Fire Personnel Research Articles

Fire Protection and Evacuation Analysis in Underground Interchange Tunnels by Integrating BIM and Numerical Simulation

Rescue and evacuation of underground interchange tunnels after a fire are challenging. Therefore, a method of integrating building information modeling (BIM) and a fire dynamic simulator (FDS) was proposed to analyze fire characteristics and personnel escapes in underground interchange tunnels. A BIM model of underground interchange tunnels was built, and then different formats (DXF and CAD) were generated and imported into Pyrosim software and Pathfinder software. With an increase in ventilation velocity, the CO concentration and temperature downstream of the fire source increased, and visibility decreased, according to simulation results. The critical ventilation velocity was 3.6 m/s at 30 MW. Evacuation simulation results suggested that the congestion of the transverse passage was very unfavorable for personnel escape: the escape time increased by 14.9% and 20% when the interior and entrance of the transverse passage were severely congested, while a 2.5 m wide transverse passage effectively reduced the escape time. Visibility was the first indicator that it did not meet the safety of the escape. After the tunnel’s personnel have been evacuated, the air supply or exhaust system should be started, and smoke should be expelled at a higher velocity. It is necessary to clear the passageway quickly or increase the automatic firefighting facilities when congestion is severe.

Application of navigation grid corner point algorithm in virtual reality simulation images of indoor fire evacuation

Influenced by the improvement of people's living standards, the structure of buildings is also more and more complex. The indoor population density is on the rise so that the frequency of fire gradually increases. In this paper, based on the navigation grid corner point algorithm, the evacuation of indoor fire crowd is simulated in reality. Firstly, according to the actual situation of the building with multiple exits, the dynamic planning of the evacuation path of indoor fire personnel is designed. Then, the weight determination method is given by analyzing the dynamic changing environmental factors to realize the virtual reality simulation of the evacuation of indoor fire crowd. The experimental results show that the time required for single-exit evacuation is nearly 1 min, while the time for multi-exit evacuation is less than 30 s. The design of three exits can dynamically allocate the crowd and effectively divert the evacuation crowd. The crowd evacuation simulation can generate the evacuation path in fire, which takes 706.6188 milliseconds. In the whole evacuation process, the path is dynamically updated more than 400 times, and the average update time is about 17 milliseconds each time. The virtual reality simulation of crowd evacuation in indoor fire based on the navigation grid corner point algorithm proposed in this study can solve the situation of multiple indoor exits and dynamic environmental factors, which has certain reference significance for the research and application of related problems.

Autonomous Motivation for Exercise Is Key to an Active Lifestyle in Firefighters.

Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for chronic mental and physical health conditions in firefighters. It remains unclear why a substantial portion of firefighters do not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity (PA) recommendations. In this cross-sectional study, we explored associations between motivational reasons for being physically active and time spent exercising, walking, and in incidental PA in firefighters. A secondary aim was to investigate differences in motivational reasons between physically active versus physically inactive firefighters. Eighty-seven participants (43.1 ± 10.3 years; 87.6% male) who were recruited via a nonprofit peer support network of fire rescue personnel in Flanders, Belgium, completed the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire 2 (BREQ-2), Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire (SIMPAQ), and the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) via an online survey. Firefighters who identified the benefits of exercising and/or those who found pleasure or a personal challenge in it exercised more. Those who did not meet the guideline of 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week had much less intrinsic motivation. This study demonstrates that autonomous motives for PA (i.e., because it is perceived to be consistent with intrinsic goals or outcomes and emanates from the self) are important for an active lifestyle in firefighters. Occupational health professionals can foster autonomous motivation in firefighters by focusing on the benefits of exercise, making sure there are a wide range of exercise options available, and supporting initiatives of firefighters within the fire station.

Firefighter Suicide: A Theoretical Model for a Population Specific Behavioral Autopsy Program.

