Firefighter Casualties: When 'Old-School Firefighting' Doesn't Work

摘要

Avillo criticizes the use of "Old-School Firefighting." Although many times this approach is warranted, failing to recognize when it is not warranted can and has cost firefighters lives. A cavalier approach to structural firefighting all the time, every time, displays a gross misunderstanding of risk management and usually results in more casualties than are acceptable. Statistically, firefighter death and injury rates per 1,000 fires at vacant building and commercial structure fires are almost four times those at occupied residential structure fires. Here, Avillo examines why this is so; take issue with the "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" approach toward lightweight construction; and discuss the sometimes tragic consequences of the "that's the way we always do it" approach.