Falcon firefighters typically see fewer than a dozen structure fires in their district every year. Whether a home, business or barn is involved; structure fires tend to draw attention from neighbors and passersby. Fires just donít happen that often; and, when they do, people are naturally curious about whatís going on.The Falcon Fire Protection District wants to remind everyone that structure fires are not spectator sports. Many firefighting personnel respond to fire scenes and bring plenty of apparatus, so it is important for people to stay a safe distance away to avoid injury or interfering with firefighting efforts. Do not block roadways or driveways that firefighters and apparatus use to get to a scene or while working at a fire.Firefighters are always willing to answer questions about what they do ñ- just not while they are in the middle of fire operations. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about firefighting.Why do many different fire departments show up to fires in Falcon?Small fire departments, especially those in rural areas, simply do not have the same staffing and resources available as larger departments, so they rely on one another for assistance on major incidents like structure fires. (Even large departments need a little help from their neighboring agencies from time to time.) When FFPD is dispatched to a fire, the closest neighboring fire departments are also dispatched under automatic aid agreements. If all of those resources arenít enough, FFPD can request help from other agencies with whom it has mutual aid agreements. Why do firefighters sometimes go into a building to fight the fire and sometimes not?Every year, firefighters are injured and killed while fighting fires. Flashovers (when the contents of a room are heated to their ignition temperatures and ignite all at once), structural collapse and equipment failure under extreme conditions are just some of the causes behind these casualties. Firefighters understand the risks involved with their chosen profession, but they train to evaluate fire situations with a risk management mindset: They will risk their lives to save lives, but not to save a building that can be repaired or replaced. Having said that, firefighters still go into burning buildings because it is often the best way to knock down fires. If the fire has grown too large and/or the building has become structurally unstable, they will go into ìdefensive modeî and fight the fire from the outside. Why do firefighters cut holes in roofs?Fires generate heat and smoke, and the bigger the fire the more heat and smoke it produces. In a building, heat and smoke can accumulate to levels that are hazardous to anyone caught inside, including firefighters in full protective gear. Firefighters will open windows and doors to ventilate, but sometimes the situation calls for cutting a vent hole in the roof to release that built-up heat and smoke. Roof cuts are also helpful for battling attic fires since they provide a way to get water directly on the fire.What do the different kinds of fire trucks do at a fire?Fire engines, the most common type of apparatus, are basically designed to pump water through a hose onto a fire. An engine is outfitted with a pump, water tank (usually 500 ñ 750 gallons), different sizes of hose and an assortment of other firefighting tools and equipment including axes and ladders.An aerial ladder truck has a hydraulically operated ladder mounted to it that can be extended about 100 feet vertically or horizontally. It carries a variety of ground ladders, as well as other equipment. FFPD currently does not have a ladder truck, and relies on neighboring departments to provide one when needed.Water tenders are simply tanker type vehicles that carry large amounts of water to supply fire engines in areas that donít have fire hydrants. At a fire scene, firefighters will deploy a portable tank made of heavy vinyl mounted on a collapsible metal frame. Tender operations are relatively simple: The tender dumps its water into the tank and goes to refill while the engine pumps the water out to another engine or directly onto the fire.Specialized vehicles seen at local structure fires include command vehicles, trucks that carry compressors to refill firefightersí self-contained breathing apparatus; and the Pikes Peak Firefighterís Association Rehab truck, which provides beverages and food to firefighters for much needed nourishment.How many firefighters does it take to put out a fire?The number of firefighters depends on the size of the fire and the conditions (heat, freezing temperatures). Firefighting is labor intensive in the best of circumstances, and crews try to rotate through tasks and take breaks when possible for safety and health reasons. Thereís no hard and fast rule, but itís not uncommon to see 20 to 40 personnel or more at a working fire.