Some research suggests that firefighters are possibly at greater risk than other at-risk first responder/public service populations for suicidality (e.g., police, Veterans, active duty military non-deployed males; Martin et al., 2017; Stanley et al., 2015; Stanley et al., 2016). Behavioral autopsies have been utilized to elucidate the clinical picture of other at-risk populations; however, to date there is no proposed or applied model for a suicide behavior autopsy in fire personnel. Developing a standardized suicide behavior autopsy will allow for a comprehensive understanding of firefighters who die by suicide and highlight potential areas for intervention. The aim of this paper is to integrate best practices for autopsy procedures from other high-risk populations into a comprehensive theoretical model for a proposed behavioral health autopsy for firefighters. Our recommended protocol is presented along with relevant limitations, clinical implications, and recommendations for future research.

Assessment of wildland firefighter opinions and experiences related to incident medical providers

Background Medical services for wildland fire incidents are vital and fire personnel need to be comfortable seeking care and have adequate access to care. Aims The aim of this study was to examine wildland firefighters’ (WLFFs) attitudes towards, opinions of and experiences with the medical services on fire assignments. Methods A survey was used to collect information from WLFFs. The survey covered: (1) demographics, (2) injury descriptions, (3) trust/respect toward medical personnel, and (4) perceived impact of injury treatment on individual and team deployability. Analysis used contingency tables with chi-square tests to compare groups. Key results WLFFs in both groups respect and trust incident medical personnel. Private firefighters compared with agency firefighters report a perception of less access to care, a high level of discouragement to seek care, and a greater concern that seeking care could result in being removed from the incident. Conclusions Although respect and trust are high, there are concerning perceived differences between groups on several aspects of seeking and receiving medical care. Implications Policy changes and culture shifts may be needed to narrow the opinion and perception gaps between private and agency firefighters on multiple aspects of incident medical services.

Research on the Development of Intelligent Fire Inspection System for Construction Engineering

Combining with the characteristics of fire protection inspection of construction projects, this paper develops a smart fire inspection system for construction projects based on information technology. The system is equipped with functional modules such as electronic handbook records, intelligent data processing, remote rectification interaction, and risk assessment reminders for fire acceptance personnel in on-site acceptance scenarios. On-site acceptance and filing spot checks are standardized, standardized, visualized and intelligent. The system application can assist the fire inspection of construction projects, save administrative resources, effectively improve service quality, and increase social and economic benefits.

Common health problems and nursing of fire rescue personnel in urban flood disaster rescue

Common health problems and nursing of fire rescue personnel in urban flood disaster rescue

Wildfire Response: A System on the Brink?

AbstractIncreasing wildfire activity, decreasing workforce capacity, and growing systemic strain may result in an interagency wildfire-response system less capable of protecting landscapes and communities. Further, increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. In the face of elevated risks and degraded capacity, it is imperative that the wildfire-response system operate efficiently. Viable solutions are urgently needed that enable the system to do more with less and that manage not only for landscapes and communities but also the health and wellbeing of the fire personnel on whom the system relies. Achieving this will likely require rethinking how the interagency wildfire-response system can more adaptively and intelligently deploy fire personnel by leveraging enhanced logistics, operations, and proven fire analytics.

Inflammatory and psychological consequences of chronic high exposure firefighting

ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the impact of extreme heat exposure frequency on inflammation and well-being in UK Fire Service personnel. Methods136 Fire personnel and 14 controls (CON) were recruited [92 Firefighters (FF), 44 Breathing Apparatus Instructors (BAI)]. BAI were split into low (LBAI; ≤15 exposures per month) and high (HBAI; ≥20 exposures per month) categories. Measures of inflammation, mood and fatigue were collected at 0, 3 and 6 month times points. These variables were analysed for differences between groups and association with frequency of exposure. ResultsHBAI exhibited raised IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IgE and lower IgM (p < 0.05). In addition, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and IgM were associated with monthly exposure number, with exposures accounting for 15.4% of the variance in IL-6, 11.8% of IL-1β and 25.2% of IL-10. No differences in mood or fatigue were reported (p > 0.05). ConclusionHigh exposure firefighting consistently causes systemic inflammation without perceptual recognition of potential health risks.

