Latest Blogs

One of the most dangerous misconceptions in big-box fire response is the assumption that a new facility, built to modern fire protection codes with sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and passive compartmentalization, can effectively protect itself. The historical record tells a far grimmer story. In August 2016, a fire at the Gap distribution warehouse in Fishkill, […]

Supplemental and incidental energy fire hazards in mid-rise, high-rise, and large-footprint structures present a growing risk that most fire departments have not yet fully accounted for. Part 1 of this series established the fundamentals: primary energy hazards — the purpose-built electrical rooms, utility vaults, and switchgear spaces that distribute power through a large building, and […]

After a devastating theater fire in 1903, it took more than 150 years to mandate water standpipes in buildings — and firefighters cannot afford to wait that long for air standpipes. This municipal liability series from the Firefighter Air Coalition examines the legal case for the Firefighter Air Replenishment System (FARS), a code-compliant air standpipe […]

Energy driven fires in high-rise and large-scale buildings are one of the most under-trained threats in the fire service. When a building’s own electrical infrastructure becomes the fuel, the standard structural firefighting playbook fails — and the clues that could save a crew are often missed in the first five minutes on scene. Chris G. […]