Fire Company and Company Officer

Ranks

In the United States helmet colors often denote a firefighter's rank or position. In general, white helmets denote chief officers, while red helmets denote company officers, but the specific meaning of a helmet's color or style varies from region to region and department to department. The rank of an officer in the U.S. fire service is most commonly denoted by one (lieutenant) to five (fire chief) bugles.

In contrast, most fire brigades in Commonwealth countries have a more 'civilianized' nomenclature, traditionally structured in this manner:

· Firefighter

· Leading Firefighter

· Sub Officer(equivalent to a US Lieutenant)

· Station Officer

· Divisional Officer

· Chief Fire Officer (equivalent to a US fire Chief, and likewise wears a white helmet).

The various grades of Divisional Officers and CFOs are indicated by one or more impellers on their epaulettes or the collar of their firefighting uniform, as opposed to the bugle insignia used in the USA.

Why Are Firefighters So Special?

What makes firefighters so special? Why do firefighters knowingly and willingly take part in some of the most hazardous activities outside of military battle? The do so because for the most part, firefighters are dedicated, caring, motivated, and sincere people. Today’s firefighter responds to emergencies of every type: medical emergencies, auto extrications, swift water rescues, high-angle rope operations, hazardous materials incidents, confined space rescues, and, of course, fires. Firefighters have their hands into everything and no matter when they are called, or to what type of emergency they respond, they have to be on top of the game. There is no room for doing things half right when their own lives and the lives of those they protect hang in the balance.

So just how do firefighters stay current and prepared? – With education and training! Maintaining current skills and developing new ones is the most important activity for firefighters today. Basic skills, such as staying low while searching a burning building and knowing exactly when and how to perform ventilation, as well as new skills, such as confined space tactics and hazardous materials duties, all must be studied, practiced, and refined.

The Fire Service:

Somewhere, lost in the ancient past, is the name of the very first firefighter. That person was probably thrust into the job of fighting fire out of sheer desperation, to protect himself, his family, or his possessions. It was a courageous act then, and it has remained a courageous act as the fire problem has passed from those obscure ancient events to the streets of small towns and villages, suburban cities, metropolitan areas, airports, harbors, marinas, and wildlands, all of which are protected by contemporary firefighters.

The fire service contains a great deal of tradition. These traditions are often in conflict with the needs of the fire service to change constantly in order to keep up with the task of combating fire in a modern society. The job of being a firefighter today is very much different from the past, but practically everything the fire service does to protect its citizens is rooted in events from the past.

The fire service of today is a direct result of an evolution in the methodology, technology, and responsibility of a fire service that has been vital to communities since the beginning of civilization.

Present-day firefighters need to recognize that what they do today is going to be the basis for the process future firefighters will use. Understanding the history of the fire service is a lot like climbing a ladder. The ladder has to be well grounded in order to be stable and there must be strong beams to support the ladder. There are rungs to stand on as the ladder is climbed. The two beams of the fire service’s history are courage and commitment. The bottom rungs represent the experience and knowledge gained from past years. The rung we are standing on is the present. The ones that are beyond our reach are the future. The ladder is being raised to achieve the goal of saving lives and property. We anticipate that we will always be climbing that ladder in an unending quest to achieve that goal.

The fire service of today has a very diverse, complicated system of delivery, a result of the contributions of all past generations. The basic mission of saving lives and property has not changed. Only the manner and means to cope with the problem have changed. Nonetheless, the fire service of today still contains a great deal of the past in its inventory of tools, equipment, and methods. We are today what we have become from our past experiences.

What does the future hold for firefighters as they begin their careers? In one sense a firefighter’s career is like climbing that ladder mentioned above. There are a lot more rungs to be climbed as firefighters pursue their careers. And, while we stand on only one rung at a time, we must be able to place our hands on those rungs that are higher.

No one should attempt to predict the future without giving due credit to the past. The future will contain a lot of challenges and opportunities. The future will contain some changes that will be difficult to deal with, just as they were for previous generations. The future will contain a requirement that firefighters continue to learn and develop skills that did not even exist the day they entered the fire service, not unlike those from the past.

What is predictable about the future is that firefighters will likely be called on to deal with whatever dilemma or disaster strikes the community they serve. They must be prepared.

The motto of the Roman fire brigade was “Always Vigilant.” It was good enough for then It is good enough for today.

The standard operating unit of a fire department is the “company”, consisting of a group of firefighters assigned to a particular piece of fire apparatus. The number of personnel varies from two to six persons depending upon the type of company, the size of apparatus, and the number of personnel available. Fire companies are organized, equipped, and trained for a definite function. The work of firefighters assigned to companies is not easy. Advancing hose, carrying ladders, performing rescues, and so on is difficult work. Firefighters must often labor in excessive temperatures and poor visibility. Firefighters attacking the fire must wear protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus to minimize injuries from exposure to extremely high temperatures, the toxic products of combustion, and falling debris.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27