Surgical Fire in the United States: 2000–2020

BackgroundDespite fire prevention protocols and perioperative staff training, surgical fires continue to cause patient harm, disability, and death. MethodsWe identified surgical fires that were reported to the Food and Drug Administration’s Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database between 2000 and 2020 that resulted in patient or surgical personnel harm. Quantitative and descriptive content analyses were performed on free-text responses to identify contributing factors of surgical fire patient and personnel harm events. ResultsWe identified 565 surgical fire events resulting in patient or surgical personnel harm over a 20-year study period (median 25 events/year; range, 8–53). Surgical fires were significantly more likely to occur during upper aerodigestive tract (unadjusted odds ratio 15.96; 95% confidence interval, 11.93–21.34) and head and neck (unadjusted odds ratio 5.47; confidence interval 4.14–7.22) procedures compared with abdomen and pelvis procedures. Upper aerodigestive tract and head and neck procedures had the highest incidence of life-threatening injury (41% and 21%, respectively). An electrosurgical device was the ignition source in 82% of events. Content analysis revealed 7 common categories identified as root causes of surgical fires: preparation of surgical site (n = 55, 29%); device malfunction (n = 51, 26%), surgical accident (n = 47, 24%), medical judgement (n = 44 reports, 23%), equipment care and handling (n = 18, 9%), patient factors (n = 10, 5%), and communication (n = 3, 2%). ConclusionSurgical fires resulting in harm to patient and surgical personnel continue to occur. The common themes identified in this study will prepare and empower surgeons and surgical personnel to prevent surgical fires in the future.

‘It’s the same thing as giving them CPR training’: rural first responders’ perspectives on naloxone

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Harm Reduction grant program expanded access to several harm reduction strategies to mitigate opioid overdose fatalities, including expanding access to naloxone. Interviews with first responders in a frontier and remote (FAR) state were conducted to understand their job responsibilities in relation to overdose response and prevention and their perceptions of training laypersons to administer naloxone. This study includes 22 interviews with law enforcement, EMS and/or fire personnel, and members of harm reduction-focused community organizations. The study finds widespread support for increasing access to naloxone and training laypersons in naloxone administration throughout Montana, due to rural first responders’ inability to meet the needs of residents and an overall lack of resources to address addiction and the effects of fentanyl. Participants from harm reduction-focused community organizations convey support for training lay persons, but also illuminate that real and perceived cultural opposition to harm reduction strategies could reduce the likelihood that laypeople enroll in naloxone training. This study adds to the literature because it focuses on first responders in a FAR area that would benefit from layperson naloxone education and administration training due to its geographic expansiveness and the area’s overall lack of access to medications for opioid use disorder or other treatment services. Expanding harm reduction approaches, like increasing access and training laypersons to administer naloxone, might be FAR residents’ best chance for surviving an opioid overdose.

Collective Bargaining and Municipal Distress

The limited authority that municipalities have over the costs of police and fire personnel is a primary cause of fiscal distress in local governments in Pennsylvania. This article argues that the state legislature must amend Act 111 to give local governments and uniformed-employee unions equal standing under the law. The currently inequitable standing between a police or firefighters' union and a local government during negotiation and arbitration is the flaw in Act 111. The root of this flaw lies in the historical relationship between the state legislature and local governments and the parallel history that led to the passage of Act 111 in 1968. The defect in Act 111 is a prime cause of the substantial growth in the cost of local governments' municipal police pensions. The state legislature recognized the legal deficiency of Act 111 by enacting the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act, known as Act 47, which is the state program for municipal bankruptcy. To curtail the pending municipal fiscal crisis, the state legislature must amend Act 111. The amendments proposed in this article would correct the defect in Act 111 by granting equal standing under the law to local governments and police and firefights' unions.

Towards an understanding of learning within the Norwegian fire and rescue services – focusing on tunnel fire safety

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how learning within the fire and rescue services may be conceptualized, with special attention paid to tunnel fire safety. Previous studies have developed a model to understand learning in emergency response work. The concept of learning is extended from observed changes in relevant settings to also encompass confirmation of existing knowledge and comprehension of existing practices. We are interested in investigating the properties of the learning model and identifying the mechanisms that influence fire and rescue personnel’s experiences of change, confirmation and/or comprehension.Design/methodology/approachThis study relies on quantitative data obtained from a questionnaire answered by 939 Norwegian fire and rescue personnel. Multivariate methods have been used to identify the measurement model and the structural relations of the factors.FindingsThe results confirm the theoretical model and indicate that the outcome of learning is influenced by elements of content, context, commitment, decision-making and response and reflection, and that the influence of content and commitment on the outcome of learning is partially indirect and mediated through reflection.Originality/valueTo date, no systematic analysis has been conducted to investigate the factorial structure, as well as the interactions and relationship between the model’s components. This study makes an important contribution to a detailed understanding of learning within the fire and rescue services.

