Firefighting in a Nutshell

BY: AAYUSH SUGALI

Firefighters save lives every day, playing a major role in the safety of the country. Their job is to put out a deadly fire as soon as possible, protecting the lives of many. A fire service is typically set up with fire stations strategically placed throughout the area it serves, so that firefighters can send fire engines, fire trucks, or ambulances from the stations closest to the incident. The earliest recorded form of fire fighting service was developed in Ancient Rome by Marcus Egnatius Rufus, who deployed his personal slaves to fight fires for free, patrolling the streets of Rome with buckets of water. In 24 BCE, Emperor Augustus established the first fire prevention service for Rome, composed of 600 slaves stationed across Rome’s seven fire fighting stations. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, Britain understood that they needed a fire fighting service as well, establishing a strong network of fire brigades in Europe. The fire department made its way to the United States during colonial times, with America's first fire department set up in 1679 at Boston, Massachusetts. During these times, unpaid volunteers would fight fires on either horseback or on foot. This all changed, however, with the invention of the fire engine, which drastically reduced response time. A fire engine is a truck designed for fighting fires, equipped with large tanks of water which would be sprayed onto fires via hoses and water pumps. A typical fire truck is also equipped with a rotation and telescoping ladder, used by firefighters to reach greats heights to put out fires and perform search and rescue services. In addition to fire trucks helping put out fires, planes are used in the process called aerial firefighting. This is when a specially modified plane’s tanks are filled with water or fire retardant, and its contents are dumped onto the burning area. The advantage to this method is its very quick deploy time, and the fact that there is a smaller risk of anyone getting hurt, as the firefighters will be in a plane, further away from the fire zone. Firefighting is one of the most dangerous careers to pursue, firefighters being expected to run into blazing infernos and collapsing buildings. Before a firefighter can enter a fire scene, they must pass many physical tests, as well as many tests on how they can cope under stress and smoke-filled environments. Although they have the hardest jobs, firefighters are still willing to risk their lives in order to protect the communities they serve.