Fire Fighting Departments in the United Kingdom - Case Study Example

Running Head: Work Based Learning Work Based Learning Name Course Tutor Date Context of the fire This report outlines a research project analysis on fire and fire fighting departments in the United Kingdom. The report is presented in order to educate people on the causes and nature of fire; how the surrounding affects fire; the behaviour of fire under different circumstances and services given by the fire department to stop the spread of fire; The report clearly states that there are different ways under which fire can be minimized to stop it from spreading and causing harm to individuals, vegetation, and even animals. The fire behaviour is solely dependent on factors such as type of fuel, the weather under which the fire is in, level of oxygen in the environment, the climate, and terrain of the region. With this kind of knowledge at hand, the public is able to help the fire fighters curb the spread of fire and as such their property, lives, and vegetation will be safe. This report is useful to the various fire departments found in different countries as it will give them an insight on what to do when faced with different types of fires. They have also been given the tools, skills and knowledge required to perform their tasks without hesitation. Fire fighters are always alert for they cannot tell when to expect a call (Barr & Eversole, 2005, pp.300-310). Fire is a very bad and dangerous thing since many have lost their lives, property, legs, hands, eyes and other parts of their body from fire incidents at home, in the industry, while travelling among others. Details of the fire The different forms and types of fire experienced in our day to-day society are as a result of our own careless acts while others occur accidentally. There are those done intentionally so as to inflict pain on those individuals who have wronged us. For example, when a jealous boyfriend decides to go and torch the house of his rival so as to teach him a lesson on who is in control, bitter co-wives and others. Fire behaviour has been described in magnitude, direction and spread strength, but all are measured using different parameters since every type of fire carries with it a different pattern and flame colour. There are those that burn very gradually and evenly, while there is those that burn speedily and fiercely. Some fires start off very easily while some take a longer time to ignite. Those fires that give out certain poisonous gases should be avoided at all times and people nearby should be evicted immediately. Those fires experienced in areas where hydrocarbon is prevalent are flammable and dangerous since they mix with oxygen found in the surrounding producing water, carbon dioxide and other forms of gases. Fire speed is determined by the surface area of the fuel, its size and coverage and oxygen availability in the air. Areas that have a lower oxygen concentration level experience slower fires though there are times when backdraught occur. With weather, cases of low air humidity levels which make the air dry causes higher flame and rates of ignition. Many people assume that rainfall stops the spread of fire; this is not the case since they affect burning of the fuel as they increase content of moisture in the fuel. I use many plastics things which are not advisable since they are good conductors of heat. Many companies also use polymers neglecting the fact that they catch fire at a very high rate and at times create burning liquid at the floor below which increases room temperature. Most of the fires I have been able to experience are those in an indoor setting without any life-threatening circumstances. Bonfires can be very dangerous especially if they are in a windy environment. However, indoor fires are threatening when they spread unexpectedly thus people are not able to handle the situation when it arises. I realised that there are different strategies applied when handling the various fires that present themselves in our environments hence it is essential to educate the public on how to handle them effectively without arousing panic among others because it will make them not think of ways to stop the spread of fire. Thoughts, feelings and concerns At the time when I was doing this research, many emotions ran through me making my adrenaline level go high due to the knowledge and insights I got from this topic. I was worried on how ignorant we are when it comes to safety at home and when we are out camping with friends. I was also terrified on measurements safety at home. Many parents are not concerned on who enters the kitchen and what they do there. At times, the young children are hungry and want to make for themselves something to eat so they go and use the gas which is very dangerous especially to those who are under age. I was well aware of some of the things one needs to do when fire starts though I am perplexed at some of the things I had taken for granted which are supposed to be taken seriously. Demands This incident demands a lot from an individual like me since it has forced me to admit in an area where I have always been afraid to engage in especially because it involved seeing people burnt beyond recognition and others made disabled. Even though I tried focusing on some other areas that were not too demanding, I knew that my tutor was right when he told me to tackle this research since it would come in handy one day and hence my performance and reaction to such an incident would depend solely on how we treat the whole situation that made me feel under pressure from my parents, friends, members of the community and professors. I also felt very apprehensive when it came to handling this fire issue as it involved a lot of practical and theory work which was helpful in developing the courage and confidence that I lacked to face fire victims (Corbett, 2009, pp. 54-70). Impact on studies Well, this project caused me added pressure in the short session I have handled it, but I realise that it was a very important experience in my studies since it gave me an insight on how the fire fighting department does to ensure that all individuals of a given country are well protected and safe. I was fortunate to be given the tips on how to handle this report by my fellow students and even gave me advice on how I can develop the virtues I lacked. I was eager to learn from those who had also undertaken this project earlier on and thus was able to organize an informal tutorial with some of my friends who created time to give me a chance to participate in the experiments they would be undertaking for my practice which is essential. As the semester spread-out, I was able to advice some of my class mates on the efficiency of participating in such activities in their communities since they help us develop certain essential skills in life. I have managed to understand the whole idea of having smoke alarms, fire blankets, and fire extinguishers at home, in school and at work. Fire brigades in the UK are governed and controlled by Fire Services Act of 1947, which ensures that adequate water provisions are made for fighting fires that arise in the country at any given time. Fire fighting in the UK has a long history that needs to be appreciated by many since they engage in risky life saving activities that has seen many of them die leaving their families behind with no one to protect and feed them (Goldfeder, 2008. pp. 108-125). Fire hydrants are important components for any fire equipment. I realized that rationalizing these hydrants was