NYU Fire Research Group

New York University (NYU)’s Fire Research Group created this series of short videos on firefighter air replenishment systems (FARS), system components, and system operation.

Click on the firefighter safety  titles below to see how FARS provide an instant, safe and ready supply of air to firefighters in high-rise buildings.

This group is part of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Their mission is to disseminate firefighting tactics and research-based information to urban and rural fire departments. The Firefighter Air Coalition is grateful for the life-saving research they provide.

NYU conducted an independent research study on the air standpipe system known as FARS, and their findings are worth the reader’s time – especially if you are a firefighter.

“The two crucial elements necessary for firefighters to fight any fire are water and air. While water standpipes are readily accessible to firefighters in high-rises, allowing them to have a reliable immediate water source, the same is not true for air. Firefighter Air Replenishment Systems (FARS) are essentially standpipes for air. Without FARS, in the event of the high-rise fire, firefighters would have to rely on the limited number of air bottles in the fire-equipment / cache room, if available, or manually haul the air-bottles to the staging area (also called ‘bottle-brigading’) which can consume a significant amount of time, manpower, and other resources.”

Included in the analysis were the Fire Protection Research Foundation, which plans manages, and communicates research on a broad range of fire safety issues in collaboration with scientists andlaboratories around the world.  The Foundation is an affiliate of the NFPA. Also included in the analysis was the NFPA Research Foundation.

An Anlysis of Firefighter Breathing Air Systems

For more information on NYU’s program and the Fire Research Group, click here.