What are the basics?

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Permalink Reply by Pierre-Louis LAMBALLAIS on August 28, 2011 at 4:58pm

Very good question. Maybe that, when some tell "We must go to the basic", it's just a sentence in order to give a solution. In many cases, this kind of sentence has the great advantage that everybody agree "Oh yes!!! Back to the basic". Then every body is happy because we found THE solution. But what is "back" and what are "the basic"?

If we see the change on fire dynamics for the 20 past years, we must admit that, going back to the 1990 or even to the 1970 basic for structural fire, is not a good idea. Like on extriction: trying to cut a 2010 BMW like we were cutting a 1970 is stupid.

My opinion is that, today, we often loose not the basic (the old ones) but the way these basic were made. The main problem is that the "old basic" were made after year of training, studies and fires. Today, life is going faster and faster and may be FF are confused by this quick change. The fire service is not a R&D system and he don't like to change. As today, he must change or die, the fire service preferr looking back to the "basic", forgetting that if FF just learn the same way our father did, this will just increase problem.

When I read, on FF Nation, some "instructor" writing "thermal balance is a myth", I think there is really a problem of basics. What is a fire? What is a diffusion flame? Why does a fire produc smoke? And what kind of action will depend on that;

 

Maybe looking at the fire with a different eyes, will allow FF to re-built todays' basic.

Best regards

Pierre-Louis