Firefighter: The Drama and Humour of a Dangerous Professionis the work of former firefighter Neil Wallington, whose fire brigade career began in Croydon in 1963. After sixteen years service in the London Fire Brigade, he moved on promotion to West Sussex and then Bedfordshire before taking command of the Mid Glamorgan Brigade. He concluded his uniformed service as Chief Fire Officer of Devon Fire and Rescue Service. In 1974, Neil was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for his part in the protracted teamwork rescue of four firefighters buried a sudden building collapse during a major London hotel fire. He has also served as the International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers and nowadays acts as a consultant on various fire and rescue matters, is the editor of a Middle Eastern fire magazine and organises international fire and rescue conferences. In the book, the author draws upon his personal experiences in the harsh physical world of the fire service to describe the hard slog of training school, the first fatal fire, and the suffering and injury witnessed so often by fire crews. In addition to firefighting, a number of road and other crashes, leaking toxic chemicals, explosions and a wide variety of emergencies in all weathers, day and night, are graphically recalled, as are struggles with children and animals stuck in all sorts of predicaments. Throughout the pages of this book, the humour of the fire service shines through. This highly absorbing and exciting true life account reflects the often-dangerous, frequently dramatic and sometimes surprising world of the modern firefighter.

The world is burning, and it appears that we are to blame. Devastating wildfires are increasing throughout the United States.  Each year, more and more acres of the Brazilian rain forest are destroyed in ferocious blazes.  Vast areas of wilderness around the world are dying, setting the stage for a human and environmental tragedy.

David L. Porter had been covering wild fires in the American Southwest for more than twelve years. The loss of his Lake Arrowhead home to a wildfire in 2003 compelled him to look more closely into why conflagrations are rising worldwide.  Porter’s investigation revealed a global pandemic of wildfires, which has been highlighted by the 2007 fires in Southern California.   

"Hell on Earth" gives readers a greater awareness of the growing threat of massive wildfires and outlines the political, social, and environmental effects these blazes have on our planet. It also takes a look at what we can do at an individual level to ensure our safety---from local forest management to fire safety precautions to global initiatives. It is our responsibility to take action and protect our planet and lives from these catastrophes or become their victims. "Hell on Earth" is wake up call for us all.

Paul Grimwood has responded and worked from over a hundred fire stations in the USA and Europe. In this, his third book, he demonstrates how the very best strategies and tactical approaches from Europe and the USA may be effectively combined to enhance firefighter tactics and safety at structure fires. The book also covers and exceeds the 2007 syllabus of the European (UK) EDEXCEL CFBT Instructor Qualification (90 hours) for practical Fire Behavior Training (flashover training in ISO shipping containers and other FDS units). Euro Firefighter is for the CFBT instructor, firefighter, company officer and fire chief. The concept of teaching about flashover using ISO steel shipping containers was developed in Europe now read how European instructors teach fire behavior using a vast array of Fire Development Simulators (FDS). This book will also take you out onto the fire-grounds of London, New York, Madrid, Chicago, Paris, Germany and Sweden, demonstrating how similar fires are fought using different strategic approaches and showing how US and EURO firefighting tactics are gradually aligning in many areas. From tactical ventilation to air management, from Rapid Intervention Teams to high-rise firefighting and limited staffing, the author brings you the best tactics from Europe and the USA in one training manual Written in such a way that the training officer can immediately transfer key learning points directly into training presentations, the core principles of this training package enhance firefighter safety on the fire-ground. The book also provides a LINK CODE for ongoing updates and web-based downloads. Euro Firefighter covers a broad range of issues important to anyone who steps off a fire truck at the scene of an emergency.

