New Technology In The Firehouse

In 1976, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my Firehouse® Magazine charter issue. I can remember sitting around the firehouse and talking to fellow firefighters about the new magazine. Throughout the years I continued to read and observe Firehouse® expand into new areas. One area of particular interest was technology. While it was never specifically labeled as such, Firehouse® always kept firefighters abreast of the new technological changes that were occurring in the fire service.

This article takes an-in-depth look at all the changes that have taken place inside the American firehouse since 1976. Computer-aided dispatch, E-911, pagers, radios, apparatus, exhaust systems, traffic light controllers, hose, nozzles, personal protective equipment, EMS equipment, hazardous materials equipment, gas/atmospheric detection devices, terrorism containment and protective equipment, thermal imaging cameras, online and CD-ROM training, incident command vests, auto extrication equipment, telescoping light towers, weather monitoring equipment, ventilation equipment, warning lights and sirens, PASS devices, cellular phones, faxes, computers and the Internet, and much, much more.

What follows is a wrap-up of where we started and where the American Fire Service has progressed.

Protective clothing. The whole concept of protective clothing has changed. In 1976, there was a difference from daywear to nightwear. During the day, firefighters would wear turnout coats and high boots, while at night bunker pants were the attire of choice. While the original intent of “bunker pants” was to let firefighters get dressed quickly at night, the additional protection that bunker pants offered soon became the standard around the clock. The design of protective clothing has continually evolved. New designs have worked to improve areas of wear and functionality. Manufacturers are changing designs to meet the needs of the firefighter by adding functional elements like pockets, reinforcing areas of wear, adding more flexibility into the clothing and more. The materials have changed from a simple cotton duck to combinations of Nomex, PBI and Kevlar. Reflective markings have improved the visibility of firefighters. The interface between the outer shell and liners have also been improved to provide a better vapor barrier as well as letting the protective clothing breathe. Research is being conducted to find ways of maintaining a safe body temperature within the protective clothing while not sacrificing safety features. SCBA. Looking back, I remember steel tanks that were very heavy in comparison to today’s self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The evolution of SCBA tanks includes composite tanks, wrapped aluminum, etc., that allow for higher air capacity and less weight on the backs of fire personnel. SCBA units have more features, such as better alarms, quick-fill options and buddy-breathing capabilities. Individual components of the facepiece have become better. Voice amplifiers help make the previously muffled voice of the user to be more understandable and as a result enhance communication and safety. If you asked me about a PASS in 1976, I would have thought you were talking about some sort of ticket that would allow special entry to an event. Today, the personal alerting devices are not only commonplace, but have also become a standard requiring them to be integrated into the SCBA. Radio equipment. Radio technology continues to evolve. In the past, radio technology only supported a simplex operation on single frequencies. Radio frequencies were also limited to a much narrower radio spectrum. Today, increased radio spectrum and advances in radio technology allow more complex operations like trunked radio functions. Trunked radio systems let multiple radio users operate more effectively through a computerized controller. This works much like a multi-line telephone in a business, letting several hundred or even several thousand people use the same radio system (depending on the number of frequencies). The new trunked radio systems allow for specification radio identification, emergency distress signaling, building of functional talk groups and interoperability between various agencies. Prior to this technology, units that wished to cross-communicate with other agencies required a “patch” system with a dispatcher having to make the necessary patch. Before pagers became affordable and widespread, fire companies used sirens that could be heard throughout the community. These sirens were used to alert local volunteers that their response was needed. Radio pagers soon replaced most of those sirens, allowing a more effective and less intrusive method of volunteer notification. Today, alphanumeric pagers and other wireless devices are becoming the new standard. Alphanumeric pagers provide text information to an entire group or groups of people who are needed to respond to an emergency. This alerting function can be automatically generated as a function of computer-aided dispatch which will be discussed later. Hazardous materials response. Resources to handle hazmat responses have improved in the areas of entry suits, communications equipment, monitoring devices and more. The materials used to make the suits have been enhanced by new and more durable materials that provide a higher degree of protection. Communications equipment has greatly enhanced a hazmat technician’s ability to communicate while operating in a hazmat suit. Atmospheric monitoring and gas detection devices are more specialized and accurate for measuring hazardous atmospheres and oxygen levels in confined space situations. New materials for the absorption and control of hazardous spills has also made the job