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The need: Improved firefighting through better knowledge
Today, in the course of their duties, firefighters are faced with an increasing number of new hazards and challenges. Higher fire-loads in buildings, new building materials and techniques along with changing demographics combine to make modern firefighting more complex and more dangerous. Increasing knowledge is critical for fire services across Canada in order for them to meet their goals of improved public safety and reduced risks to firefighters. You are already developing new training, tactics and equipment to meet your needs. There is, however, a growing need to involve partners in research issues affecting firefighters.
The opportunity: Canadian Firefighting Research Group
The National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Research in Construction's (NRC-IRC) Fire Research Program, in partnership with the Ottawa Fire Service, is creating a group that will conduct research into issues of interest to Canadian fire services. The main goal of this group will be to advance the state of knowledge and training for Canadian fire services in order to increase their effectiveness as well as safeguard the health and safety of firefighters. This new group will include members from fire services across Canada including fire marshals along with researchers from public-sector laboratories and academic institutions. This group's work will combine practical knowledge about firefighting operations with scientific and technical expertise.
Ottawa has a unique opportunity to become a hub for Canadian firefighting and fire safety research. The Ottawa Fire Service is Canada's largest composite fire department and is a recognized leader in the implementation of training and safety programs. Ottawa is also home to Carleton University's fire safety engineering program as well as Canada's only federal fire safety research lab at the NRC.
The vision: Developing practical innovative solutions
The group will identify key issues for Canadian fire services, plan research projects to develop innovative solutions and help transfer results and knowledge to the firefighting community. Potential research topics include:
- Evaluating new firefighting tactics and equipment during live fire experiments;
- Assessing health hazards posed by new building materials and techniques; and
- Developing more realistic firefighting training aids.
Next steps
NRC-IRC and the Ottawa Fire Service are currently planning an inaugural meeting of the Canadian Firefighting Research Group. For more information, please contact Cameron McCartney, Research Officer, NRC-IRC Fire Research Program, 613-993-9775 or cameron.mccartney@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