Learn Proven Ladder Company Fireground Operations With Ladder Company Fireground Operations, Third Edition. Fire Department Ladder Companies Face Many Challenges. Ladder Company Personnel Are An Integral Part Of Fire Fighting Operations At The Fireground, And This Book Emphasizes The Point That Fire Fighters Performing Ladder Company Tasks Must Be Properly Trained, Possess The Proper Equipment, And Be Adequately Staffed. Ladder Company Fireground Operations, Third Edition Covers The Basic Objectives Of Ladder Company Work Including The Assignments Of Conducting A Primary Search, Rescuing Victims, Forcing Entry, And Conducting Proper Ventilation Techniques. This Book Also Emphasizes Other Areas Of Importance Including Pre-Incident Planning, Using Standard Operating Guidelines (Sops), And Working Within An Incident Management System (IMS).

The fact that London was not burnt to the ground in the Second World War is a direct tribute to the Fire Service of the time. In 1940, incendiaries and highly explosive bombs rained down on London for 57 consecutive nights. This is the story of that time and of the men and women who worked through some of the fieriest and most dramatic nights of Britain's history.

The true story of a volunteer firefighter who finds himself involved in fighting the largest wildfire in the history of the State of Arizona.

This easy-to-ready field index will provide any technical person with the information and tools that they need to respond to many types of hazardous materials incidents. This index should be used to avoid potential deleterious incidents by quickly identifying the problems associated with mixing chemical and common substances. The book begins with an introduction, discussion, identification and definition of symbols, applications and examples of how to use the text. The chemicals are listed alphabetically with Reactivity Group Numbers (RGN). These numbers are identified in a table in both rows and columns in a chart. Chemicals, which react the same under a set of conditions, are listed together under the same RGN group of reactants in the back of the text. A list of alternative names for specific chemicals is provided in the index. Each example of chart interpretation is detailed in a step-by-step procedure. The procedure or interpretation of the results of mixing two or more chemicals is found in a quick and easy format.

A Plague on Your Houses is a scorching indictment of the decision to close fire companies in New York in the 1970s and a frightening study of the way misguided and malevolent social policy can spark a chain reaction of enormous and unforeseen urban collapse.

In the struggle over affirmative action, no employment setting has seen more friction than urban fire departments. Thirty years of legal and political efforts have opened the doors of this historically white male preserve, but men of color have yet to consolidate their gains, and women's progress has been even more tenuous. In this unique and compelling account of affirmative action at the "street level", Carol Chetkovich explores the ways in which this program has succeeded and failed.

Chetkovich follows the men and women of the Oakland Fire Department Class 1-91 through their academy training and eighteen-month probation. In vivid and sometimes surprising narratives, newcomers tell of their first battle with a full-fledged fire, their reactions to hazing rituals, and their relationships with veterans and fellow trainees. Real Heat explores how the process of becoming a firefighter interacts with the dimensions of race and gender to support some and discourage others. The book examines the implications of these interactions for public policy and social justice.
-- First book-length study of affirmative action in firefighting.
-- Analysis grounded in ethnographic material.

This is the first time a firefighter's autobiography has ever been done in such gripping detail. From the moment you begin reading you're immediately captivated by Allen's earthy and blunt writing style. His gift for taking you to the scene to live through the horror is evident throughout. Gut-wrenching moments are related with clarity and unprecedented realism. Takes you into the jaws of hell -- a masterful telling of tragedy and triumph.Millions regard firefighters with the highest respect, and admiration for firefighters only intensified during and after Sept. 11. This book will find a very wide and appreciative audience.

'Hilarious' Russell Brand 'Fascinating, funny, moving' Richard Herring 'Totally engaging, highly inspiring and impossible to put down' Nazir Afzal OBE Leigh Hosy-Pickett has seen it all in his twenty-five years as a firefighter. He's battled infernos and pulled people from the wreckage of twisted metal but the closest he ever came to death was at the hands of a confused hen do. Now he's here to tell us the funniest, most eye-opening and moving stories from a life lived amongst the smoke. From blazes involving sex toys, to navigating cannabis farm security measures, this brilliantly warm and entertaining book by a third-generation firefighter is a celebration of the everyday heroism of our Fire Service. But it is also a clear-eyed and honest record of the many sacrifices made in the line of duty and the consequences of that heroism. 'A likeable and illuminating account' TLS 'A real insight into the day to day commitment of our firefighters' Nick Knowles WARNING: MAY CONTAIN CATS UP TREES

This glossary provides the wildland fire and fire use communities a single source document that covers wildland fire, prescribed fire, fire use and incident management terminology commonly used by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and its Working Teams.

