FSRI Awarded 2012 DHS Fire Prevention and Safety Research Grant

The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes has been awarded a fire prevention and safety research grant to conduct a project titled, “Study of the Effectiveness of Fire Service Positive Pressure Ventilation During Fire Attack in Single Family Homes Incorporating Modern Construction Practices.” This 3-year study aims to increase firefighter safety by providing the fire service with credible scientific information, developed from full-scale fire testing in representative modern single family homes, on the usage of positive pressure ventilation (PPV) fans during fire attack.

PPV is a technology impacting fire service safety that was introduced without proper scientific research into its benefits and limitations. The changing fire environment and evolution of the fans themselves have created unknown hazards and concerns. This study will examine the use of PPV during fire attack in modern home geometries and will serve as a comparison to the two previous studies on horizontal and vertical ventilation tactics used by the fire service across the country every day. This project will address the concerns the firefighter community has expressed and provide a baseline for choosing the most appropriate type or types of ventilation on the fireground. The results and conclusions of this project will be used to improve firefighting tactics, fireground safety and fire dynamics knowledge. A comprehensive fire service outreach program will make sure that this science meets the street.