of the following emerging technologies?* (*See The Future Of Firefighting post)

A. I’m not a big fan of “technology” because I view it as a huge cash cow for businesses trying to invent the next big hit.  I find we always go “back to basics” for which they have training programs of the same name.  We are seeing certain additives to water which are allowing us to improve the effectiveness of our “basic” firefighting practices.  The more technology there is, the more room there is for it to break down.  I’m a big fan of simple & reliable.  I see more and more information systems like PASS and air status systems which help, though I still do pretty well with my clip board.

Q. Do you see the governments’ financial problems affecting the future of firefighter salaries and retirement packages?

A. I do.  It’s tough because you’re dealing with negotiated union contracts which are fairly safe.  Still, there are a lot of public entities who are reliant on the government having money to pay them.  I think we’ll see a tiered system in the future.  Something’s gotta give.

Specifically, this post will highlight four emerging technologies. One is a new version of an old idea. Two are closer to reality than we might have imagined, though still have many years of development ahead of them.. The last one (some pretty slick engines) already being used in limited practice, but may never actually see American soil.

Fit-5 Fire Extinguishing Grenade

Often times the best ideas are the simplest. A new device called the FIT-5 highlights that notion, at least in its use. Though the science behind the FIT-5 is not as simple as dousing a fire with water, its concept is just as simple. During a fire, the fire itself becomes its own sustained heat source. Water removes this piece of the fire tetrahedron (oxygen, fuel, a heat source, and a chemical chain reaction). In the case of the FIT-5, it’s the oxygen that is removed from the equation. ARA Safety who manufactures the FIT-5 says “the device can fully extinguish a class B (fuel-based) fire in a room 2,100 cubic feet (60 cubic meters) or less and reduce fire temperatures from 1,000 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (540 to 150 degrees Celsius) in less than 10 seconds. The FIT-5 is also designed to control class A (ordinary combustibles) fires enough so that firefighters can douse them with water.”

As explained by Larry Greenmier of Scientific American “the FIT-5 releases a wispy cloud of potassium carbonate, a flame retardant that suppresses combustion and disrupts fire at the molecular level.”

The FIT-5 has it’s limitations of course. While it’s a great tool, it’s not ideal for fires in wide open spaces and like traditional fire extinguishers, it won’t last that long before it runs out of extinguishing agent. Still, it has some very convincing uses including being an agent of egress when fire is blocking an exit. Also, in cases where it may not be able to extinguish a fire altogether, it can buy firefighters additional time by offering at-the-moment suppression of a flame area or by delaying flashover in cases where water may not yet be available.

Another exciting and useful technology working its way toward completion is the TRX’s Firefighter Sentinel System. This is essentially a tracking system that works like GPS, except on a much smaller basis. Rather than road maps for the country, and a dot to show where your car is, the TRX system creates maps of buildings and structures and dots showing where firefighters are. PASS devices are great tools for finding downed firefighters, but if you’re not within earshot or the building is large, it may not be enough.

FF with TRX tracking- Communications Module shown on top. Tracking Module show on bottom.

The Sentinel system works by having firefighters wear a small tracking beacon/ communication unit on their gear. A signal is sent from this unit to a base station where their exact location and movement can be tracked. If they are in a structure for which floorplans are available, directing them or finding them (if downed) is very easy. If there is no existing floorplan, the devices create one based upon the movement of firefighters throughout the structure.

In an interview with Firehouse.com, Steven T. Edwards of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute said “This represents the future of firefighter safety. You look at the firefighter fatalities throughout the country and there are trends,” he said. “(Firefighters) are disoriented; they come into an area of the building where they get away from their crew and the hose line where no one knows where they’re at… You might have a few minutes to attempt a rescue, and to have that location and direct a rescue team to that specific location is a huge step forward.”

While the Sentinel tracking system isn’t quite ready yet, it’s much closer to implementation than our next future technology. Get ready to delve into sci-fi land as we discuss Robotic Exoskeletons.

BLEEX Lower Extremity Exoskeleton

Straight out of the Terminator movies, exoskeletons are just what you’d think: “Robotic …human performance augmentation systems worn by humans to enhance mechanical strength and power.”  Among a number of well-funded private companies, the University of Berkeley Robotics Laboratory has been making significant progress is the development of exoskeletons.  They’ve already completed their first “Bleex 1″ (Berkeley lower extremity exoskeleton) and are working on the second version.

The most significant benefit of a robotic exoskeleton for firefighters would be the ability for them to climb many flights of stairs with multiple times the weight (in hose, gear or even rescues), without fatiguing.

The challenge faced in making this sort of technology realistic for fire fighting is to make the designs lightweight, efficient, reliable and of course safe. In addition they’re going to need to be affordable and have gone through extensive testing before cities would be willing to dish out the money required to buy these fantasy-like machines.

Many of these challenges are being attacked in the construction of the BLEEX 2. The focuses for improvement for this version include a lighter and quieter hybrid engine, and extended range, flexibility, and agility of the system. I believe it may be decades, or even a full century before we see exoskeletons perfected, but that at some point they will be put to use in reality. Firefighting, combat, and construction are just a few realistic places this unique technology could make history.

Learn more about Exoskeletons in this article by Scientific American.

The final future technology we’re going to consider is one that is the stuff of little boys’ dreams – yes, the big red machines. There are a number of truck and engine manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world, but one of the worlds largest is the Austrian company, Rosenbauer. Though their apparatus are seen primarily in other countries, I believe it’s likely that within the 21st century, we’ll see trucks like theirs being built by American manufacturers.

Rosenbauer Apparatus

Rosenbauer’s vehicles are more than just slick-looking futuristic machines. Advantages include compact body dimensions, decreased body weight, streamlined roll-up doors without the need for additional step-boards, premium stowage systems and tons more.

I could list multiple pages of highlights and feature, but that’s all available in their website.  In the end, the sum of their design means that firefighters will be able to get to fires faster and fight them more efficiently. Access to equipment and tools will be faster and often with less effort and risk of injury.

In conclusion, it is definitely a very exciting time to be in the fire industry.  I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into the future of firefighting.   Comment below and let me know your thoughts!