In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Stefan Svensson, Associate Professor, International Speaker, Lund University, Sweden

There Is No Such Thing as Extreme Fire Behavior!

Thursday, April 21, 3:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

By showing firefighters and fire officers how knowledge-based fire science can be used on the street, I want to bring the two communities together. From many years of experience with the fire service and in the fire science community, I find that these are two disconnected worlds that have much more in common than either one imagines. We do what we do for the same reason, but with different tools. I try to do the same at my university. There’s so much research going on, but many scientists don’t always understand the real-life impact and importance of their research.

Attendees have said that my class has helped them to understand certain things on the fireground—things about which they have thought for a long time. It’s fairly simple to use the science to solve practical problems or to create a deeper understanding of things. Also, it’s challenging to explain complex concepts in a simple manner. I often get great questions that really require a dialog with the audience. They appreciate the discussion, which I encourage. Having traveled internationally over the years, it’s always very comforting to learn that we do similar things in similar ways pretty much everywhere. There are more similarities than differences.

It's Day Two of FDIC International 2016, and our live hangout features Jeremy Hurd, Beth Murphy, Chris Willis, and Larry Conley. Use #FETalk on Twitter to ask questions of our hosts.

FDIC International 2016 Hangout, Day 1

In this series, Fire Engineering Senior Editor Mary Jane Dittmar looks at the things that motivated and inspired instructors to present on their topics at FDIC International 2016. Segments will be posted on a regular basis up to and through the conference, April 18-23.

Frank Montagna
Battalion Chief (Ret.)
Fire Department of New York

Overhead and Underground Electric Emergencies and Fires: What You Need to Know

Wednesday, April 20, 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Utility emergencies and fires interested me as a firefighter when I realized how much I did not know about the utility incidents to which I responded. I researched them and became friendly with a number of utility workers, who patiently answered my numerous questions. I learned that there was quite a lot of “need-to-know information” for firefighters that they were not being taught. Electricity is a topic we know the least about. 

To remedy this, I worked with my local utility, Consolidated Edison, wrote articles, made training videos, and lectured on safety at utility incidents. My goal was not to make utility experts out of firefighters. We are not and will not be the utility experts. The utility workers do that job very well. 

I hope to impart the “need-to-know” information that firefighters must have to operate safely at these incidents. If I can help a firefighter to correctly size up an incident, pick out the potential hazards, and realize what he can and should do and what he must not do, my time is being well spent.

The e-mails received and the conversations I have had after my utility response presentations with new or soon-to-be-promoted fire officers have encouraged me in my focus on utility emergencies and fires. Like me, they have had unanswered questions about these incidents. They have asked about specific incidents to which they responded and told how my articles, my book, or my presentation helped them do their job more safely. Their positive response has been extremely gratifying and encourages me to remain active as an instructor and a writer.

By Derek Rosenfeld

The second day of FDIC International 2016 pre-conference workshops opened with this high-energy presentation from Algonquin-Lake in the Hills (IL) Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Peter Van Dorpe. Van Dorpe, who is also a retired chief of training with the Chicago (IL) Fire Department (CFD), used his veteran expertise to aid students for when they make "The Intelligent Interior Attack."

Van Dorpe explains his foray into the subject by stating, "I was fortunate enough to be invited to participate in the 'Structural Stability of Engineered Lumber Under Fire Conditions' study done by UL back in 2006/07. James Dalton [CFD] and I helped write the 'Fire Service Learnings' segment of the subsequent outreach program. I have been associated with the UL and NIST groups ever since, assisting with the dissemination of the research findings and tactical recommendations."  

Here, Van Dorpe discusses the importance of the vent and positive pressure ventilation fan at a house fire:

Here, Van Dorpe introduces Underwriters Laboratories' (UL's) Mike Alt, who talks to the class and takes questions about some of UL's upcoming research regarding flow paths and ventilation:

Next, Van Dorpe talks about venting while working with the CFD and shows two incident videos as examples of outside ventilation:

He continued, "Very little true peer reviewed or science based research has been done into firefighting tactics and practices since Layman, Royer, Nelson, and others did their work in the 1950s and 1960s. The way buildings are built and the nature of the fuel loads in them has changed significantly since then. Fortunately, UL and NIST have stepped into the breach over the last decade to help build on those foundations and help prepare us for the modern fire environment."

Everything about the built environment is changing, and all of our occupied spaces, both residential and commercial, are filled with petroleum based products. It is time for the U.S. fire service to re-engage ourselves in the technical and scientific underpinnings of our profession so we are prepared for today’s and tomorrow’s firefight."

Here, Van Dorpe shows footage of what he considers to be a successful interior attack of an involved vinyl siding home:

On the UL/National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research, he said, "The work being done by UL/NIST is having an enormous impact on post fire cause and origin investigations. If you are a fire/arson investigator, you simply must be current on this body of work. This work can also have a big impact on fire safety and public education programs. Understanding the data gathered from these experiments is critical for anyone trying to affect public safety and/or fire code legislation. The videos alone are wonderful tools for conveying the potential dangers of a modern home environment to the public. 

"Finally, anyone working on developing best practices for the U.S. fire service will find a wealth of practical information within the UL/NIST work."