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September 2009

Photo by: Ron Trout/Phillyfirenews.com

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On the Cover

Philidelphia Engine 25 arrived to find a vacant, four-story factory with heavy smoke venting from the upper floors. The factory became fully involved and required three alarms on Nov. 24, 2008.

Dedication

This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to Firefighter George A. Wimberly, 63, of Stonewall, MS, Volunteer Fire Department; Assistant Chief John Williams, 54, of the Wellington-Greer Fire Protection District in Wellington, IL; Firefighter John Weber, 77, of the Township Fire Department in Eau Claire, WI; and Pilot Heath Van Handel, 36, of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, who died in the line of duty, April 2009.

Fire Department Operations, Run Surveys, Cover Story

2008 National Run Survey

Part 4

For the 28th year, the career fire service takes to the pages of Firehouse® Magazine to share and compare statistics about company and department activity levels, funding, staffing and pay. A total of 270 fire departments took part in this year's survey, representing 48 states, the District of Columbia and six Canadian provinces.

Incident Report

On The Job: MAINE

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008, had been a quiet day without activity for the 34 paid-on-call members of the Paris, ME, Fire Department. The temperature was in the high 20s with relatively clear skies and the county had yet been spared a significant snow storm.
On The Job: ILLINOIS

On Friday, March 20, 2009, fire swept through multiple horizontal void spaces at the Empress Casino in Joliet, IL, quickly outpacing fire department resources during the initial stages of the fire. The fire burned within horizontal void spaces, running the roof and truss system for an undetermined amount of time prior to the arrival of fire crews.
On The Job: VERMONT

On Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008, a five-alarm fire destroyed a historic railroad roundhouse in White River Junction, VT, that was being used by several businesses. The 150-by-150-foot, heavy-timber-and-brick structure was built in 1929 by the Central Vermont Railroad and used as a roundhouse for repairing steam locomotives until the late 1950s.

Fire Service Leadership

FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate

W. Craig Fugate began serving as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in May 2009. Prior to coming to FEMA, he was director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), which coordinated disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments. Fugate began his emergency management career as a volunteer firefighter, paramedic and lieutenant with Alachua County, FL, Fire Rescue and later became the county's emergency manager.
21st Century Firefighting

A new day has dawned for the American fire service. It did not happen instantly, but gradually. Over time, astute and aware fire service professionals have been monitoring the changes in building construction techniques and materials, the changes in how structures are furnished in terms of Btu content and heat release rates, and the similarities between fire events, especially tragic events. Over time these industry sages have been telling us what they have observed.
The "Anatomy & Physiology" Of the Structural Fireground

Past installments of this series introduced the strategic classification of building construction. Ordered strategically, based on perceived fire resistance, the five basic types of building construction were listed as follows:

Type I — Fire Resistive

Type II — Non-Combustible

Type IV — Heavy Timber

Type III — Ordinary

Type V — Wood Frame

Emergency Communications

Emergency Operations Centers: The Ultimate Command Posts

As emergency response agencies realize the efficiencies of the Incident Management System (IMS), more emphasis is being placed on the tools required to effectively manage. Emergency operations centers (EOCs) are nothing new; in fact, they date back to the days of the Cold War and Civil Defense. And while earlier versions were fairly sparse and called into play for natural disasters or threat of war, today's generation of facilities is as diverse as the variety of emergencies faced by the fire service.

Fireground Safety

Apparatus Seatbelt Study: Just How Big Is a Firefighter?

How big is a firefighter? While that sounds like a fairly simple and straightforward question, the answer turns out to be complicated and leads to many more questions. The American fire service is now being examined, measured and documented in a manner that goes far beyond all previous attempts.