Firehouse.com Announces New Series: Structural Anatomy

July 23, 2008

Firehouse.com is pleased to announce a new feature content area dedicated to the pioneering area called Structural Anatomy, featuring specialized articles, training aides, references and downloads integrating building construction for the fire services.

The Structural Anatomy section is designed to meet the emerging needs of the fire service in addressing firefighter safety and risk reduction methodologies, contributing towards the reduction of the escalating line of duty deaths and injuries.

The Structural Anatomy content area will feature a wide degree of information relating to the art of firefighting methodologies with the science of building construction. Integrating groundbreaking insights on structural combat/command risk assessment, fire dynamics and building performance for the fire services, the content area will provide a variety of resources and information to support the continuing efforts for line of duty death reduction and the firefighter life safety goals of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) and the Everyone Goes Home (EGH) campaign.

Feature articles, editorials, discussion forums, downloads for training and drill sessions, facts sheets and construction and command vignettes will elevate the foundation of knowledge of building construction for the fire services by addressing critical issues of fundamental and emerging command, operational, risk reduction and technical proficiency issues which affect structural combat fire engagement for occupancies in the built environment.

The Structural Anatomy content area will champion a new mantra for the fire service whereby:

Bk=f 2S

Building Knowledge = Firefighter Safety

Structural Anatomy Content Features:

  • Structural Anatomy Feature Articles
    Monthly feature articles related to the areas of building construction, firefighter safety and command risk management.
  • Structural Anatomy - The Construction Zone Forums
    An interactive forum site dedicated to timely dialog, discussion and interaction on building construction issues, questions, lesson Learned and emergent issues affecting the fire service.
  • Command FACTS: First Arriving, Construction, Tactics and Safety
    Periodic PDF, PowerPoint and video downloads addressing mission critical First Arriving, Construction, Tactics and Safety factors and considerations (Command FACTS)
  • Taking it to the Streets - Training Downloads
    Biweekly informational sheets on pertinent building construction features, hazards, methods and factors affecting field operations and firefighter safety.
  • Construction and Command Vignettes
    Timely editorials addressing emerging fire service issues, events or incident, LODD events and case studies, historical events, and events in the news. Included will be periodic webcasts and podcasts.

The Structural Anatomy concepts are envisioned to be far more than just a study of building construction. Various Structural Anatomy building construction performance indicators can provide new insights for the current and upcoming generation of firefighters, company officers and incident commanders, and may contribute towards improvements/enhancements for the necessary technical skills, competencies and proficiencies required for firefighter survivability and contribute in the efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate contributing factors in line of duty deaths and fireground injuries.

We hope to explore and expand the vast knowledge base on building construction principles and integrate structural fire suppression theory, case studies, command risk management with firefighter safety and occupancy/structure performance to gain new insights into effective and safe suppression operations within structures and occupancies.

In future articles, we'll examine the correlation of occupancy risk assessment, basic and expanded recognition primed decision-making (RPDM), structural and construction systems, and their direct relationship on structural firefighting operations, firefighter survivability and the on-scene incident command decision-making process, affecting structural combat fire engagement for occupancies in the built environment.

The Structural Anatomy content area will be facilitated by our highly regarded contributing editor and prominent national fire service instructor Christopher Naum, SFPE. A 33-year fire service veteran with comprehensive command and company level field operations experience, he is a former architect and fire protection engineer and is the Second Vice President with the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, serves on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Safety, Health and Survival Section (IAFC SHandS) and on the Board of Directors of the Open Fire Academy (OFA). An adjunct instructor with the National Fire Academy, he has developed and delivered training to over 34,500 personnel internationally throughout his career.

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