Firefighting: Things Don't Change Much

[x635 4,066]

As many of you know, I LOVE books.

This past October, I aqquired a book published in 1921 entitled "What Every Firefighter Should Know" published by Fire And Water Engineering Co. of New York.

Recently, I aqquired "Los Angeles City Fire Department Officers Guide" published in 1959.

While browsing through both books, I noticed something. Despite all the new technology, techniques, and tatics, when you get down to the nitty gritty, the ART of firefighting hasn't changed much.

Both books contain comprehensive and concise information that is still pertinent today, in fact, I find is better then some information that's put out there these days. Not only does it contain information on bread-and-butter firefighting, but it also goes into subjects that nowadays we call "Special Operations".

Although "tradition" does hold us back, we can learn a lot from our past.

Maybe I'll scan in some pages to give you an example in the next few days......

[Guest]

We have some old books in our firehouse. One is Fire Stream Tables & Fire Engine Test by the National Board Of Fire Underwriters. Jan 1912. It sas some photos of steam engines. I also like to watch some of the Aherns Fox videos I have. Those guys were drafting out of wells,rivers, streams, and mill races at some of the jobs. Its neat to see how far we have come. And I like how some things have not changed, and real glad some things did change.

[x635 4,066]

This is from the Los Angeles City FD Officers Guide Book, Pub. 1959, Foreword

From the x635 Book Collection.

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[firemoose827 324]

Good topic.

Its funny you mentioned the pocket reference. I have always carried pocket guides since the start, and I have always been made fun of. People would always laugh when I pulled one out at a drill and say, "Hey, what are you gonna do with that, whip it out when the s&%$! hits the fan and say 'Time out' while you read it?"

You cant remember everything there is about firefighting, haz-mat, rescue, hydraulics, and everything else that comes our way. So I keep a firefighters handbook and an EMS field guide on me. Its quick and easy to look up flow charts and friction loss tables, and haz-mat, and EMS related info enroute to a call, and for the long duration calls like haz-mat and search and rescue (wildland), you can reference them when needed. I recommend them to younger, newer members. I have had the same copies for 18 years now and like these books, the info is still current.

Always read, always listen, always watch, always learn. The learning should never stop.

Good post X635

Moose.