Firefighter, medic and author Michael Morse bares his soul with first-person accounts from a 25-year career vividly defining the first responder's vital role as a medical professional. EMS by Fire: The Making of a Fire Medic puts the reader at the scene "where people desperately wait, frantic, impatient, lonely, dying or dead ... the public we serve is not interested in who arrives at their emergency, as long somebody comes, preferably well trained and well equipped." "Writing for and about firefighters and EMS personnel from the ambulance officer's seat is tricky on the good days, career suicide on the bad, and quite gratifying on the rest. "The truth is that the ratio of misery to inspiration is greatly exaggerated in my writings, with misery beating inspiration by a 20-1 margin. Yet, it is those moments of inspiration that make the misery bearable ..." Features: Gain a better understanding of the jobs of fire-based EMS personnel Improve your skills and build teamwork between firefighters and EMS True stories and real-life scenarios from a veteran of the EMS and Fire service

More tales of a country fireman, from the author of ALL FIRED UP. Perfect for fans of HEARTBEAT or the brand new TV series ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. It's the early 1980s and rookie fireman Malcolm Castle is set to take on the biggest challenge of his life. After three years bouncing around in the back of the country fire-engine, he's about to start driving it! At just 22-years-old - less than half the age of many of his colleagues - he's set to thunder through the narrow streets of one of England's most beautiful medieval towns and speed out across the glorious Shropshire countryside. But while his responsibilities are changing fast, almost everything else in Malcolm's life stays the same. Despite facing his fair share of car accidents, house and farm fires, he still seems to spend an awful lot of time answering a string of unlikely and unexpected emergency calls. He rescues shortsighted dogs from frozen lakes, newborn lambs from flooded golf-courses, a pair of angry cows from a busy dual carriageway - and even a hot-footed hamster from a burning cage. Backed up by a heartwarming cast of fellow firemen, Malcolm's enthusiasm for his job and his life are as infectious as ever. So whether it is cats up trees or trees on cars, follow Malcolm as he takes to the wheel for another crazy year in the country fire brigade. Told with the same gentle humour as his first book, ALL FIRED UP, and full of even more extraordinary real-life anecdotes, Shropshire's longest-serving fireman is back - a little older, a little wiser, and even more convinced he has the best job in the world.

During the period of America's swiftest industrialization and urban growth, fire struck fear in the hearts of city dwellers as did no other calamity. Before the Civil War, sweeping blazes destroyed more than $200 million in property in the nation's largest cities. Between 1871 and 1906, conflagrations left Chicago, Boston, Baltimore, and San Francisco in ruins. Into the twentieth century, this dynamic hazard intensified as cities grew taller and more populous, confounding those who battled it. Firefighters' death-defying feats captured the popular imagination but too often failed to provide more than symbolic protection. Hundreds of fire insurance companies went bankrupt because they could not adequately deal with the effects of even smaller blazes.

Firefighters and fire insurers created a physical and cultural infrastructure whose legacy--in the form of heroic firefighters, insurance policies, building standards, and fire hydrants--lives on in the urban built environment. In "Eating Smoke," Mark Tebeau shows how the changing practices of firefighters and fire insurers shaped the built landscape of American cities, the growth of municipal institutions, and the experience of urban life. Drawing on a wealth of fire department and insurance company archives, he contrasts the invention of a heroic culture of firefighters with the rational organizational strategies by fire underwriters. Recognizing the complexity of shifting urban environments and constantly experimenting with tools and tactics, firefighters fought fire ever more aggressively--"eating smoke" when they ventured deep into burning buildings or when they scaled ladders to perform harrowing rescues. In sharp contrast to the manly valor of firefighters, insurers argued that the risk was quantifiable, measurable, and predictable. Underwriters managed hazard with statistics, maps, and trade associations, and they eventually agitated for building codes and other reforms, which cities throughout the nation implemented in the twentieth century. Although they remained icons of heroism, firefighters' cultural and institutional authority slowly diminished. Americans had begun to imagine fire risk as an economic abstraction.

