Editing Firefighter (section)

==Duties==
===Fire suppression===
[[Image:Fire inside an abandoned convent in Massueville, Quebec, Canada.jpg|thumb|Firefighters had to focus their efforts on saving the adjacent church instead of this burning building, an abandoned convent in Massueville, Quebec, Canada]]
[[File:Firefighter ladder slide.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|Firefighter carrying out a ladder slide]]
A fire burns due to the presence of three elements: [[fuel]], [[oxygen]] and heat. This is often referred to as the ''[[fire triangle]]''. Sometimes it is known as the ''[[fire tetrahedron]]'' if a fourth element is added: a chemical chain reaction which can help sustain certain types of fire. The aim of firefighting is to deprive the fire of at least one of those elements. Most commonly this is done by dousing the fire with water, though some fires require other methods such as foam or dry agents. Firefighters are equipped with a wide variety of equipment for this purpose that include ladder trucks, pumper trucks, tanker trucks, fire hose, and [[fire extinguisher]]s.

==== Structural firefighting ====
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:''See also [[:Category:Fire suppression|Fire suppression]] for other techniques.''
While sometimes fires can be limited to small areas of a structure, wider collateral damage due to smoke, water and burning embers is common. Utility shutoff (such as gas and electricity) is typically an early priority for arriving fire crews. In addition, forcible entry may be required in order to gain access into the structure. Specific procedures(NFPA 704)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hart |first=Jonathan |date=2021-11-05 |title=Hazardous Materials identification |url=https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/blogs/2021/11/05/hazardous-materials-identification |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=www.nfpa.org}}</ref> and equipment are needed at a property where hazardous materials are being used or stored. Additionally, fighting fires in some structures may require additional training and firefighting tactics that are specific to that structure. For example, row house fires are a type of structure fire that require specific tactics to decrease risks.<ref>[https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/2023-101/default.html row house fires] </ref>

[[Structure fire]]s may be attacked with either "interior" or "exterior" resources, or both. Interior crews, using the "[[two in, two out]]" rule, may extend [[fire hose]] lines inside the building, find the fire and cool it with water. Exterior crews may direct water into windows and other openings, or against any nearby [[fuel]]s exposed to the initial fire. Hose streams directed into the interior through exterior wall apertures may conflict and jeopardize interior fire attack crews.

Buildings that are made of flammable materials such as wood are different from building materials such as concrete. Generally, a "fire-resistant" building is designed to limit fire to a small area or floor. Other floors can be safe by preventing smoke inhalation and damage. All buildings suspected or on fire must be evacuated, regardless of fire rating.

When fire departments respond to structure fires, the priorities are life safety, incident stabilization, and property conservation. Some tactics used to achieve positive results at a structure fire include scene size-up, door control, coordinated ventilation, and exterior attack prior to entry.

When the first fire department arrives on-scene at a structure fire, scene size-up must occur to develop the appropriate strategy (offensive or defensive) and tactics. With scene size-up, a risk assessment must also occur to determine the risks of making an interior fire attack. When an incident's critical factors and the risk management plan indicate an offensive strategy, the incident commander will define the tactical objectives for entering the structure. Offensive incident action plans (tactics) are based on the standard offensive tactical priorities and their corresponding completion benchmarks.

=====Firefighting priorities and tactics=====
[[File:Ministry of Information First World War Official Collection Q30979.jpg|thumb|A firefighter carrying a worker out of a munitions factory during World War&nbsp;I. Saving lives is a primary objective for firefighters.]]
The incident commander should consider these priorities and firefighting tactics at a structure fire:
* Life safety – primary and secondary "All Clear(s)" (A/C)
* Property conservation – "Loss Stopped" (L/S)
* Post fire control firefighter decontamination (Decon)
* Customer Stabilization – Short term{{efn|Customer stabilization refers to customer service that fire departments provide during an emergency. When a fire department responds to an emergency, two related priorities are life safety and stabilizing the incident. Part of this process is ensuring the customer's well-being from the time of dispatch until after the incident becomes stable.}}

