Firefighting in the 21st Century
22 December 2009
One Comment
Advancements in the 21st century have brought about considerable change to the field of firefighting, especially in terms of emergency situations that a firefighter is likely to face. Relief does come however in the form of technological advancements that a firefighter in the past could have only scarcely imagined. Improvements such as better gear both for self-preservation and to ensure safety of the rescued victims, trapped inside a fire. Advanced technologies such as thermal imaging have also been implemented to ensure that any fire incident will only result in minimal causalities’, if any at all. This also implies that a traditional image of a firefighter has changed from that of a trained professional, to also include the technical prowess that might be expected of some of the newer posts in firefighting, the aforementioned thermal imaging being one of them.
In addition, a great deal of demand is also now made for firefighter technicians/advisors that are able to ensure that fire-safety regulations are maintained inside a company, business or otherwise from within the organization, serving most times as a paid advisor. The improvements in technology also imply that early detection and prevention systems have also become an essential part of today’s firefighting techniques, these range from the common smoke detectors and to the more futuristic detection systems with built in microprocessors to perform a myriad of functions from smoke detection, fire alerts, to detection of carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances within the premises. One of the most progressive improvements to the field of firefighting, is the entry of female firefighters into the ranks. Female firefighters today have proven themselves on par with their male counterparts, especially relating to the dispensing of first response medical aid.
The post 9/11 world of firefighting has also seen an increase in aerial solutions as well, both for dousing fires that conventional firehoses will not be able to reach and for rescuing victims that have been stranded at a higher altitude than is possible to reach via the fire truck ladder. The relevance of these solutions for purposes other than firefighting also cannot be understated, they can aid in any crisis situation where conventional means of rescue becomes difficult or impossible. In closing, although the field of firefighting has seen significant improvements in terms of technology, there are some core values that have, are and shall remain unaltered. No matter what the reason that one may have for choosing firefighting as a career, it still implies a selfless and profound choice for a majority of individuals, and a firefighter whether in this century or the next, will always have the respect, admiration and gratitude of her/his community and country.
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We are prone to fire hazards even more in the world today. This has made fire fighting an even more challenging job. Therefore despite the advanced technologies fire-fighters are still faced with life threatening situations.
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