Changes in the modern fire service
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From excerpts of an article on NWHerald.com:
Despite advancements in thermal imaging and enhanced safety gear, firefighters are facing a very different adversary than in years past. While the overall number of reported fires has dropped significantly—halving over the last 25 years—the ones that do occur are far more perilous and spread rapidly. Fire departments across the nation are working hard to adopt new strategies to combat these evolving threats.
Fire chiefs caution against interpreting the decline in fire reports as a sign that fewer firefighters are required. Last year, just under 1.3 million fires were documented nationwide, marking a 4.7% rise from 2013 and averaging one fire every 24 seconds, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires caused $11.6 billion in damages and resulted in the deaths of 64 firefighters and 3,275 civilians. Although last year's total remains below half of the 3 million fire calls logged back in 1980, the trend shows no signs of reversing.
Roughly 75% of the 494,000 structural fires reported last year originated in residential buildings like homes and apartments. However, fires in homes today differ greatly from those of two generations ago. Modern homes are larger, constructed with materials that burn hotter and quicker, and often contain furnishings and belongings made from highly flammable petroleum-based polymers. Even traditional wooden furniture, which naturally combusts when exposed to heat, now comes coated with flammable polyurethane finishes.
For firefighters, this translates into needing to act more decisively earlier on to prevent building collapses. It also means they have limited time to search bigger houses for trapped occupants. While thermal cameras and advanced equipment enable firefighters to enter burning structures that prior generations couldn’t, this must be complemented by new methods and skills.
Take, for instance, the time residents have to evacuate once their smoke alarms go off. Traditional advice suggests that well-placed smoke detectors on every floor and in sleeping areas can provide up to 15 minutes of additional escape time. In contemporary homes packed with flammable items, that window might shrink to as little as two minutes.
Many local fire departments operate as hybrids where most, if not all, firefighters are also certified paramedics or EMTs. Emergency responders must stabilize victims at the scene before transport, whether it’s for something as minor as a broken ankle or life-threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest.
This demands a team of skilled professionals whose workload has grown substantially. For example, Woodstock Fire Rescue saw 1,100 calls in 1993 when its fire and rescue districts combined. Now, they handle around 4,500 calls annually—a more than 300% increase. Nationally, fire departments fielded 31.6 million calls last year, with nearly two-thirds related to medical assistance, per NFPA statistics.
While firefighting remains a critical role, the growing demand for emergency medical services highlights the evolving nature of these departments’ responsibilities.