Future of Firefighting?

[papacheese]

By now everyone's heard me yammering about how the rules have changed, why fires are different, and what new and exciting building construction innovations will eventually end up killing our brother and sister firefighters. After learning about things like SIPs and aerated concrete, I can't help but think that the following represents the real future of firefighting:



For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, the Strong Arm is nothing more than a telescoping boom crane outfitted with a waterway and a really nasty combination ramhead/nozzle fitting on the end. The principle behind this approach is brutally simple: drive up to the flaming 2 1/2 story cardboard/styrofoam/solid fuel dwelling, plant the outriggers, then like a wrecking crane, drive the ramhead/nozzle into the offending spaces and let it rip.

Here's a link to the video:

www.ferrarafire.com/apparatus/strong_arm/index.html

Now before everyone gets worked up and starts calling me numerous and unmentionable names, and in light of what we're dealing with these days as well as insurance companies that really don't give a good gosh golly if one of us gets seriously hurt or dead, is this what we're going to be facing in twenty years?

Sometimes the future CAN be scary.....

[Kramer]

well, i saw these at harrisburg a couple years ago, and it is definately impressive. the video seemed hilarious just watching it destroy the buildings...i also know a guy who was a parttime salesman for ferrara and he was telling me that the only ones of these that were sold were on 4 wheel drive chassis to somewhere in like sibera in russia. that might have changed in the last couple years that he hasnt sold them, but it showed how unpopular they are

[Reverend]

China or Japan has ordered a couple of these things also. Personally for the price tag, I would rather let the fire burn through the roof and go get it with the old school ladderpipes and tower ladders. They havent sold any in the states to the best of my knowledge. Who will be the first, Merchantville all ready has a piece of SH@# Metz ladder.... so their out.

[thelurker]

www.vententersearch.com/?p=223#comments

Read the above comments about how large corporations don't even insure their stores because it is cheaper to replace the building than to fix it after a fire. Anyway, read about it, it kinda makes you want to fight fire with a stick and marshmallows.

[papacheese]

I offered my comment partially tongue-in-cheek; like most (if not all of you), I find the prospect of becoming a demo operator not the least bit appealing....and yet....

What got me thinking about this was a comment Dave Dodson made in his ISO class about how some Colorado fire departments are fighting fires in dwellings made of SIPs. Referred to as "Chainsaw Firefighting", they do a 360, figure out which room is burning, then using a chainsaw, cut a hole in the size of the house and stick a nozzle in.

Although this technique is about as much fun as watching paint dry, you have to at least acknowledge that it makes sense when confronted with these types of structures. Just the mere thought of crawling on an engineered I-beam supported floor surrounded by walls composed of 75% styrofoam, 20% resin glue, and 5% wood chips held together by steel strapping is enough to give me the willies...

[smthborenzzle]

I read an article where Instanbul Turkey has 3 or 4 in service now. They have ordered an additional 10 for delivery. It seems to work well for them in operations after an earthquake. The arm is able to lift large pieces of debris up. Must suck to live on a active fault line!

[shader101]

next version will have small rockets, blow the bldg up, prot the exposures, put out the pile of rubble and call the insurance people.

[chief3102]

thelurker said:

www.vententersearch.com/?p=223#comments

Read the above comments about how large corporations don't even insure their stores because it is cheaper to replace the building than to fix it after a fire. Anyway, read about it, it kinda makes you want to fight fire with a stick and marshmallows.

Lurker, I couldn't agree with you more. The insurance companies have made it their mission to knock em down and set em up again with the cheapest fastest method possible. They take a stick framed, good old fashioned lumber built house that stayed up during a fire, was contained to maybe one or two rooms and knocked them down only to build a cheap piece of crap in it's place that is held together with glue and tin plates. Some worthwhile money spent there

[papacheese]

Everything today is economically driven by the bean counters: insurance companies figure it's cheaper to tear down and build a piece o crap as 02 says because THEY don't have to pay the medical costs for injured firefighters.

Now, where's that tub of water again?

[thelurker]

Chiefs you are right, but I was saying there are Large Corporations that dont even insure their buildings at all. They just rip it down and slap up a new prefab one in the same place. Much less cost than insuring. Also in many of those large chain stores that to that, there is not much storage space, so all paper records are kept in the ceilings. Now grease soaked papers filling the truss spaces....bumping up the fire load, and imagine pulling the ceiling and getting file boxed on your head.

[JDub]

That thing is crazy.