To paraphrase an old saying: The only constant in life is change. Life changes every day for every person in some way. The same hold true in the fire service. Technology has lead to some significant changes to the tools we use to fight fires over the years. However the actual buildings we fight fires […]

If you have been a firefighter for very long, you are probably aware of firefighter’s concerns with engineered wood and how it performs under fire conditions. The use of engineered wood products has grown significantly in recent decades. According to APA–The Engineered Wood Products Association, engineered wood components saw their first commercialization in the 1960s […]

The construction industry began using pre-manufactured components and lightweight construction methods  over 50 years ago in order to improve the efficiency of the construction process and to reduce costs associated with materials. One of the major things that many firefighters have written and taught about over the years is Metal Gusset Plates. Metal gusset plates […]

Firefighters from Abingdon Fire Company, The Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, Joppa Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. (Official) and Aberdeen Proving Ground FD have the Winterberry Drive fire under control (20min). One civilian male taken to a regional hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Media: Jenn will be POC for your calls. Rich/Jenn Original Source: […]

Most people are aware that homes built in the last 15 to 20 years have made some attempt to be energy efficient. However, there has been significant increase of builders and consumers raising the bar to achieve Superinsulation. No, ‘superinsulation’ does not have a cape, or a big S on it. It is also not […]

This webinar will cover the results of a study commissioned by the Fire Protection Research Foundation to develop a baseline of information on the intersection of “green building” design and fire safety. The study identified gaps and specific research needs associated with understanding and addressing fire risk and hazards with green building design. Instructor: Brian […]

Spray Foam has struck again! Back in September I wrote a post to raise awareness of Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) for the fire service. In this article I referenced that there had been several fires that happen during the application of  SPF. By the initial reports it is appearing that a recent mansion fire in Middlebury Connecticut […]

Originally published on Renew Economy. A small terrace house in the inner Sydney suburb of Glebe is hosting what is believed to be the world’s first building integrated solar system that generates electricity as well as heat. The array combines thin-film solar PV and solar thermal technologies into a steel sheet roofing product produced by […]