Examining the role of supervisory and co-worker safety support in mediating the relationship between safety climate and safety performance

The aim of the current investigation was to undertake a longitudinal, multi-level study involving frontline fire and rescue personnel to assess the extent to which the effects of safety climate unfold over time and impact on safety compliance and participation via the safety-related support provided by both direct supervisors and co-workers. The study sample consisted of 317 firefighters from 46 fire stations in Malaysia, and data was collected using a two-wave longitudinal survey with a six-month gap. SPSS regression analysis was used to test upper-level direct effects, while all lower-level and cross-level effects were assessed using hierarchical linear modelling (HLM). The intermediary effects associated with the two sources of safety support were analysed using the Monte Carlo mediation test. Consistent with the social exchange and social impact theories, the results indicated that the intermediary pathway attributed to co-worker support for safety was over and above that accounted for by supervisory support. There were also firm signs that the intermediary effects associated with co-worker support were more potent than those attributed to supervisory safety support, and that this heightened influence applied irrespective of the safety performance outcome (compliance or participation) or whether the support data were assessed from an individual or team perspective. The theoretical and applied implications of these and other key findings are discussed.

Modeling the systemic risks of COVID-19 on the wildland firefighting workforce

Wildfire management in the US relies on a complex nationwide network of shared resources that are allocated based on regional need. While this network bolsters firefighting capacity, it may also provide pathways for transmission of infectious diseases between fire sites. In this manuscript, we review a first attempt at building an epidemiological model adapted to the interconnected fire system, with the aims of supporting prevention and mitigation efforts along with understanding potential impacts to workforce capacity. Specifically, we developed an agent-based model of COVID-19 built on historical wildland fire assignments using detailed dispatch data from 2016–2018, which form a network of firefighters dispersed spatially and temporally across the US. We used this model to simulate SARS-CoV-2 transmission under several intervention scenarios including vaccination and social distancing. We found vaccination and social distancing are effective at reducing transmission at fire incidents. Under a scenario assuming High Compliance with recommended mitigations (including vaccination), infection rates, number of outbreaks, and worker days missed are effectively negligible, suggesting the recommended interventions could successfully mitigate the risk of cascading infections between fires. Under a contrasting Low Compliance scenario, it is possible for cascading outbreaks to emerge leading to relatively high numbers of worker days missed. As the model was built in 2021 before the emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants, the modeled viral parameters and isolation/quarantine policies may have less relevance to 2022, but nevertheless underscore the importance of following basic prevention and mitigation guidance. This work could set the foundation for future modeling efforts focused on mitigating spread of infectious disease at wildland fire incidents to manage both the health of fire personnel and system capacity.

Impact of Fire Assistant Personnel on the Reduced Amount of Fire Damage in South Korea

Previous studies have examined the status of volunteer fire brigade members, who are classified as firefighting assistants, observed problems in the firefighting administration, and suggested solutions for these problems. These studies are meaningful because they have led to the proposal and implementation of policies for an efficient firefighting administration. However, the references do not provide evidence on how firefighting assistants reduce the amount of fire damage in firefighting administration. Therefore, this study aimed to statistically analyze the impact of fire assistant personnel on the reduction in the amount of property damaged (RAPD) in South Korea. For this purpose, panel data based on firefighting officers (FFOs), volunteer firefighters (VFFs), obligatory firefighters (OFFs), and the RAPD of 16 metropolitan councils in South Korea from 2011 to 2018 were obtained and analyzed. The results demonstrate that population (POP)/FFO, VFF/FFO, and OFF/FFO did not significantly influence RAPD (p &lt; 0.01). However, negative regression coefficients are shown for POP/FFO and VFF/FFO, and positive regression coefficients are shown for OFF/FFO. These results can form an evidence base to explain the relationship between fire assistant personnel and RAPD.

