Fire tactics: definition, methods and features

In this article we will talk about science, studying both the fires themselves, their sources, progression, and the methods, patterns of fighting the fire element. The name of this discipline is fire tactics. Let us dwell in more detail on its terms, tasks, methods, algorithms, and consider the main course formulas.

Discipline Definition

Fire tactics is a science that studies the laws of the spread of fires, as well as methods of dealing with them, and ways to save people. There are two objects of consideration here: the preparation of the brigade for extinguishing and the direct extinguishing of the fire.

The main direction of the researchers' work within the framework of the discipline is the identification of certain laws of effective preparation for extinguishing, the very process of fighting fire and saving the victims. Accordingly, the goal of fire tactics will be the development of quick and effective fire fighting methods.

This discipline is intended to accompany in a scientific and methodological plan the actions of the fire brigade to save people and fight fire.

The main tasks of the discipline

Fire extinguishing tactics pursues the following tasks:

• The study of certain patterns of fire progression.
• Acquaintance with the algorithm of actions both to extinguish the fire and to conduct related emergency rescue operations.
• Development of the most successful methods for organizing the work of a fire brigade.
• Improving the training, both tactical and psychological, of the entire garrison involved - both an ordinary and a leading one.

Purpose of creation, methodology

The goal of creating a fire service, and with it the development of the basics of fire tactics, is the fire safety of citizens of the Russian Federation. The latter is divided into the prevention of fires and the fight against them, and the second component - to prepare for action and, in fact, extinguishing the fire. Fire tactics is designed to determine the main vectors of education and training of future firefighters, and to regulate the actions of the brigade already directly in the "battle".

The fire prevention methodology can be thoroughly found in the provisions of GOST 12.1.004-91. Fire fighting methods will be discussed in detail below. First of all, let's get acquainted with the basic terms that operate on any textbook on fire tactics.

The main terminology of the discipline

Fire is any uncontrolled burning, the scale of which can extend to the destruction of material values ​​and create a danger to people's lives. Four main parameters characterize it:

• combustion rate;
• distribution area;
• fire propagation speed;
• burning time.

The focus of the fire is the location of the most intense burning. It is characterized by continuous:

• sufficient heat to maintain combustion;
• fuel / fuel supply;
• air or other oxidizing agent.

Fire localization is a way to deal with it, limiting the burning area. Extinguishing is already the elimination of the fire, the final stage of which will be the complete cessation of burning.

There are two ways to localize and then eliminate the fire source according to tactics in the fire department - by cooling the combustion materials to a temperature at which their ignition will become impossible, or by separating the reacting components. For these purposes, special fire extinguishing agents are used, which are divided into three types:

• cooling - water or various aqueous solutions;
• diluting substances reacting to each other - atomized droplets of water or water vapor, inert gases;
• insulating from the burning location - special extinguishing powders, foams - chemical and air-mechanical, sheet materials, non-combustible powders, etc.

Tactics of fire departments

The algorithm is observed as follows:

1. Reception, processing of the incident message.
2. Departure of the brigade and its following to the place of ignition.
3. Conducting intelligence at the scene.
4. A set of activities aimed at extinguishing a fire.
5. Deployment, if necessary, additional forces and means.
6. Complete elimination of the fire.
7. Necessary special work.
8. Gathering brigade, equipment, return to the garrison base.

Now we’ll take a closer look at the tactics, strategy and culture of fire intelligence.

Fire intelligence

There are a number of rigorous requirements for fire intelligence - timeliness, reliability, activity, determination and continuity. During it, the team must complete a set of tasks on which the success of the elimination of the fire depends:

• Locate people, assess threats to their life and health, and identify the right ways to save the victims.
• Determine the possibility of secondary hazardous ignition factors.
• Determination of locations, extent of ignition, combustion materials, speed and paths of flame propagation.
• If possible, find fire protection equipment and facilities on the territory of the affected facility.
• Find energized installations, determine the possibility and methods of disconnecting them from the power supply.
• Conduct a brief analysis of the state of building structures, their strength and durability; outline possible places for disassembling or opening them.
• To determine whether the forces of the arrived brigade and equipment are sufficient to localize and liquidate the fire, and whether reinforcements are needed.
• The choice of a decisive direction and peripheral paths of action.

