How will this course enhance your professional success?
Optional: In the textbook, the authors discuss the hazards associated with smoke and the products of combustion as they spread throughout structures. What are your thoughts on the need for smoke management? Should smoke be controlled? Do you think the strategies of controlling smoke have any implication on occupants or even firefighters responding to a fire? Why, or why not?
Please include the name of the person or question to which you are replying in the subject line. For example, “Tom’s response to Susan’s comment.”
ALSO PLEASE REPLY TO ANOTHER STUDENTS COMMENT BELOW
Frank:
I really enjoyed this class. For the most part, the prinicples of the different parts we discussed was a great refresher but the use of NFPA codes was something new. It was great to put the two parts together. In my current career, I will use these lessons in some form or fashion. We are always responding to smoke in structure, alarm activations as well as helping the FM office with inspections. Beside in my current career, this class will definitely benefit me in my “retirement career”. I’m looking to become an OSHA inspector or compliance officer so the knowledge of these standards and how they work in the field will be critical. I wish all of my classmates good luck in their futures. I have enjoyed our time together.
As for the second part, smoke management is a critical skill that is ingrained into every firefighter from the first day of rookie school. We mainly refer to it as ventilation of the structure. This skill is taught to coincide with fire fighting activities. As we talked about the fire terahedron, this plays a role in that. ALso by managing the smoke, visibility is better for the firefighters as well as reducing the heat in the structure to prevent flashover and possibly a backdraft. When the building is on fire and superheated gases rise to the ceiling and move about with the convection currents in the building, it will cause other areas to become heated and light off. Also the products of combustion in this smoke such as carbon monoxide as well and hydrogen cyanide can and will be lethal to any civilians or occupants left in the buildings. It is very important to be able to correctly vent the structure of these gases and smoke for the safety of the occupants and firefighters.
On a side note, about 7 years ago, this concept gained national attention to the point that the concepts of controlling the “flow paths” on a structure were added to the firefighter curriculum. There were numerous testing done by NIST to confirm this importance. This testing was really sparked after numerous firefighters were killed or seriously injured due to smoke explosions or flashover due to improper control of the flow paths of the building. I have attached a few links below to some videos that we use in the department for training that are from NIST.
