Crucible of Fire

Crucible of Fire

Author: Bruce Hensler

Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.

Published: 2011-06-30

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1597976849

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Urban conflagrations, such as the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Great Boston Fire the following year, terrorized the citizens of nineteenth-century American cities. However, urban rebirth in the aftermath of great fires offered a chance to shape the future. Ultimately residents and planners created sweeping changes in the methods of constructing buildings, planning city streets, engineering water distribution systems, underwriting fire insurance, and firefighting itself. Crucible of Fire describes how the practical knowledge gained from fighting nineteenth-century fires gave form and function to modern fire protection efforts. Changes in materials and building design resulted directly from tragedies such as fires in supposedly fireproof hotels. Thousands of buildings burned, millions of dollars were lost, the fire insurance industry faltered, and the nature of volunteerism changed radically before municipal authorities took the necessary actions. The great fires formed a crucible of learning for firefighters, engineers, architects, underwriters, and citizens. Veteran firefighter Bruce Hensler shows how the modern American fire service today is a direct result of the lessons of history and a rethinking of the efficacy of volunteerism in fighting fires. Crucible of Fire is an eye-opening look at today's fire service and a thorough examination of what firefighters, civic leaders, and ordinary citizens can do to protect their homes and communities from the mistakes of the past.


Development of an Environmental and Economic Assessment Tool (Enveco Tool) for Fire Events

Development of an Environmental and Economic Assessment Tool (Enveco Tool) for Fire Events

Author: Francine Amon

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-08-02

Total Pages: 115

ISBN-13: 149396559X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book investigates the feasibility of developing a tool that enables fire departments to estimate the value of their services to a community in terms of environmental and financial impact. This book provides a summary of this effort, which resulted in development of a prototype tool for fire department use. The impact of fire on a community is usually measured in terms of the number of fires, human casualties, and property damage. There are, however, more subtle impacts of fire that are not so easily estimated but contribute to the measure of overall performance of the fire service in protecting a community. While environmental and economic impact assessment methodologies exist as separate systems, they generally require a high level of knowledge that is outside the scope of most fire departments. A relatively simple methodology for estimating the environmental and economic impact of fires helps communities understand the degree to which fire department activities can benefit a community’s environmental and economic well-being. The scope and approach for this prototype tool is explained, including risk assessment, cost benefit analysis, life cycle assessment, integration and implementation, and sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. It includes multiple case studies and offers statistical support for future expansion of the tool. Fire service professionals will find this a useful new approach to presenting value in a community, as well as a method for examining their own financial and environmental plans.


Fire Resistance in American Heavy Timber Construction

Fire Resistance in American Heavy Timber Construction

Author: Jesse Heitz

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-06-17

Total Pages: 131

ISBN-13: 3319321285

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume presents a history of heavy timber construction (HTC) in the United States, chronicling nearly two centuries of building history, from inception to a detailed evaluation of one of the best surviving examples of the type, with an emphasis on fire resistance. The book does not limit itself in scope to serving only as a common history. Rather, it provides critical analysis of HTC in terms of construction methods, design, technical specifications, and historical performance under fire conditions. As such, this book provides readers with a truly comprehensive understanding and exploration of heavy timber construction in the United States and its performance under fire conditions.


Collapse of Burning Buildings, 2nd Edition

Collapse of Burning Buildings, 2nd Edition

Author: Vincent Dunn

Publisher: PennWell Books

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 1593702337

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

1. General collapse information 2. Terms of construction and building design 3. Building construction: firefighting problems and structural hazards 4. Masonry wall collapse 5. Collapse dangers of parapet walls 6. Wood floor collapse 7. Sloping peak roof collapse 8. Timber truss roof collapse 9. Flat roof collapse 10. Lightweight steel roof and floor collapse 11. Lightweight wood truss collapse 12. Ceiling collapse 13. Stairway collapse 14. Fire escape dangers 15. Wood-frame building collapse 16. Collapse hazards of buildings under construction 17. Collapse caused by master stream operations 18. Search-and-rescue at a building collapse 19. Safety precautions prior to collapse 20. Why the World Trade Center Towers collapsed 21. High-rise building collapse 22. Post-fire analysis 23. Early floor collapse EPILOGUE: Are architects, engineers, and code-writing officials friends of the firefighters?


3000 Degrees

3000 Degrees

Author: Sean Flynn

Publisher: Hachette UK

Published: 2008-12-21

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0446555037

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The unforgettable and heartbreaking true story of the firemen who bravely fought "the perfect fire".


Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service

Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service

Author: Francis Brannigan

Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Publishers

Published: 2010-02-22

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0763778028

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Brannigan’s Building Construction for the Fire Service, Fourth Edition is a must read for fire fighters, prospective fire fighters, and fire science students. This edition continues the Brannigan tradition of using plain language to describe technical information about different building types and their unique hazards. This text ensures that critical fire fighting information is easy-to-understand and gives valuable experience to fire fighters before stepping onto the fireground. The first edition of Building Construction for the Fire Service was published in 1971. Frank Brannigan was compelled to write the most comprehensive building construction text for the fire service so that he could save fire fighters’ lives. His passion for detail and extensive practical experience helped him to develop the most popular text on the market. His motto of: “Know your buildings,” informs every aspect of this new edition of the text. Listen to a Podcast with Brannigan's Building Construction for the Fire Service, Fourth Edition co-author Glenn Corbett to learn more about this training program! Glenn discusses his relationship with the late Frank Brannigan, the dangers of heavy construction timber, occupancy specific hazards, and other areas of emphasis within the Fourth Edition. To listen now, visit: http://d2jw81rkebrcvk.cloudfront.net/assets.multimedia/audio/Building_Construction.mp3.


Preventing Firefighter Disorientation

Preventing Firefighter Disorientation

Author: William Mora

Publisher: Fire Engineering Books & Videos

Published: 2016-07-06

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 1593703740

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In his first book, William Mora, a 30-year fire service veteran and firefighter safety advocate, discusses how to prevent traumatic structural firefighter fatalities. Firefighter disorientation can be defined as “the loss of direction due to the lack of vision in a structure fire.” To combat this problem, Mora outlines a multipronged approach to effectively address the components that contribute to disorientation and structural firefighter fatalities. This text includes many case studies and guidelines for size-up factors and is an important resource for all firefighters.