Some firefighting tactics may appear to be destructive, but often serve specific needs. For example, during [[Ventilation (firefighting)|ventilation]], firefighters are forced to either open holes in the roof or floors of a structure (called vertical ventilation), or open windows and walls (called horizontal ventilation) to remove smoke and heated gases from the interior of the structure. Such ventilation methods are also used to improve interior visibility to locate victims more quickly. Ventilation helps to preserve the life of trapped or unconscious individuals as it releases the poisonous gases from inside the structure. Vertical ventilation is vital to firefighter safety in the event of a [[flashover]] or [[backdraft]] scenario. Releasing the flammable gases through the roof eliminates the possibility of a [[backdraft]], and the removal of heat can reduce the possibility of a [[flashover]]. Flashovers, due to their intense heat ({{convert|900|–|1200|°F|-1}}) and explosive temperaments, are commonly fatal to firefighter personnel. Precautionary methods, such as smashing a window, reveal backdraft situations before the firefighter enters the structure and is met with the circumstance head-on. Firefighter safety is the number one priority.

Whenever possible during a structure fire, property is moved into the middle of a room and covered with a salvage cover, a heavy cloth-like tarp. Various steps such as retrieving and protecting valuables found during suppression or overhaul, evacuating water, and boarding windows and roofs can divert or prevent post-fire runoff.

====Wildland firefighting====
{{Main|Wildfire suppression}}
[[Wildfire]]s (known in Australia as [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfires]]) require a unique set of strategies and tactics. In many countries such as Australia and the United States, these duties are mostly carried out by local [[Volunteer fire department|volunteer firefighters]]. Wildfires have some ecological role in allowing new plants to grow, therefore in some cases they will be left to burn.<ref>{{citation|title=Forest Fire in Canada|date=2008-06-05|url=http://fire.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/questions-eng.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530143903/http://fire.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/questions-eng.php|url-status=dead|publisher=Natural Resources Canada|access-date=2009-05-01|archive-date=2009-05-30}}</ref> Priorities in fighting wildfires include preventing the loss of life and property as well as ecological damage.

==== Aircraft rescue and firefighting ====
{{Main|Aircraft rescue and firefighting}}
[[Airport]]s employ specialist firefighters to deal with potential ground emergencies. Due to the mass casualty potential of an aviation emergency, the speed with which emergency response equipment and personnel arrive at the scene of the emergency is of paramount importance. When dealing with an emergency, the airport firefighters are tasked with rapidly securing the aircraft, its crew and its passengers from all hazards, particularly fire. Airport firefighters have advanced training in the application of firefighting foams, dry chemical and clean agents used to extinguish burning aviation fuel.

=== Rescue ===
[[File:Extrication exercise (1).jpg|thumb|right|A demonstration of a [[vehicle extrication]]]]
Firefighters rescue persons from confinement or dangerous situations such as [[Structure fire|burning buildings]] and [[traffic collision|crashed vehicles.]] Complex, infrequent situations requiring specialized training and equipment include rescues from collapsed buildings and confined spaces. Many fire departments, including most in the United Kingdom,{{cn|date=March 2025}} refer to themselves as a ''fire and rescue service'' for this reason. Large fire departments, such as the [[New York City Fire Department]] and [[London Fire Brigade]], have specialist teams for advanced technical rescue. As structure fires have been in decline for many years in developed countries such as the United States, rescues other than fires make up an increasing proportion of their firefighters' work.<ref name="Plenty"/>

===Emergency medical services===
Firefighters frequently provide some degree of [[Emergency medicine|emergency medical care]]. In some jurisdictions [[first aid]] is the only medical training that firefighters have, and medical calls are the sole responsibility of a separate [[emergency medical services]] (EMS) agency. Elsewhere, it is common for firefighters to respond to medical calls. The impetus for this is the growing demand in medical emergencies and the significant decline in fires.<ref name="Plenty">{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/09/07/plenty-firefighters-but-where-are-fires/isCPrIPauX078UKHdixu0K/story.html|title=Plenty of firefighters, but where are the fires?|date=2013-09-07|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|access-date=2017-09-22}}</ref>

