Fire Engineering Issues - Essay Example

? Fire can be a natural, technological, and human-caused hazard especially at home, job and generally within the community. Fire is built in the presence of its three important elements, which include a high temperature, fuel and oxygen (Corbett, 2009). In the absence in any one of these, we can therefore hardly build up a fire. The work at hand tries to establish the ideas showing why fire can be a natural, technological and human-caused hazard generally within the community. Furthermore, the appropriate or relevant Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that will be able to mitigate fire as a hazard is discussed. Fire can be a natural-caused hazard within the community. As explained earlier, it is possible to build up a fire when there is a remarkable presence of a higher temperature, fuel and oxygen. In the case of the on-going global warming phenomenon, fire is not impossible to take place anywhere knowing that a high temperature of the environment may possibly ignite combustion provided there is a potential fuel that can help develop the flames, naturally. However, this is common to take place in areas where there is extreme level of heat for the environment. In some cases, in the presence of lightening, the creation of fire is not impossible to take place, which at some point could further lead to ravage properties and even lives. There are reported cases when both properties and humans were significant subjects of a fire that was evidently due to a natural phenomenon such as lightening. It is therefore clear in this case that fire is developed naturally, and that is without the presence of significant human or technological intervention factors. On the other hand, fire can also be a technological-caused hazard in the community, working place and even at home at the most specific level. We heard many reports presenting us the significant reasons of fire in the community. A substantial number of them were due to the use of human technology. We heard how cellular phones exploded during its charging process which evidently led to the creation of fire. We received some reports how a micro-wave oven exploded leading to the inception of fire that ravaged properties and even lives. We heard how electricity led to the destruction of various personal or corporate properties and even lives at its worst case scenario. All of these are significant proofs we see around us, proving the point that fire can be a technological-caused hazard. In fact, various manuals linked to the use of our prevailing technologies have substantial information on how we can get rid of fire while using them. Even there are precautionary measures that are linked to these technologies so as instead of giving us hazard like fire, we can use them to optimize their promised design of usage. Finally, fire can be a human-caused hazard. Evidently, we cannot argue that it is we humans who are sometimes responsible for combining fuel and a high temperature in the presence of oxygen around us. Oxygen is one important element in the creation of fire that we can hardly control under the normal setting at home, job and in our community. Therefore, what we can only possibly do to contribute to the creation of fire is to provide fuel and ensure temperature is higher enough in order to spark a flame. In some cases, fire may be due to our failure to take the precautionary measures prior to the effective use of our technologies. At this point, although it is clear that the technology might have a great role to play in the actual creation of fire, our inability to take control of it also provides a great contribution to a hazard that the actual fire may present us. In addition, it is evident that we are indeed capable of producing fire, as we cook our foods, create goods, and develop various products and other offerings. On the process of making all of these, it may actually require us to create a fire, but we have to observe precautionary measures. Sometimes, our failure to employ the necessary actions may lead to the formation of fire which brings the potential hazard at home, working place and generally within the community. To mitigate against fire, there is one primary EOP that could help us. Under the general EOP, individuals or organizations are given the opportunity to carry out moves that will not be able to closely perform by the linked responsibility of an agency. For example, in cases with the creation of fire due to either natural, technological or human factors, the fire department will have to initiate the responsibility of mitigating the loss of properties of lives. However, in cases that their part for it might exceed their capability, the general EOP which is given to individuals and organizations should perform the essential actions. Here, they have to ensure that they will perform action at a specific time it is required and in the actual place where emergency occurs. They only have to do this for them to back the required agency which has the more legal right to settle the emergency, but they will be permitted to do so in the event when the concerned agency is faced with an emergency situation that goes beyond their capability and routine responsibility. In other words, the general EOP is a general supporting body at the specific level of the emergency situation just before the concerned agency could take its part in the actual emergency situation. The general EOP on the other hand also primarily takes charge to observe precautionary measures prior to the actual creation of fire. There is therefore a feasible type of EOP that could help us mitigate the probable implications of the ignition of fire that may lead us to the potential great hazard, namely, loss of properties and even lives at the most extreme cases. It has to perform its required role, which at the bottom line is to be able to provide safety or protection for the people. As we know, fire has potential impacts and probable hazards that eventually require emergency action plans. In order to initiate this action plan, the roles linked to the type of EOP mentioned here should be properly implemented. Reference Corbett, G. (2009). Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Firefighter I and II. Tulsa, OK: Fire Engineering Books. Read More