UL Research Institutes Releases New Technical Report as part of its Study of Fire Service Residential Home Size-up and Search & Rescue Operations Project

The new report from ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute builds on findings of previous research and introduces three new search and rescue tactical considerations.

March 12, 2026 (COLUMBIA, Md.) — UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute today announced a new technical report as part of the Study of Fire Service Residential Home Size-up and Search & Rescue Operations project. The report introduces three new tactical considerations building on previous findings and based on analysis of new full-scale residential fire experiments designed to understand how the fire service should coordinate search, suppression, and ventilation.

The three new tactical considerations complement the original nine tactical considerations determined by the Fire Safety Research Institute in its previous reports, offering new insights for all ranks to impact occupant survivability and firefighter safety:

• Tactical Consideration 10: Provided sufficient resources, upon arrival of a fully developed fire with extension to the exterior, consider conducting simultaneous execution of exterior and interior suppression operations. The data shows that a well‑applied exterior stream provides rapid improvement on the interior, and coordinating with interior suppression maximizes victim survivability and firefighter safety.
• Tactical Consideration 11: Consideration should be given to locally ventilate compartments remote from the fire area as soon as possible. Pre-suppression, this would include isolation of the compartment prior to ventilation. Remote spaces teach us that distance from the fire does not equal safety. These rooms are often where victims are found, and where conditions can continue deteriorating even when the fire is controlled if left unattended.
• Tactical Consideration 12: Immediately post-suppression, consider conducting hydraulic ventilation to increase the rate at which combustion gases exhaust from the structure. While doing so, consider the importance of ventilation within the structure (opening all other doors and windows) and if resources allow, dedicate multiple hoselines to perform hydraulic ventilation in different affected areas of the structure.

“The release of this report is the result of our continued collaboration with the fire service to deliver real, actionable insights that the fire service can take back to the fireground,” said Keith Stakes, principal research engineer. “We take seriously our commitment to answering the urgent questions facing the fire service every shift, knowing that improved understanding and insights leads to safer operations and improved outcomes for victims.”

The new tactical considerations come from 10 experiments in purpose-built, fully furnished, single-story, single-family structures representative of today’s residential environment. The homes included four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open kitchen/living area, with an HVAC system to study the movement of smoke and heat. Specialized equipment gave researchers measurements of gas temperatures, concentrations, and velocities, as well as pressure and heat fluxes in all rooms at multiple heights. The structure, fuel loading, and instrumentation were kept consistent across burns while tactical actions, such as timing and location of search, suppression, and ventilation were varied.

Later this year, the tactical considerations will be added to an updated version of the Search and Rescue Tactics in Single-Story, Single-Family Residential Structures online course on the Fire Safety Academy, helping departments integrate these findings into training and operations.

The Fire Safety Research Institute’s firefighter health and safety research advances fire service knowledge in firefighting strategies and tactics, personal protective equipment, thermal and carcinogenic exposures as well as garners learnings from near misses, line of duty injuries, and line of duty deaths. Current projects include Emerging Issues Related to Personal Protective Equipment, Toxic Chemical Transfer through PPE, Fire Incident Analysis, and Fire Dynamics and Firefighting Tactics in Multi-Story Residential Structures. Research updates are available at fsri.org.

About Fire Safety Research Institute

UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute advances fire science and fire safety knowledge to reduce risk, save lives, and protect property. We conduct rigorous research, outreach, and education in collaboration with the fire service, fire safety professionals, policymakers, communities, and an international network of partners. Together, we develop tools, resources, and strategies that improve fire safety outcomes worldwide. To learn more, visit fsri.org. Follow FSRI on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About UL Research Institutes

UL Research Institutes is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to advancing public safety through scientific discovery. Since 1894, our research has advanced our mission toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Focused on global risks from fire mitigation and air quality to safe energy storage and digital privacy, we conduct rigorous independent research, analyze safety data and partner with experts to uncover and act on existing and emerging risks to human safety. Discover more at UL.org.

Press Contacts

Laura Zilverberg
ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute
@email