of fire and hazmat crews more effective. In 1976, the resources to handle spills or runoff were scarce. Fire apparatus. The emergency vehicles of today have seen many improvements. These improvements include everything from the computerized operating systems of the fire apparatus to the light towers mounted upon them. Today’s emergency vehicle technicians can attach a diagnostic computer and quickly identify operating problems. The fire apparatus of yesteryear had relatively simple pressure gauges that showed the pressure on a given intake/discharge valve. Today, electronic switches allow for a more smooth control of the valve opening and flow meters allow for the accurate monitoring of appropriate fire flow. Video cameras can now be mounted to the rear of an apparatus, letting fire engines allowing its operator to safely maneuver while observing through the camera. Video/thermal image cameras are mounted on tips of aerial ladders to monitor and videotape the fire scene from a “bird’s-eye” view. Emergency warning lights have added new elements of emergency visibility while responding to and working at the emergency scene. Fire apparatus manufacturers have done quite well in meeting the needs of the emergency services. New cab designs accommodate many more firefighters than in the past. Climate controls for the fire apparatus have seen many new features such as air conditioning for cabs and heaters for enclosed tiller seats. I can remember when the only air conditioning was an open window or, better yet, an open cab. The firefighters of this century are much better protected by the fire apparatus on which they respond to emergencies than ever before. Other equipment on the fire apparatus has improved firefighting effectiveness and safety. Light towers provide levels of illumination that make a night incident scene much safer. Electromagnetic systems augment the fire apparatus braking system by helping the fire apparatus to slow more effectively with less wear and tear on the brakes. Emergency vehicles, in the past, were mainly equipped with manual transmissions. Today, automatic transmissions are the transmission of choice. At present, new suppression nozzles allow for variable flow and more effective firefighting streams. In the past, the nozzles for selection were simply fog or solid stream. Computers. In 1976, computer technology was non-existent in the fire service. Computers were generally used in larger businesses, government/military facilities and higher education institutions. Most of these computers were large in size and used punch cards to run the computer programs. At this time, computer-aided dispatch (CAD) was not considered a conceptual possibility. Most departments, at best, were using an automated card system for dispatching. In contrast, CAD systems are beginning to proliferate emergency dispatch centers around the world. These CAD systems now provide the ability to quickly link E-911 address information, on-scene pre-planning information and automatic vehicle locator (AVL) information to provide accurate and prompt response recommendations to the dispatcher. These systems go a step further and give in-depth statistical information, which helps to analyze a department’s effectiveness. Computers were also not available for any of the records-management functions such as typing and data collection. For those who can remember that far, word-processing “cut-and-paste” functions were literal terms and if you wanted to insert an image or illustration, you would cut it out and paste it on the paper. Many training officers can remember the tedious job of writing and illustrating training outlines and bulletins. Today, digital photos are easily inserted into documents and revisions are easily made by editing sections as necessary. Computers have dramatically reduced the time required for data entry. Fire personnel spent many hours filling out forms for the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), training and other applications. Computerization has also affected the operations of fire fighting. Fire apparatus and chief officer vehicles are equipped with computers that provide immediate access to CAD, hazardous materials references, pre-fire plans and accountability systems. Training. As mentioned above, records-management functions have become streamlined and provide a great deal more statistical analysis and require less time to perform data entry. The advent of CD-ROM training opened new ways to train fire personnel. The newer interactive CDs train and record the time spent by the trainee. This makes it easier to conduct training when time is available for individuals. Years ago, training would only be possible if a person read a book or had someone to spend the time and train them. In 1976, there was no such thing as a CD-ROM. Back then, fire command simulations were done with simulators that combined multiple overhead projectors with spinning wheels, red and gray transparencies and swirling sand. Today, digital pictures of actual buildings can be simulated as though there is a fire with very real computer special effects. This can all be done with a computer and a projection device, or at any computer desktop. Thermal imaging cameras. I remember glancing through the 1976 charter issue of Firehouse® Magazine and seeing an advertisement for one of the first thermal imaging cameras, the Probeye. The Probeye was obsolete technology released by the military that used a combination of spinning mirrors with argon gas. Because the mirror would spin so fast, the argon gas was used to cool the internal workings of the unit. The problem with the Probeye was that it was too sensitive and could not take the harsh treatment while being housed on the fire apparatus. In addition, failure to