important and also policies were written with regard to controlling of water in the metered areas in the districts. I also came to realize that these [policies were important in ensuring that the damages that occurred due to leakages and the high water pressure were controllable. Calculating the right amount of water flow required to fight a particular fire has proved to be impossible, but they have decided to use their own abilities to logically deduce the amount of water required in controlling specific fires. I now realize the importance of conserving water. When fire starts in a particular area, the fire fighters will use the public water distribution systems to control the fire. The most shocking reality we are faced with is the fact that UK’s fire department is only given nine litres of water per minute in fighting the fires. This is not even close to enough since it is not even able to obtain the suitable jet flow. Researchers have been able to conduct research so as to be able to comprehend how fires do behave in certain circumstances and the suitable strategies used to fight such fires (Kumar, 2001, pp. 74-78). In my project, I was able to come up with detailed strategies to be used in emergency situations of the various fires and their behaviours. The project was able to reflect on past events and literature on fire thus sealed the existing gap in the past methods and techniques employed to fight the different forms of fires and understand their behaviours. To come with conclusive information concerning fire behaviours, an experiment needs to be carried out in order to theorize what is said in the different literatures we read concerning fires. A trash container experiment was conducted to verify how different materials got burnt, the rate at which it burnt and the speed/force at which it spread. Techniques employed during this experiment were use of blankets soil and water in putting off the fire. The experiment was a risky one, but had to be done so at to be able to record the findings accurately without assuming for them since they are to be used by fire fighters to identify changes in the burning process as well as characteristics held by the fires in both containers. Ignition of waste containers measures the rate at which heat was released. Heat release measurement for newspapers and trash container was also noted. At times, one would think that by using the container, the burning process would be influenced and thus this experiment was going to answer all he questions of such issues. However, the timeline for this experiment was long as it involves so many processes and thus it would be appropriate to use other experimental methods to conduct the research if the information is needed very urgently (Mercer., Mason., McKeon., & McCann, 2000, pp. 93-110). Trash container experiment is simple in nature and does not deal with complex fires hence the information obtained would not be used to fight those intense fires that affect complex buildings and terrain fires. The building materials being used today are not the same ones used long ago and hence the investigation will only apply to the ancient buildings still in existence. More resources and time needs to be set aside in order to do a thorough investigation that deals complex fires which will enable people understand the overview of fire, its nature and behaviour. The research was important because without it I would not have overcome my fears and would not have acquired certain skills like self discipline and team building when it comes to dealing with a multitude of people (Kumar, 2001, pp. 79-80). More importantly though, it has helped me to recognize and improve on an area which needed improvement as it will be beneficial in future. Developing courage and confidence at helping in fire fights may lead me to being more active in performing volunteer work in hospitals especially to those fire victims. It may also lead me to contributing to those foundations that support injured fire victims and establish my own that will assist families cope with the needs and demands of the victims for a speedy recovery to take place. Impact on career Effective team building, self efficiency and motivation are some of the skills essential for fire fighters, and are important in nearly all aspects that deal with rescuing people trapped in a certain situation like fire, earth quakes and even flash floods. I feel that am courageous enough to help those victims that get caught in a furnace of fire. Improving my skills in this particular area will make me more effective in contributing to topics relating to these cases and thus I will be able to share with my colleagues and school group my findings from a theoretical and practical view point. The research made me realise that I can participate actively in activities that involve rescue missions in my community once I overcome my fears and worries. It demonstrates to me that in order to create positive change in life, first and foremost you must recognize that a major problem exists. This is a useful lesson in understanding the need of being positive in all I do when it concerns other people in the society. I should not forget to put the needs of others first in order to maintain and achieve development in my field of study as well as my community (Karki, 2002, pp. 13-45). I may also be able to impart this very knowledge and information to victims having gone through this incident so that they can take precaution next time. Having read the research, I now feel ready to educate others on the safety measures one should take at home, work place and while travelling with regard to fire. Many are the times that we place things like candles carelessly on the edge of tables and shelves filled with papers. One should take precaution especially when it comes to candle fires. Installing home gadgets that detect smoke is also a way of ensuring that fire does not spread by minimizing its spread effectively. Additionally, I have learnt that fire departments keep their doorways unobstructed so as not to waste time once the fire alarm goes off. Highly flammable liquids are to be stored in the correct manner away from children’s reach and fire. I have significantly developed my skills in fighting fire by engaging myself in activities that revolve around fire safety, precaution and standard measures applied in different circumstances. This essential is essential to me as a learner because I will now need to share this with other people and since I can communicate with them well, I will take up the challenge of training those people interested in learning the safety methods and skills to be used. As a next step, I need to enlighten the government on the areas it can help to educate the public on the ways and methods to employ when fires arise and hence they should be made to understand the kinds of fire and their behaviour patterns. Bibliography Barr, R. & Eversole, J. The Fire Chief’s Handbook, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005, pp. 300- 320. Corbett Glenn. Fire Engineering’s Handbook for Fire fighter I and II, PennWell, 2009, pp. 54-75. Goldfeder, W. Front Door Left Open by Occupants Advances Fire onto Fire fighter Firehouse, Melville, 2008, pp. 106-130. Karki, Sameer. Community involvement in and Management of Forest Fires in South East Asia. Project Fire Fight South East Asia, 2002, pp 13-47. Kumar Rajendar. Research methodology. APH Publishing, 2001, pp 74-80.  Mercer, D., Mason, T., McKeon, M. & McCann, G. Forensic Mental Health Care, SAGE Publishers, 2000, pp. 93-120. Read More