Note: Full converage of Firehouse's 50th Anniversary

When we were asked to collaborate on the 50th anniversary of Firehouse, particularly within the technology sphere, it instantly took us back to thinking about what technology was like back in 1976 and at the beginning of our respective careers—and not just fire service technology but also as a society.

Paper maps & handwritten logbooks

Rotary phones still were common—although some people had push-button models—but all of them were all hard-lined and still had shared party lines. Typewriters (manual or electric) were found throughout the various administrative offices, and at a local firehouse, you likely still had every record in a handwritten logbook. Cameras still were film, and special training was required to properly develop images. Paper maps, map books and even large hand-drawn maps were found in fire stations and glove boxes of most vehicles.

If you were fortunate enough to have a TV, it most likely was small and had a rabbit ear antenna sticking up for reception. Vinyl records, 8-track tapes and cassette tapes were the primary source of recorded music, and none of these devices could fit in your pocket. Libraries full of encyclopedias and other printed materials were the primary source for researching something that you didn’t know, and you had better know the Dewey Decimal System to find what you wanted. People had fax machines for quick file transfer, but most correspondence still went through the postal service, given that email and other electronic mediums weren’t widely used. Training was mostly hands on unless you were lucky enough to have a slide projector, and all purchasing transactions were conducted in person or through mail in catalogs.

Start of an evolution

Looking particularly at the fire service, the passing of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 was a major point of interest in the development of firefighter safety, communications, capabilities and standardization.

When the inaugural issue of Firehouse was published, SCBAs were beginning to be commonplace for interior structural firefighting but included heavy steel cylinders. Multilayered protective clothing was replacing the traditional rubber coats and long boots. Kevlar, Nomex and fiberglass also were gaining popularity for protective equipment use, but leather still was the go-to material for fire helmets.

Although UHF and VHF radios were common, they were shared between staff and apparatus, mainly carried by the officer. Hydraulic rescue tools also were being used more as agencies began transitioning to take on more medical and rescue roles.

Fire pumps, both positive displacement and centrifugal, matured, and with the addition of more-powerful diesel engines in apparatus, they became the new standard. Foam proportioning systems were in regular use at airports, refineries and even some forward-thinking municipal departments. Aluminum ladders were in widespread use, although some departments held onto wooden ladders for the rest of the decade. Elevated aerial platforms and snorkels were increasingly more common, as modern hydraulics improved capabilities.

Gasoline-powered saws replaced axes for vertical ventilation, but the saws were extremely heavy and didn’t have the safety features nor the battery-powered operation that today’s models have.

Although there was no standardized incident command system, wildfires in California were influencing organization and accountability practices.

Reflections from Werner

I started my fire service career in 1974. My earliest recollections take me back to duck turnout coats, pull-up boots, extremely limited and heavy “walking talkies,” a much more mechanical environment, SCBA with steel tanks and open-cab apparatus. Everything was handwritten. Seat belts rarely were used when responding to calls. Acceptance of the use of SCBA was limited.

I was blessed to have a great interest in and understanding of the development of technology and began a career of challenging the status quo from the perspective of safety and effectiveness. As innovative technologies evolved, I explored how they could enhance safety and effectiveness in the fire service. I was fortunate to be in the Charlottesville, VA, Fire Department and with my supportive chief, Julian Taliaferro, who encouraged innovation.

Through an invite from Harvey Eisner, Firehouse allowed me a forum by which to share these new technologies and advancements with a larger audience. The first article that I wrote for Firehouse was “The Internet: A Global Fire Service,” and the first fire service internet phone call was made to the London Fire Brigade from Firehouse Expo in Baltimore.

The technological advances to follow were influenced mostly by the electronic/computer/digital era. When I first started authoring articles for Firehouse, they were typed and sent via snail mail. Around 1998, I had the opportunity to work with Jeff Barrington at Firehouse to implement its first email, first file transfer process and the launch of Firehouse.com, with the help of Christopher Hebert and Dave Iannone. The website became widely recognized as the website that was dedicated exclusively to the fire service.
I was able to experiment with many technologies within my department and then share those concepts in Firehouse and on Firehouse.com.

Some of the other technology milestones that I had an opportunity to work on and share were through the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). I helped to create the IAFC Technology Council, with then-IAFC President Jeff Johnson. I served as the group’s first chair (still serve today), which provided opportunities to work on numerous technology projects to enhance safety and effectiveness, which included addressing the digital radio interference issue, geographic information systems (GIS), TICs, communications interoperability, website development, smartphones/tablets/apps, Bluetooth, new cutting tools, fire apparatus hearing protection systems, internet as a new means of automatic vehicle location (AVL) and the development of what would become FirstNet, which gave the first and only true priority and preemption to public safety.

What I have seen over 50 years in public safety has been amazing, but it will be dwarfed by what is to come. AI, robotics, self-driving vehicles and the continued development of new electronic technologies are moving faster than many can comprehend. This is evolving into smart interconnected cities, a new Intelligent Emergency Response System, and an entirely new set of challenges and opportunities. Technology will advance community risk reduction (CRR) by providing real-time analysis, to enable more innovative ways to address community risk.

I believe that 3D firefighter location soon will be achieved, with full firefighter biometric monitoring 24/7/365, to help to improve firefighter health and reduce cancer and mortality rates.

The future of innovation in the fire service and emergency services is great and moving at light speed.

Reflections from Moore

I started my career in 2000. When I look back on the technological advancements throughout my career, it seems as though things have quickened.

I can remember the salty firefighters of the past telling stories of the times before SCBAs but never going into a fire without one after the equipment entered the marketplace. I had the pleasure of wearing steel, aluminum and carbon-fiber SCBAs, with and without integrated PASS devices.

I never wore anything other than a multilayered turnout coat and pants, with a mix of leather and composite helmets and boots.

I remember holding one of the first commercially available TICs but also saw the evolution that resulted in one on every firefighter in my department.

I just missed the days of physically riding on the tailboard, but I still can remember the “fun” of responding in the rain or snow in open-cab apparatus.

I remember the days of only the officer having a radio but also enjoyed the era of Bluetooth connections and nationwide improvements to public safety communications, including FirstNet.

I witnessed drones moving from a novelty purchase to an operational necessity and actively participated in the evolution of the fire service mission from just responders to CRR professionals.

At the end of my career—and in my next job in fire service technology—I was able to experience cloud solutions, Internet of Things integrations, advanced analytics and GIS-based technology that enhances every decision that’s made.

The quickening of technology intrigues me, and as the next generations of firefighters step up, I look forward to seeing how the fire service evolves to face the new and currently imperceivable threats to our communities.

Although I only have been writing for Firehouse for a short time compared with Chief Werner, it has been an awesome experience to share tech trends, emerging tech and best practices to avoid tech problems. Thanks to everyone who has supported my journey and allowed me to contribute to the learning and knowledge of the fire service.