use the argon gas would cause damage to the unit. If the argon gas cylinder was empty, the unit was not usable. The unit sold for about $25,000 then and was not considered a cost-effective option. Today, thermal image cameras sell for as little as $7,000 . The new thermal imaging cameras do not require any external gas cylinder for cooling because the newer technology does not use the spinning mirrors. In the more recent years, thermal imaging cameras have been recognized as a very essential tool and almost every fire department is striving to have at least one. Other departments, like the Charlottesville, VA, Fire Department have been successful to equip every in-service engine and truck company with an eventual goal to equip every firefighter. Today, thermal imaging camera manufacturers are working toward even more progress for smaller and more effective units. What could be better than to help firefighters see through the otherwise visionless environment of dark and gloomy smoke? Traffic light controllers. Traffic light control devices are now being used widespread throughout the world. These systems can be activated by siren or with high-energy infrared technology. From a distance, traffic lights can provide momentary right-of-way at signalized intersections for authorized vehicles. This technology also documents the unit that has activated the system, the time, date and traffic light status in each direction once activated. This lets traffic clear and provides a green light to approaching fire apparatus, reducing the chance of an accident and liability. Fire station exhaust systems. While we were worried about how our bodies were being contaminated at the fire scene, we overlooked one of the most harmful environments that we were exposed to every day, the engine bay. Engines were started every day for routine apparatus checks or responding to emergencies with exhaust filling the engine bays with toxic smoke. Over the years, we unknowingly breathed in this exhaust on a regular basis. Further examination of fire stations revealed that the pollutants from gas and diesel exhaust traveled farther into fire stations than ever imagined, even into the living and sleeping areas. In 1976, exhaust systems were just starting to emerge and over the years, they have been improved and are beginning to be found in more fire stations. EMS equipment. There have been so many changes in EMS that it is mind boggling. In 1976, EMS was not a common term in the fire service. The influence of the hit TV series “Emergency” was profound. Soon after, fire departments across the country evolved into the EMS arena. In 2001, fire departments are implementing advanced life support (ALS) programs and are equipping fire apparatus with all of the ALS-associated equipment. One big change was the introduction of semi-automatic defibrillators in the 1980s and followed by the automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), which now are now being placed in assembly areas, on airplanes, in restaurants and other public places. Extrication equipment. Fire and rescue departments enjoy a great variety of extrication tools. Advances in hydraulic powered devices, compressed air bags, electric saws and specialized torches are among the new tools in the vast arsenal for extrication. The Internet. The Internet has literally changed the way we do business. In 1976, the Internet did not exist as it does today. In 1995, there were fewer than 100 fire departments on the World Wide Web (WWW). Today, that number has soared to over 10,000. Almost every fire department has or will have a website telling its unique story or sharing information. This has developed into departments with online standard operating procedures (SOPs), virtual reality tours, virtual reality thermal imaging cameras, live radio traffic, CAD interfaces, apparatus specifications, and the list goes on. This has enabled departments large and small to perform management and communication tasks worldwide from a central location. E-mail is the largest Internet application for the fire service. Even more widespread than websites, almost every fire department has an e-mail address or a representative that has an e-mail address. Information is now quickly shared between many individuals, groups and agencies at the punch of the keyboard. Training was a local activity. Today, online learning resources have expanded to include Internet universities, National Fire Academy distance learning programs along with others. More and more educational opportunities will reach out to firefighters and emergency service personnel around the world. More effective communication in the emergency service community is occurring today due to the global affect of the Internet and the web. Summary While this does not include every aspect of the technology progress for the fire service, it does give you a glimpse of the past. This journey back in time is intended to applaud the successes, appreciate the hardships of the past and encourage future progress. Many people in this industry have contributed to making the changes and it is important to note them. Members of the fire-rescue service, apparatus and equipment manufacturers, software developers, publications, political supporters and related associations are among those that have contributed to this overwhelming success. To commemorate this 25th Anniversary issue, I would like to note that the years of Firehouse® Magazine’s success has evolved into the Firehouse Experience. Truly dedicated to serving the fire service, the Firehouse Experience combines Firehouse® Magazine’s print media with “hands-on” training and information from the Firehouse Exposition and topped off with the most popular emergency services website in the world, Firehouse.com.