Fire instructors dispel longtime firefighting misconceptions that make fires worse
(Photo by Zachary Meseck)
OXFORD – Fire service instructors presented to Chenango County’s firefighters on Wednesday night, and said what was taught 20 years ago was wrong and has actually done more harm than good to the people they’re supposed to be helping.
The presentation was sponsored by the Oxford Fire Department. Representatives from other departments including Norwich, Greene, and McDonough Fire Departments paid a fee for attendance.
According to Meridian Fire Training Solutions Fire Service Instructor Tom Basher Jr., much of what was taught to firefighters in the past has actually made fires worse, and it’s up to modern day firefighters to avoid making mistakes based on past practices.
Basher said years’ worth of firefighters have been taught to fear “pushing” a fire around a home, to cut a hole directly above the fire, and to smash windows on every home for ventilation. He said those concepts have been proven to make the fire worse, and that closing all of the doors in a home makes a fire less likely to flare up because it’s deprived of oxygen.
“Be careful when you decide to go into that smoky building to put out the fire, because it might be waiting for you to open that door,” said Basher. “If you can see the flames when you get out of the truck, start your attack right away from the outside.”
“It can be difficult for officers and chiefs to make the right call; you’re only going to have 10, 20, or 30 percent of the information, and you’re going to have to make some tough decisions.”
Basher said a good way to start is to get water on the fire as soon as possible.
As part of the demonstration instructors showed videos of how a fire reacts when smoke turns into flames after a window is broken or a door is opened.
“Smoke is a fuel source, and when additional oxygen is added to the situation, it can turn into flames,” said Basher.
He said even in situations where firefighters can’t see the flames directly, studies have proven that shooting water into the general vicinity of where a fire is will cool down the area and make it safer for individuals inside while simultaneously reducing the fire’s ability to spread.
“It’s pretty simple, when we show up, things are supposed to get better – not worse,” he added. “We’ve found that by putting water near a fire, the droplets will be sucked into it make a significant difference in the temperature of the home.”
He said by closing doors people can drastically impede the spread of a fire, and buy firefighters time to extinguish the flames.
Oxford Fire Department Chief Ron Martin said the goal of sponsoring this training and making it available for other departments in the county was to encourage ongoing education and save lives.
“Ever since I became chief, I’ve been pushing for ongoing education,” said Martin. “A lot of concepts change over time, and it's up to us to stay up to date.”
He said several Oxford Fire Department volunteers took part in over 40 to 80 hours of online training last year, and he hopes these presentations will allow other departments to stay up to date as well.
“The entire county is welcome to come to these trainings, and always will be,” said Martin, “I can spend all of the money in the world to get the best training here, but we need volunteers to come and take advantage of it.”
Martin added that this is the first of several firefighter training courses they have planned, and he hopes they will help educate firefighters and keep them safe.
The presentation was sponsored by the Oxford Fire Department. Representatives from other departments including Norwich, Greene, and McDonough Fire Departments paid a fee for attendance.
According to Meridian Fire Training Solutions Fire Service Instructor Tom Basher Jr., much of what was taught to firefighters in the past has actually made fires worse, and it’s up to modern day firefighters to avoid making mistakes based on past practices.
Basher said years’ worth of firefighters have been taught to fear “pushing” a fire around a home, to cut a hole directly above the fire, and to smash windows on every home for ventilation. He said those concepts have been proven to make the fire worse, and that closing all of the doors in a home makes a fire less likely to flare up because it’s deprived of oxygen.
“Be careful when you decide to go into that smoky building to put out the fire, because it might be waiting for you to open that door,” said Basher. “If you can see the flames when you get out of the truck, start your attack right away from the outside.”
“It can be difficult for officers and chiefs to make the right call; you’re only going to have 10, 20, or 30 percent of the information, and you’re going to have to make some tough decisions.”
Basher said a good way to start is to get water on the fire as soon as possible.
As part of the demonstration instructors showed videos of how a fire reacts when smoke turns into flames after a window is broken or a door is opened.
“Smoke is a fuel source, and when additional oxygen is added to the situation, it can turn into flames,” said Basher.
He said even in situations where firefighters can’t see the flames directly, studies have proven that shooting water into the general vicinity of where a fire is will cool down the area and make it safer for individuals inside while simultaneously reducing the fire’s ability to spread.
“It’s pretty simple, when we show up, things are supposed to get better – not worse,” he added. “We’ve found that by putting water near a fire, the droplets will be sucked into it make a significant difference in the temperature of the home.”
He said by closing doors people can drastically impede the spread of a fire, and buy firefighters time to extinguish the flames.
Oxford Fire Department Chief Ron Martin said the goal of sponsoring this training and making it available for other departments in the county was to encourage ongoing education and save lives.
“Ever since I became chief, I’ve been pushing for ongoing education,” said Martin. “A lot of concepts change over time, and it's up to us to stay up to date.”
He said several Oxford Fire Department volunteers took part in over 40 to 80 hours of online training last year, and he hopes these presentations will allow other departments to stay up to date as well.
“The entire county is welcome to come to these trainings, and always will be,” said Martin, “I can spend all of the money in the world to get the best training here, but we need volunteers to come and take advantage of it.”
Martin added that this is the first of several firefighter training courses they have planned, and he hopes they will help educate firefighters and keep them safe.
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