Experts weigh in on the future of fire research
Recent fire-behavior research findings have been nothing short of groundbreaking; but can the next generation of fire chiefs expect more of the same?
Oct 21, 2015
Editor’s Note:
This feature is part of our Fire Chief Digital Edition, a quarterly supplement to FireChief.com that brings a sharpened focus to some of the most challenging topics facing fire chiefs and fire service leaders everywhere. To read all of the articles included in the Fall 2015 issue, click here.
I recently caught up with two gentlemen who have been deeply involved in fire behavior research, Dan Madrzykowski and Robin Zevotek, to get their thoughts on where fire behavior research is headed and why they think it's heading in that direction.
What are the results of today's fire behavior research going to mean to the fire service over the next five to 10 years?
Madrzykowski: The fire dynamics research of the past 15 years has moved the research from single rooms inside a laboratory to fire dynamics within structures. These studies have not only examined how the fire will grow and spread due to building geometry and materials, but also how ventilation and suppression impact the fires, buildings and potential victims.
Fire behavior experiments have been conducted in single-family homes, high rises and a few commercial type structures. The knowledge gained and transferred to the fire service includes:
- Fire growth rates of synthetic fuels.
- Collapse times for light-weight construction assemblies.
- Recognition that smoke is fuel.
- Awareness of wind-driven fires, ventilation-limited fires and ventilation induced flashovers and flow paths.
More importantly is that this information provides empirical evidence that fires can be better controlled by closely coordinating ventilation and suppression tactics.
If the results are adopted and integrated into every fire department across the country, the potential to save civilian lives and property should increase. We would also greatly reduce the death rate of firefighters due to traumatic injuries and injuries to firefighters on the fireground.
The Panel
Dan Madrzykowski is a fire protection engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he’s played an instrumental role in the institute’s fire-behavior research and joint fire research with NIST and UL. Her earned his Master of Science degree in fire protection engineering from University of Maryland College Park, where he also earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. Among his awards is a Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 2008 for his 10-year study on fire behavior.
Robin Zevotek is a research engineer with UL’s Firefighter Safety Research Institute. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in fire protection engineering at the University of Maryland College Park, where he’s also finishing up work on his graduate degree in fire protection engineering. Zevotek also served as a volunteer live-in Fire EMS sergeant with the College Park Volunteer Fire Department while working on his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland. He’s served with the Moyers Corners Fire Department, where he attained the rank of captain.
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Zevotek: Today's fire dynamics research surely will set the stage for what's to come over the next five to 10 years. The fire service is in the midst of a cultural change. Fire dynamics research is confirming some fire service tactics from the last 10 years while shaping new tactics for the ever-changing fire environment.
As the construction technology and materials for building construction continue to evolve, the fire environment will change with them. The same is true for the fuels that fill our buildings, i.e., the furnishings where synthetic materials continue to replace natural materials.
I think the greater the acceptance and use of fire dynamics research by fire service leaders over the next 10 years will initiate change in the fire service through the use of science. This will pave the way for the use of new tactics and technology. If fire service leaders can adapt current tactics to the findings of fire behavior research, it could result in more effective fire protection.
Beyond that, there must be a push to include the findings of fire-behavior research in fire-prevention initiatives for public education, code development and code enforcement. The results of our most recent fire-behavior research can provide validity to some of the current programs and be the basis for future improvements.
Where do you foresee fire behavior research heading over the next five to 10 years?
Madrzykowski: The research needs to continue as building materials, firefighter protective gear and safety equipment are constantly changing. The interaction of the conditions that a firefighter must work in, as well as the protection a firefighter has, must be taken into account when determining fire suppression strategies and tactics.
Of course none of this research matters if the results are never taught to firefighters or implemented by departments. In fact, some of the muscle memory tactics that are currently being taught on fire training grounds around the U.S. are probably doing more harm than good.
One example that's frequently happening on the training ground is the practice of not allowing the trainee to completely extinguish the fire. This is typically done as a matter of practicality to enable an overtaxed training team to move a large number of trainees through the fire suppression evolution. But is the result a firefighter that is hesitant to open the nozzle and let it flow on the fireground?
What about the practice, in purpose-built training towers with fuel-limited fires or of venting to clear the smoke? In real structure fires today, the fire is likely to be ventilation-limited or fuel rich. In these scenarios, if the fire gases are not cooled prior to ventilation, the fire will get bigger. Are the trainees being taught the difference? This (cooling first) should not be considered theory or an option.
We now have a growing body of fire behavior research evidence that clearly shows this (cooling first vs. venting first) is not a theory. Therefore, we now have a critical need to extend our research into how to safely train firefighters under more realistic conditions that will enable them to have a better understanding of both recognizing different fire conditions and how to best control them.
Zevotek: As fire researchers strive to understand the modern fire environment, material scientists are constantly inventing new materials used in everyday life. As these groups work in parallel, there will always be a need for fire dynamics research to understand how the new materials change the fire environment.
I see fire dynamics researchers partnering with material scientists and physicians to work toward a safe and effective fire retardant. The development of a material that meets the needs of the manufacturer, consumer and is relatively fire safe could potentially reduce the injuries and deaths from fire both in the U.S. and around the world.
Why do you foresee fire behavior research heading in that direction?
Madrzykowski: We need to continue to grow the body of knowledge for fire behavior because the structures and the fuels are constantly evolving. I see the need to keep expanding the scope and magnitude of the research because the fire problem is not static.
Zevotek: We have an essential need for this cross discipline approach to researching how materials contribute to fire growth and spread. Without working together, the problem will be constantly evolving, requiring fire researchers to evaluate new materials after they are being used, never permitting researchers to be presenting a solution at the same time the problem is identified.
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