Firefighting Then and Now

[huzzie59 75]

For anyone with first hand experience or that have older members that can talk about it, can you give me the diffences between fighting fires in 1968 as compared to 2008.

I assume today there are big advantages that they didn't have in 1968.

Some examples:

Trucks these days pump say 2000gpm. In 1968 they pumped ____gpm? Better? Worse? No difference?

Ladders are of light weight construction, generally not wooden.

PPE is obviously better today. But in 1968 was there less emphasis on interior attacks?

Hoses and nozzles, easier to handle today?

Speaking with an "oldtimer", He says "back in the day" they didn't have all this fancy stuff (PPE mostly) and we still put out the fires from the inside.

Just looking for some opinions.

[gss131 212]

Had the same conversation with a chief,(now retired),and his response was that he was in awe of how deep our guys are now entrenched and his fear was that we are too protected and you may miss exit indications.He also said not to listen to the old timers that brag they did same work,that the work didn't even compare.

[TR54 239]

LDH 4" or 5" supply line. About two years ago an older member (now non firematic) asked me if that big hose was really needed? He honestly said "You are telling me fires are hotter than when I fought fires ?" I thought of furniture materals , double pane glass , ect .. and replied well "Yes"

[JFLYNN 681]

For anyone with first hand experience or that have older members that can talk about it, can you give me the diffences between fighting fires in 1968 as compared to 2008.

I assume today there are big advantages that they didn't have in 1968.

Some examples:

Trucks these days pump say 2000gpm. In 1968 they pumped ____gpm? Better? Worse? No difference?

Ladders are of light weight construction, generally not wooden.

PPE is obviously better today. But in 1968 was there less emphasis on interior attacks?

Hoses and nozzles, easier to handle today?

Speaking with an "oldtimer", He says "back in the day" they didn't have all this fancy stuff (PPE mostly) and we still put out the fires from the inside.

Just looking for some opinions.

In 1968 SCBA was basically optional and infrequently used...

"Turnouts" today were "rubbergoods" then...yes, they would melt when exposed to enough heat...

If the senior man told you in 1968 to "pull up your boots!" it meant it sounded like you were going to a "job" ("worker")...today we wear turnout pants...

Sledgehammers exchanged for hydra-rams and rabbit tools...doors are popped MUCH faster and with much less effort...

Just about everyone has a handie talkie now...back then generally only a small percentage of members would...

widespread use of smoke detectors gets us there quicker...often before flashover, which can be a problem as we tend to get in quicker, and underneath rollover which can flash while we're in the room...

2 1/2" hose for interior attack was the norm in 1968, as well as smoothbore nozzles...we got away from that and now we seem to be drifting back- of course we could write volumes about the pros and cons of each...

Tower Ladders were basically only in existence for a few years in 1968 and their use was as not as widespread as now...

No thermal imagers or FAST teams in 1968, but a good Chief would always have an extra company(s) on scene standing by ready to go to work...

Interior furnishings are much more synthetic today, making fires burn hotter and faster...

Training today is much more formalized and I would say, better...

Alcohol (yes I said it) is not nearly as much a factor on the fireground as it used to be...

Generally, interior attacks were attempted then as much as they are today, however, the advance of the nozzle and search teams would rarely go beyond the doorway of the fire room or rooms until water was being put on the fire...today due mainly to advances in turnouts and SCBA we generally get in much deeper, sometimes too deep, and get ourselves in trouble...

In my opinion, ventilation tactics were better understood back in 1968- there was huge importance placed on getting the roof open...SOME departments still understand the importance of this today, but many do not...

Speaking of ventilation...energy efficient windows have changed fire behavior quite a bit since 1968 also...

I could go on and on but I'll leave the rest to you guys...

BTW, I was only 2 years old in 1968 so I base the above OPINIONS on what I have read (a lot) and what I have heard from respected senior men and retirees over the years (a lot too but more fun than all the reading)

Despite all the changes, the nature of Firefighting is still basically the same...to do it right you need a good handful of agressive, and a little nutty guys who are willing to take a calculated risk and work as a team to put the red stuff on the wet stuff and remove those in harms way...

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

RED fire ball gloves melting from boiling water holding on to a hardie gun, ENG58RET pumping 800 psi 3rd stage pump threw the midnight special Engine 58 [1964 mack C-95] no pack lots of fire,YOU CAN KEEP IT Much better today, but have to agree on the gear. You must train hard to stay ahead !

[firecapt32 282]

Chief Flynn has hit it pretty much on the head-- Back in the day--we were using filter masks that hung around your neck--very few scba's. Ladders were made of wood and dam they were so heavy. Fire apparatus---no power steering---open cabs--in '68 some of the apparatus were still from the '50's. power saws?? what were they?? rubber gear --rubber gloves no 100' aerials. no tower ladders you mean yes we climbed. 2 1/2 was the main stay to lay in with. booster lines were so common. In the winter you had to put on chains no automatic stuff back then. most of the apparatus had the cab back the nose stuck out in front. no hoods very few belts. ohh and the ladder truck had pompier ladders and life nets!!!! every one had a beard:) or at least long hair--hey it was 1968. we were a generation just coming into its own. Life was grand and so much more relaxed.

one thing hasn't changed Chiefs still wore white coats and helmets and we addressed them as Chief and respected their position.

I was 20 and loving life to the fullest