In such departments, firefighters are often certified as [[emergency medical technician]]s in order to deliver [[basic life support]], and more rarely as [[paramedics]] to deliver [[advanced life support]]. In the United Kingdom, where fire services and EMS are run separately, [[Fire service co-responder|fire service co-responding]] has been introduced more recently.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/LatestNewsReleases_brigade-and-london-ambulance-service-team-up-for-life-saving-trial.asp#.WIpXBH2DEfI|title=News|website=www.london-fire.gov.uk|access-date=5 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813185751/http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/LatestNewsReleases_brigade-and-london-ambulance-service-team-up-for-life-saving-trial.asp#.WIpXBH2DEfI|archive-date=13 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Another point of variation is whether the firefighters respond in a fire engine or a [[Nontransporting EMS vehicle|response car]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-firefighters-called-300-medical-11295803|title=Surrey firefighters called to almost 300 medical emergencies during co-responding trial|publisher=[[Surrey Advertiser]]|date=9 May 2016|access-date=3 September 2018}}</ref>

=== Hazardous materials ===
[[File:Decontamination after incident at Archway - geograph.org.uk - 108750.jpg|thumb|[[Decontamination]] after a chemical spill]]
Fire departments are usually the lead agency that responds to [[Dangerous goods|hazardous materials]] incidents. Specialized firefighters, known as hazardous materials technicians, are trained in chemical identification, leak and spill control, and decontamination.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NFPA 1072 Hazardous Materials Technician |url=https://festi.ca/emergency/hazardous-materials/nfpa-1072-hazardous-materials-technician/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=festi.ca |language=en-CA}}</ref>

===Fire prevention===
[[File:FiremanPaffandElmo.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|Firefighters frequently give fire prevention talks at schools and community events]]

Fire departments frequently provide advice to the public on how to prevent fires in the home and work-place environments. Fire inspectors or fire marshals will directly inspect businesses to ensure they are up to the current building [[fire code]]s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=5000|title=NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code|website=National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iccsafe.org/codes-tech-support/codes/2018-i-codes/ifc/|title=Overview of the International Fire Code|website=International Code Council (ICC)|access-date=8 July 2018|date=2015-03-20}}</ref> which are enforced so that a building can sufficiently resist fire spread, potential hazards are located, and to ensure that occupants can be safely evacuated, commensurate with the risks involved.

[[fire sprinkler|Fire suppression systems]] have a proven record for controlling and extinguishing unwanted fires. Many fire officials recommend that every building, including residences, have [[fire sprinkler]] systems.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Sprinkler-Initiative/Legislation-and-adoptions/Sprinkler-requirements|title=NFPA Fire Sprinkler Initiative|website=National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref> Correctly working sprinklers in a residence ''greatly'' reduce the risk of death from a fire.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.firehouse.com/home/article/12096404/research-shows-residential-sprinklers-save-lives|title=Research Shows Residential Sprinklers Save Lives|last1=Pollack|first1=Keshia|date=August 24, 2015|access-date=8 July 2018|publisher=SAGE Journal|last2=Frattaroli|first2=Shannon|issue=Fire and Worker Health and Safety|last3=Somers|first3=Scott}}</ref> With the small rooms typical of a residence, one or two sprinklers can cover most rooms. In the United States, the housing industry trade groups have lobbied at the State level to prevent the requirement for fire sprinklers in one or two family homes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/the-fire-sprinkler-war-state-by-state|title=The Fire Sprinkler War, State by State|last1=Faturechi|first1=Robert|date=June 22, 2016|work=Propublica|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/Fire-Sprinkler-Initiative/Legislation-and-adoptions/Anti-sprinkler-legislation|title=Anti-sprinkler legislation|website=National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)|access-date=8 July 2018}}</ref>

Other methods of fire prevention are by directing efforts to reduce known hazardous conditions or by preventing dangerous acts before tragedy strikes. This is normally accomplished in many innovative ways such as conducting presentations, distributing safety brochures, providing news articles, writing [[public safety announcement]]s (PSA) or establishing meaningful displays in well-visited areas. Ensuring that each household has working [[smoke alarm]]s, is educated in the proper techniques of fire safety, has an evacuation route and rendezvous point is of top priority in [[public education]] for most fire prevention teams in almost all fire department localities.

Fire investigators, who are experienced firefighters trained in fire cause determinism, are dispatched to fire scenes in order to investigate and determine whether the fire was a result of an accident or intentional. Some fire investigators have full law enforcement powers to investigate and arrest suspected arsonists.