Books on fire tactics in the "Intelligence" section additionally draw students' attention to topics such as:

• inspection of smoky spaces;
• opening of construction and other structures for laying evacuation routes;
• a set of security measures during reconnaissance.

Fire extinguishing tactics

When localizing fires, the main forces are aimed at creating UT - extinguishing sites. They are divided according to their functionality:

• to extinguish;
• for guard;
• to save the victims, etc.

In order to successfully complete the task facing the garrison who arrived at the scene of the incident, it is necessary to choose the decisive vector of actions correctly. The principles of its definition are as follows:

• If there is a threat to the life or health of the victims, then the main area of ​​work will be their salvation.
• If the progression of a fire can lead to an explosion or collapse, then the forces of the fire brigade concentrate on preventing this tragedy.
• If there is a threat of flame spreading to structures and facilities that have not been touched by them, then the first step is to prevent the firefighters from doing this and to ensure that the injured person receives minimal material damage.
• If there is no threat of fire spreading to other structures, then the fire brigade throws its main forces to the localization of the most intense centers of fire.
• If a building covered by fire does not represent material value, but there is a possibility that the flame will spread to neighboring buildings and structures, then the garrison primarily protects them from fire.

When studying the theory of fire fighting, you need to know the following:

• supply methods, work with various fire extinguishing agents;
• feeding methods in various locations - cellars, burning surface, voids of ceilings, etc., trunks feeding foam;
• methods of laying hose lines;
• safety features and rules for working in smoky spaces.

The basic formulas of fire tactics

The following values ​​are used for the fire area prediction formulas:

V _l - the value of the linear velocity of propagation of combustion;

t _p - fire development time;

t _lok - localization time of ignition;

L _p - the path traveled by fire.

Let us present in the table formulas that determine the path traveled by the fire during the development of the fire.

To determine the path traveled by fire through the free doorways, - L _{dv / p} , the values ​​are used:

L _p - the path of fire:

L _{pr / dv} - the projection of the gap from the center of the doorway to the epicenter of ignition on the vertical;

L _per - the distance from the epicenter of the fire to the wall, which changes the shape of the entire area of ​​ignition.

If the doorway is in the fire area, when the latter changes from angular to rectangular, the formula is used: L _{dv / p} = L _p - L _{pr / dv.}

If, under the same conditions, the doorway is in the incremented area of ​​the fire, then a calculation is needed according to: L _{dv / p} = L _p - L _per.

Fire extinguishing formulas

The following values ​​are used to calculate the required amount of extinguishing media:

Q _Tr - the total amount of the required substance;

Q _{tr / t} - the amount of substance necessary for extinguishing;

Q _{tr / s} - the amount of substance necessary for protection;

S _p - fire area;

S _t - quenching area;

I _Tr - the required intensity of the substance.

N _{t / stem} - the number of extinguishing devices;

N _{s / stem} - the number of trunks for protection;

q _stem - consumption of a substance from one barrel.

In the textbooks you can meet the tasks of fire tactics with solutions according to these formulas:

• Q _Tr = Q _{Tr / t} + Q _{Tr / s} ;
• Q _{tr / t} = S _p x I _tr ;
• Q _{tr / t} = S _t x I _tr ;
• Q _{tr / s} = S _p x I _{s / tr} ;
• N _{t / st} = Q _{tr / t} / q _stv ;
• N _{s / st} = Q _{Tr / s} / q _{st .}

The discipline considered by us is not only educational, but also practically used in the work of fire crews. Successful possession of fire tactics helps to quickly conduct reconnaissance of the scene and build the correct algorithm of actions, minimizing the number of victims and material damage.