Fire Captain Says:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/03/21/this-is-why-we-invest-in-science-this/#comment-497405

In 1973 when I first began my career in the Fire Department, high-pressure water application on structure fires was all the rage. There are basically two kinds of fire pumps on the fire engines. One is the main pump for large hoses, and the second is a booster or high pressure pump for the small rubber hoses on the reels. These smaller hoses are very capable of putting out structure fires as long as the fire doesn’t get too big. The key is optimal water application. We have known for decades that very little water can put out very big fires under just the right circumstances. I remember watching an old 16mm movie shot back in the 60′s on this very subject of high pressure water application on structure fires. This is not new stuff. Because NASA engineers get involved it is treated like no one ever thought of this before.

The fever in the fire service for limiting water damage was so hot in the 70′s they even came out with exclusive high pressure nozzles for fighting structure fires.

Well, as always happens, eventually someone got hurt. Fire and it’s relationship with the environment is very complex. High pressure application of water is not the answer for every situation.

Needless to say some Fire Chiefs with large egos jumped on the chance to make a name for themselves and called for a ban of these nozzles. Ignorant Fire Chiefs across the country began to demand that a minimum of an 1 1/2 inch hose line be used on all structure fires. For this hose line you get about 100 gallons per minute. Most fighters hate trying to fight a fire where you are maneuvering with a 100 gallons per minute flowing. This is a very unwieldy hose to handle. Ironically, the high pressure booster line can also generates as much as 100 gpm at higher pressures. Most Fire Chiefs are too dumb to understand hydraulics.

As the years went by and firefighters were carrying more and more equipment into fires, the Fire Chiefs thought let’s make it even tougher. By the late 90′s they were forcing firefighters to pull 1 3/4 and 2 inch lines into fires. Keep in mind this might be for something as small as a chair fire.

The second comical point of the high pressure study at Vandenberg, is that the engineers don’t understand politics. You think you can help relieve the tax payer by reducing the number of fighters it takes to put out a fire? Don’t kid yourself. There are ugly politics at play. Just ask about the 2 in and 2 out law that the International Association of Firefighters twisted arms of congressmen to push through. They used the guise of “safety” to force congress into creating a bad law to increase the numbers of fighters across the country just to help fatten up their bank accounts but causing great financial hardships on cities and communities nationwide. Not to mention many Fire Chiefs are empire builders. It seems that everyone wants to leave there mark in life and the fire service is frock with this phenom. I am fairly confident that high pressure extinguishing systems will come around again like it or not. Why? Because Fire Chiefs have egos.

They say there are four sides to a fire. Heat, fuel, oxygen, and the Fire Chief. Remove any one of them and the fire will go out.