Deputy Chief Frank C. Schaper, St. Louis (MO) Fire Department
Response: The St. Louis Fire Department does use positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) on the fireground, but not as part of the initial attack …. This equipment is issued to Rescue Squads #1 and #2 and our hook and ladder companies ….
Normally, we deploy this equipment after the fire has been located and attack lines have been put into operation (knocking down the fire). We have used these fans in concert with our electric fans to push and/or pull smoke from a building. This tactic was successfully used on a smoky sub-basement fire in the electrical room of a downtown office building. The fans kept the lobby clear of smoke while the building was being evacuated and utilities worked to shut off the power.
Our department is not sold on the idea of using PPV in the initial attack, however …. I have seen this equipment in action, and it is very impressive. Over the years, tests have shown that PPV has some merit. However, we must be very careful when analyzing the test results. We must remember that these tests are conducted under a controlled environment. What can be simulated in a fire tower or set-up building is quite different from that which occurs in real fire buildings. People do not live in fire towers or in one-story ranch houses with “this door closed and that window opened.” Use PPV in some of the buildings in my jurisdiction, and you`ll push the fire up the pipe chases and throughout the ballooned construction. Then, you`ll wonder why heavy smoke is coming out the third-floor attic vent. PPV is like any other ventilation procedure–if used improperly, fire can be pushed throughout a building and firefighters can be seriously injured or killed.
