April 2026

Issue Description: The April issue of Firehouse includes feature articles on artificial intelligence in today's fire service, a Station Design Conference preview and force multipliers during large-occupancy fires.

Cover Description: Hernando County Fire Rescue (HCFR) responded to a structure fire at an RV park. The wind-driven fire in a mobile home spread to three other mobile homes and two RVs. HCFR received automatic aid from Pasco County Fire Rescue in the form of one pumper and one tanker. It took 25 firefighters 45 minutes to bring the fire under control. The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical issue in the original mobile home. Photo by Scott Laprade.

Dedication: Four U.S. firefighters recently died in the line of duty—Battalion Chief Keith Long, Firefighter Howard Bennett, Firefighter/Safety Officer Dale Malone and Firefighter Jeff Derrick. This issue of Firehouse is dedicated to these firefighters.

April 2026

Firefighter Training Requires Hands-On Proficiency

April 30, 2026

Left: One of the three levels of controller for Fire Research Corporation’s new FoamPro 2000 Series direct-injection foam system. The controllers vary based on options that are selected. Right: Pump that has foam fill integral to the system.

Apparatus Components

Apparatus Innovations & Fire Department Preplanning

April 29, 2026

Operations & Training

Hot Shots 4/26

April 28, 2026

Technology

Dashcams, Bodycams, Security Cams & Fire Department Liability

April 27, 2026

When a thermal imaging camera (TIC) that includes the newest technology encounters an environment that’s beyond its dynamic range, the entire displayed image will display red.

Thermal Imagers

The Myth of White-Out in Fire Service Thermal Imaging Cameras

April 24, 2026

More content from April 2026

Safety & Health

Firefighters & Chronic Inflammation

Aaron Zamzow urges firefighters to recognize how their job prompts their body's immune system to stay on high alert and cause various damage.

April 23, 2026

The Brandywine, MD, Volunteer Fire Department once operated a pair of 1987 Hahn 1,250-gpm pumpers that had a 500-gallon tank, a 178-inch wheelbase and an overall length that was just shy of 28 feet. Cab and body designs of this period were limited when compared with today’s multiple configurations. The advent of four-door cab units had a significant effect on apparatus design.

Apparatus

When Large Is Too Large for a Fire Department Apparatus

Tom Shand provides the reasoning for why a back-to-basics apparatus design can accommodate operational capability, short build times and better affordability.

April 22, 2026

Although the development of Springdale, AR, Fire Department (SFD) Fire Station #4 is rooted in the foundation of a prototype design that was conceived in the early 2010s, the unique exterior of the station (which is set to open soon) validates the premise that prototype operational consistency and relative cost predictability can coexist with flexibility for improvement.

Stations

Fire Station Design: Evolving the Prototype

Ashley Mauldin uses the development of Springdale, AR, Fire Department's Fire Station #4 to explain how multiple facilities don't have to be mirror images of each other even when...

April 21, 2026

The traditional 1½-story house is legacy construction that was built from the 1930s to the 1980s.

Operations & Training

Firefighting Challenges: Modern Half-Story Construction

Jake Henderson tells why understanding the similarities between the traditional 1½-story house and the 2-story bonus house is key for the incident commander, the first-engine ...

April 20, 2026

The Cynthiana, KY, Fire Department performed drills where the UST LowRider stayed on better than Bullard’s original helmet.

Helmets

Helmets: Functionality and Fit Take Prominence

Suppliers deftly balance competing goals of increasing comfort and enhancing the health and safety of members who don their products.

April 17, 2026

Digital floor plans, real-time alarm and device status, smoke control mode indications, elevator status and fire pump information can shorten the time that’s required to form a correct mental model of a fire at a high-rise, including to shorten time-to-water.

Technology

Fire Service Innovation & Technology for Large-Occupancy Fires

Kristopher Blume details why smart building features, thermal imaging, drones and breathable-air redundancy concepts are force multipliers that the realities of staffing shortages...

April 16, 2026

The Burton Fire District battles a fire in an abandoned structure without power where homeless people were reported to have been staying.

Community Risk Reduction

Fire Department Community Risk Reduction & Homeless-Related Fires

Daniel Byrne stresses that fire department CRR efforts should include consideration of a community's homeless population and fires that are associated with those people.

April 15, 2026

The Idaho Falls, ID, Fire Department (IFFD) uses this Type 6 strictly wildland rig for both on- and off-district responses. It was built with a Bureau of Land Management box and pump setup, remounted onto a 4x4 crew-cab chassis.

Brush/Forestry

Wildland Fire Apparatus: A Different Kind of Response Vehicle

Bill Arsenault explains why when departments expect to travel beyond their jurisdiction to aid in fighting wildfires, they must think about aspects of a rig that likely wouldn...

April 14, 2026

Apparatus

Fire Apparatus Supplement 2026

This special Fire Apparatus Supplement includes feature articles on why apparatus proportions don't necessarily need to default to the largest that are available from manufacturers...

April 14, 2026

Biophilic design focuses on incorporating natural light, materials and other elements into buildings to mitigate feelings of post-trauma and to serve as therapy. One of the 2026 Station Design Conference sessions will share concepts for new facilities.

SD Awards and Conference

2026 Station Design Conference: Planning a Fire Station? Don’t Guess Your Way Through It

Every stage of the development of a new fire station or renovation comes with its own set of decisions and risks.

April 13, 2026

Departments must honestly assess their capabilities to determine their readiness for scaffolding incidents. This includes evaluating training levels, equipment availability, staffing strength and operational gaps.

Technical Rescue

Scaffolding Rescue Operations by Fire Departments & Technical Rescue Teams

Robert Policht explains the particulars of the disciplined stabilization, extrication, teamwork and training that's required for rescues that involve scaffolding.

April 10, 2026

EMS

Paramedics' & EMTs' Treatment of Elevated Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women Is Time Critical

Paul Rosenberger explains preeclampsia and the treatment protocol based on systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure levels.

April 9, 2026

fire department artificial intelligence adoption do's and don'ts

Technology

AI for Today’s Fire Service: What Worries Firefighters & What Fire Chiefs Can Do About It

Kevin Sofen tells why data quality, surveillance and governance are critical for ensuring that adoption is done correctly.

April 8, 2026

Originally, the original fire store was thought to be ordinary construction. Not until the first-due engine arrived and members entered the building as fire conditions allowed was it discovered that the building was lightweight construction that consisted of Q decking over open web trusses.

Operations & Training

Keys to a Fire Department Avoiding a Close Call at a Row-of-Stores Fire

Billy Goldfeder shares the facets of fireground operations at a fire that threatened a succession of stores to minimize firefighter risk.

April 7, 2026

Leadership

The Plight of Volunteer Fire Departments: Are Fire Stations Becoming Shopping Malls?

Peter Matthews urges volunteer fire chiefs to think long term. The survival of their department—and continuation of the service that it provides—demands it.

April 6, 2026