By comparing the simple skills employed by firefighters--climbing ladders and manipulating hoses--with the mundane technologies--maps and accounting charts--of insurers, the author demonstrates that the daily routines of both groups were instrumental in making intense urban and industrial expansion a less precarious endeavor.

London's Firefighters is a wonderfully readable, lavishly illustrated anthology of articles, fiction and verse about the London Fire Brigade, most of it gathered from the Brigade's house magazines London Fireman (1966-82) and London Firefighter (1982-2005). The book's editor David C. Pike, himself a retired firefighter, has cleverly selected material that delivers both a comprehensive history of the London Fire Brigade and a fascinating portrait of individual firemen and women, at work and (occasionally) at play. The book includes vivid, occasionally harrowing articles on important events involving the Brigade - the Sidney Street Siege of 1911, the London Blitz and the 1981 Brixton riots, to name just a few - as well as covering key figures within the Brigade like James Braidwood and Massey Shaw. The more personal sections provide a revealing insight into the bravery, commitment and camaraderie of ordinary working firefighters and their families. The numerous, often highly dramatic illustrations, many from the London Fire Brigade's own collection, offer a lively commentary on the text. All the profits from this book will go to the Fire Service charity, Firemen Remembered. David Pike was a London firefighter for more than 30 years, retiring at senior rank in 1996. His first book, Beyond the Flames, was published by Austin Macauley in 2013. "A fascinating peek into the world of the London Fire Brigade. A finalist and highly recommended." The Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2014/15, on Beyond the Flames

In this comprehensive book, the author charts the development and production of one of the most famous fire engine manufacturers in the world. After an introduction that outlines Dennis's early days of manufacturing bicycles and cars in Guildford, the author describes the initial fire engine design in 1908 which was to establish Dennis as a fire engine maker and the principal supplier to the London Fire Brigade. Technical developments were accompanied by export success to Commonwealth countries where the name Dennis became synonymous with fire engines. After supplying fire-fighting trailer pumps that were used in the Blitz, Dennis production continued to be innovative and varied in the post-war years, and the author explains the development of both the small town and country fire engines as well as larger engines, which were the mainstay of city fire brigades. The author brings the story right up to date with the development of both the Dennis Rapier and Dennis Sabre. The Rapier was considered the ultimate fire engine and both models enjoyed export success until the company ceased independent production in 2007.

Home to the UK's largest refinery, Fawley is among the most at-risk parts of the country for petrochemical fires. Its fire service is vital to the area's infrastructure and its firefighters must always be prepared. For the first time, the story of this fire station and of the Waterside's private and military fire brigades is told. From establishment in the early twentieth century, through the development of the fire engine and firefighting techniques, to combating modern-day terrorist threats, Fawley's firefighters have witnessed it all. This book looks at how the station and its crew, now reduced from full- to part-time staffing, have evolved in the face of new dangers and challenges.

Wiltshire Fire Brigade was one of the 141 brigades formed on 1 April 1948 as a result of the Fire Services Act 1947. The various individual brigades were absorbed, with some villages losing their units and having fire cover provided by a nearby station within the authority. Wiltshire's firefighters have also been called upon to assist in serious incidents outside the county. During the Second World War, crews were deployed to Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, London and Plymouth, while crews from Stratton, in their ever-changing role, responded to the serious flooding in Gloucestershire in July 2007. Firefighting in Wiltshire is published to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the formation of Wiltshire Fire Brigade, but it is also a pictorial record of the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century brigades and the equally important private, industrial and military units which have provided valuable services in protecting life and property from fire in the county.

A history of firefighting in Kent

This is a gritty tale of passion and professionalism - of humour and heartache involving 20 years at one of the world's most exciting Fire Stations. Soho Fire Station is at the heart of London's West End. Surrounded by Theatre Land, China Town and the fantastic mixing-pot of restaurants, dives and bars that is Soho. This is the real life story of a True London Fireman.