Prince William firefighters test European tactics
By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
March 27, 2009
Prince William Fire & Rescue Department is trying out a new firefighting technique popular in Britain and other parts of Europe to improve firefighter safety.
Assistant Fire Chief Warren Whitley has traveled across the Atlantic Ocean about eight times to learn more about the tactic, known as air track management, which isolates the flow of oxygen to fires to prevent them from spreading. The technique has been used in Europe for more than 10 years, including in countries such as England, Sweden, Germany and Croatia.
In the United States, the mind-set is often to go immediately through the front door, and fire officials have not addressed the potential pitfalls of that tactic.
“Sometimes the worst thing we can do is open the front door,” he said. “If we can control the air, we can control the fire. We have more control when we know what it’s going to do — otherwise, the enemy’s controlling us.”
Firefighters testing the new technique set blazes inside metal units, then closed the units’ doors to simulate conditions in a house or apartment fire. Then they opened the doors to assess how the fire would react to the sudden influx of oxygen.
Assistant Fire Chief Hadden Culp said much of the funding for the new “fire behavior units” comes through state grants.
Firefighters at the training exercise approved of the plan.
“To come out here and see it in this setting and really hear someone explain it to you — it starts to connect,” said Capt. Brian Cooke of the Stonewall Jackson station.
Two years ago, Cooke went back to school and took a class on fire combustion; he said all firefighters should do something similar.
“It’s all predictable — if you understand the science behind it,” he said.
