Orcas Island – famous for whale spotting – needed a quick attack solution fleet of pumpers, but one that would comply with State Rating Bureau regulations. For two years Orcas Fire Departmentworked with Darley to find a solution and the unusual result is WASP, a new category of vehicle – the wildland attack structural protection vehicle.

“Enough is enough” is most likely the reason why in the US it is forbidden to enter an unsecured trench or ditch, and there are strict regulations as a result of the deaths of many firefighters who perished while trying to save others. Although there are no current regulations in Europe, the same issues should be considered: Peter Schellekens from ResQtec takes a look at some of the basics.

Compartment firefighting is one of the most challenging and dangerous aspects of modern firefighting. Training for such environments often involves exposure to conditions and risks that have to be carefully controlled whilst preparing firefighters for the conditions they will experience at incidents. Gary Fleming, an expert in compartment firefighting, weighs the pros and cons of the two primary methods of training.

In this the final part of our LNG response series author John Frame provides practical advice on extinguishing media usage, and recommends that industry issue a definitive set of fire and control test results for LNG. An impossible dream, perhaps?

RoadwayRescue LLC & Education Chair David Dalrymple (TERC-US) writes on firefighting science (ie firematic) concerns regarding hybrid and electric vehicles.

Asphyxiation, entrapment, physical injury, engulfment and poisoning – these are just some of the hazards that are faced by those working in a confined space. Learn to recognise the hazards!

A single cubic foot of soil can weigh as much as 145 pounds and a typical cave-in can involve about 1.5 cubic yards of soil weighing approximately 4,000 pounds. After experiencing an increase in trench rescue operations, Chicago Fire Department came up with a world-class innovation that has considerably shortened rescue time: Ann Marie Knegt reports.

Another all-action Master Class is being held in Charlotte, NC (USA), October 2-9 this year, where we always receive the warmest of welcomes from Charlotte FD Chief Jon Hannan and Charlotte CityManager Kurt Walton, writes David Lane of fire, water rescue and marine safety consultants Lane, Jefferies & Associates.

In British Columbia, Canada’s Olympic province, the 2009 fire season surpassed 2003 as the worst fire season in recorded history, with more than 3,000 fires devouring 257,000 hectares, 40% of the Canadian total for the year. Other jurisdictions across the country experienced relatively few significant wildfires in 2009, allowing personnel, equipment and aircraft to be redeployed to BC. Paul Dixon, Emergency Planning Consultant, writes on lessons learned in 2009.

Most of the first responders within fire services in North America carry DSPA-5 units (dry sprinkler powder aerosol units) and in Europe services in Holland, Switzerland, Austria and now Germany have realised the benefits and savings that the DSPA-5 offers: it is now making an impact in the UK.