Now that readers have learned the terminology and structure of the Internet, the fun begins. If you haven't tried it yet, you will need to know that browsing the Internet ("surfing the net") is both time consuming and contagiously compelling. Minutes can stretch into hours hopping from one Web site to another, as the HyperText links point you to one after another related areas and topics. Many Web sites are beginning to sport comprehensive listings of other locations (known as Fire Links) which may be of interest to you. Many Web sites are fascinating, colorful and informative. So boot up your Netscape Navigator or Microsft Internet Explorer, grab the mouse and dig in.
To save you some work, I have spent countless hours researching fire-related sites combed from over 250 Web locations containing fire links. I have also performed hundreds of searches using the AltaVista Search Engine looking for locations of interest to firefighters. Listed, by category, are some of the best Web sites I have found. I apologize if some were missed it was not intentional. It is impossible to produce a comprehensive list of sites because the Internet is in a constant state of flux. Accordingly, by the time you see this, some of the Web sites listed may be obsolete or have moved. How will you know? Your browser will tell you.
The addresses shown below are called Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). Segments of the URL are separated by punctuation marks such as slashes or periods (dots). The first segment tells the protocol with which the document can be accessed, followed by the name of the computer and who owns it, and then the file name of the document.
Using the following hypothetical URL:
http://www.firehouse.com/index.html
http - http is a data transfer protocol that runs on Web servers and is used to deliver the document from the server to your computer.
// - indicates that you are talking to a Web server.
www.firehouse.com - this three piece address is called a fully qualified domain name.
www - World Wide Web
firehouse.com - firehouse computer owned by a commercial group.
[edu = educational, org=organization, gov= government, etc.]
Addresses with a / ~ following the domain name sometimes require you to first go to the Web site and then locate a sub-address or personal Web page with that person or company name.
HTML - HyperText Markup Language is a set of tags that determine how components of a document are displayed on the Web.
All of the URLs below are preceded with http:// even though not shown on the list. All URLs must be entered exactly as shown - watch spelling carefully and abide by uppercase and lowercase distinctions. Some URLs do not have a World Wide Web location and are to be entered exactly as shown preceeded with http://
Killer Sites Don't Miss These.
(All URLs below are preceeded with http:// )
Emergency Services of the World:
www.catt.citri.edu.au/emergency/emergency.html
Fire and EMS Information Network:
www.fire-ems.net/
Fire Department Web Sites by State:
www.fire-ems.net/firedept/deptlist/
Fire Web:
fireweb.com/fireweb/html
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association):
www.wpi.edu/~fpe/nfpa.html
Public Safety Product News:
www.publicsafety.com
Research and Reference
California Emergency Links:
www-ames.ucsd.edu/ETC/design-lab/emergency/links.html
Department of Energy:
www.er.doe.gov/production/esh/fireprot.html
Emergency Shift Room Notice Board:
www.catt.citri.edu.au/emergency/es-notice.html
FEMA (Federal Emergency Managment Agency):
www.fema.gov/homepage.shtml
Firefighters Bookstore:
www.dmcsc.com/13501980.htm
Firefighters International Job Exchange:
ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/IFSE
Firefighter Resource Center:
www.firefighter.com/fire
Firehouse Software:
www.visionary.com/fh/index.html
Fire Research Link:
www.fire-ems.net/resources/research.html
Fire Department Training Network:
www.firescue.com
Forest Firefighting Jobs:
gladstone.uoregon.edu/~mmacht/fire.html
Galactic Software:
galacticmall.com/
Learn Not To Burn:
www.capitalnet.com/~cwilly/exting/.html
OSHA portable fire extinguisher standards:
gabby.osha-slc.gov/OshDoc/Oshstd_data/1910.0157.html#(e)(1)
Planning for Specific Disasters:
www.ghc.org/health_info/self/emerg2.html
Video Resource List:
www.lakenet.org/catalog/video.txt
WPI Center for Safety Studies:
www.wpi.edu/~fpe/
Organizations and Associations
Alliance for Fire & Energy Management:
www.afem.org/afem/
American Fire Sprinkler Association:
rampages.onramp.net/~smuncy/afsa.html
American Red Cross:
www.redcross.org
ARTI (American Rescue Team International):
www.amerrescue.org/
ANSI (American National Standards Org):
www.ansi.org/docs/home.html
CAMEO (Computer Aided Mgmt of Emrg Ops):
www.nsc.org/nsc/ehc/cameo.html
Chemtrec:
www.dalewin.com/d141.htm
Factory Mutual:
www.factorymutual.com
Fire Officers Association:
afem.org/afem/foa.html
FMBA:
www.cybernet.net/~msc/fmba.htm
IAAI (Int'l Assn of Arson Investigators):
www.aurorafire.gov/iaai.htm
Fire Departments
Chicago:
www.ci.chi.il.us/WorkSmart/Fire/ and
www.emergency.com/cfdpage.htm
Coral Springs, FL:
www.fire-ems.net/firedept/view/CoralSpringsFL
Honolulu:
www.htdc.org/~fire/
Los Angeles:
www.ci.la.ca.us/dept/LAFD/lafd2.htm
New York:
www.primenet.com/~ed-nk2w/fdny.htm
Phoenix:
www.ci.phoenix.az.us./FIRE/fireinfo.html
Walt Disney World Fire Department:
204.183.192.1/grinnel/news/
Alphabetical Fire Department Listing:
www.jorsm.com/~stevew/link_mun.htm
Worldwide Fire Department Listing:
www.jorsm.com/~stevew/link_wld.htm
General
Emergency Services WWW Site Listing:
gilligan.usfadm.alaska.edu/www-911.htm
911 Fire Police Medical Web Page:
www.hotcity.com/~shutterb/911a/emerg.html
Smokejumper:
weber.u.washington.edu/~pmonsaut/smokejumper.html