Developing pre-registration nurses' resilience to mass casualty situations through the pedagogy of simulation

Simulation has become a core component of nursing curricula worldwide. Within a three-year, pre-registration degree, typically students would not be exposed to disaster-type situations and it was believed that a well-coordinated simulation exercise could replicate this. It was hoped that the simulation would require students to think quickly on their feet and transfer acquired skills. Worldwide disasters, including the current novel coronavirus, have heightened the need for well-prepared, resilient health professionals capable of responding to many different types of emergencies, including mass casualty situations. The simulated event involved 80 adult field student nurses, 19 probationer police officers, 6 photojournalism students, two Welsh Ambulance paramedics, five staff from 203 Field Hospital, two St John Cymru Wales officers, one community first responder and six Fire and Rescue personnel. All these individuals came together to undertake a simulated emergency response to a mass casualty incident. Behaviours and clinical skills were observed throughout the event, along with interprofessional interactions.

현장소방공무원의 건강위험요소 인식조사를 통한 실증연구

In this study, we empirically examined risk factors that affect health for firefighting civil servants nationwide, and tried to utilize the results to establish a health management improvement plan for firefighting civil servants in the field. To this end, we conducted an awareness survey on the risk factors associated with the work characteristics of fire suppression personnel, rescue personnel, and rescue personnel. In the analysis, the internal consistency reliability of the risk factor factors was examined to ensure the reliability. Next, latent factors were extracted through Exploratory Factor Analysis and factor analysis was performed. We also performed a one-way ANOVA to investigate the differences in risk factor perceptions between jobs. Through the examination of risk factors between each job, he suggested that an academic scale for on-site safety is necessary. He also suggested the need for organized expert committee activities to deal with hazardous chemicals that field personnel perceive as dangerous.

Developing pre-registration nurses' resilience to mass casualty situations through the pedagogy of simulation.

Simulation has become a core component of nursing curricular worldwide. Within a three-year, pre-registration degree typically students would not be exposed to disaster type situations and it was believed that a well-coordinated simulation exercise could replicate this. It was hoped that the simulation would require students to think quickly on their feet and transfer acquired skills. Worldwide disasters including the current novel coronavirus have, heightened the need for well-prepared resilient health professionals capable of responding to many different types of emergencies including mass casualty situations. The simulated event involved 80 adult field student nurses, 19 probationer police officers, 6 photojournalism students, 2 Welsh Ambulance paramedics, 5 staff from 203 Field Hospital, 2 St John Cymru Wales Officers, 1 community first responder and 6 Fire and Rescue personnel. All these individuals came together to undertake a simulated emergency response to a mass casualty incident. Behaviours and clinical skills were observed throughout the event along with interprofessional interactions.

Fire Scenario Zone Construction and Personnel Evacuation Planning Based on a Building Information Model and Geographical Information System

The spatial–temporal simulation of fire disasters and evacuation route planning are important research fields for urban emergency responses and are primary tasks that answer complex questions after fires break out. The increasing demand for refined building information models will sharply increase the calculated and analyzed quantity. This demand presents a challenge for fire emergency responses based on massive building information. In this paper, the principle of the realistic worst case (RWC) is introduced into fire simulation and evacuation route planning. Taking the library of the Nanjing Forestry University as the study object, the spatial–temporal characteristics of the influential environmental factors of the fire are simulated, such as the meteorological elements, building structure, and building skin. The scenario zones that are relatively prone to fire are selected using an overlay analysis across the four seasons. Then, the risk threshold for evacuating personnel is analyzed in the fire zone according to international standards and firefighting criteria. Specific parameters are determined based on the analysis of the above. The growing trends for fires across the four seasons are simulated with scenario zones as the starting positions and incorporate factors such as temperature, carbon monoxide, and smoke. Lastly, a life safety assurance path (LSAP) for personnel evacuation is designed based on an indoor road network and path search algorithm. The evacuation planning result is compared with the traditional shortest-time path and shortest-distance path. Based on the study results, fire scenario zones can improve the speed and operating efficiency of spatial–temporal simulation models of fire and can also support path planning and design for emergency responses.