Firefighting

Firefighting is the act extinguishing destructive fires. A firefighter fights these fires and prevents destruction of life, property and the environment. Firefighting is a highly technical profession which requires years of training and education in order to become proficient.
Historically, physicists created a graphical representation detailing the three elements of fire (fire triangle). In recent years, one more point has been added, creating the fire tetrahedron. The four elements needed to sustain combustion are:
fuel, oxidizer, heat and a chemical chain reaction.
To extinguish a fire, it is necessary to remove one or more of the three components of combustion. Removing any of these will not allow combustion to continue. Firefighters work by
limiting exposure of fuel that may be ignited by nearby flames or radiant heat,
containing and extinguishing the fire, removing debris, and extinguishing all hidden fires to prevent rekindling
Firefighters' goals are to save life, property and the environment. A fire can rapidly spread and endanger many lives; however, with modern firefighting techniques, catastrophe is usually avoided. To prevent fires from starting a firefighter's duties include public education and conducting fire inspections. Because firefighters are often the first responders to people in critical conditions, firefighters provide basic life support as emergency medical technicians or advanced life support as licensed paramedics.


Next up: Risks of a fire




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