

While sometimes fires can be limited to small areas of a structure, wider collateral damage due to smoke, water and burning embers is common. See also Fire suppression for other techniques. ( August 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Firefighters are equipped with a wide variety of equipment for this purpose that include ladder trucks, pumper trucks, tanker trucks, fire hose, and fire extinguishers. Most commonly this is done by dousing the fire with water, though some fires require other methods such as foam or dry agents. The aim of firefighting is to deprive the fire of at least one of those elements. Sometimes it is known as the fire tetrahedron if a fourth element is added: a chemical chain reaction which can help sustain certain types of fire. This is often referred to as the fire triangle. Firefighters may also provide some degree of emergency medical service.ĭuties Fire suppression Firefighters had to focus their efforts on saving the adjacent church instead of this burning building, an abandoned convent in Massueville, Quebec, Canada Firefighter carrying out a ladder slideĪ fire burns due to the presence of three elements: fuel, oxygen and heat. If the fire was caused by arson or negligence, their work will overlap with law enforcement. Fire investigators or fire marshals investigate the cause of a fire.

A firefighter's role may overlap with both. Depending on the requirements of a department, additional skills and certifications may also be acquired at this time.įirefighters work closely with other emergency response agencies such as the police and emergency medical service. Initial firefighting skills are normally taught through local, regional or state-approved fire academies or training courses. The skills required for safe operations are regularly practiced during training evaluations throughout a firefighter's career. From urban areas to aboard ships, firefighters have become ubiquitous around the world. The fire service, also known in some countries as the fire brigade or fire department, is one of the three main emergency services. Male firefighters are sometimes referred to as firemen (and, less commonly, a female firefighter as firewoman). Rescue, fire protection, civil service, public service, public safetyĪ firefighter (or fire fighter) is a first responder trained in firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires that threaten life and property, as well as to rescue persons from confinement or dangerous situations.
