Lieutenant Bob Oliphant
Kalamazoo (MI) Department of Public Safety
Response: We have been using PPV since late 1990. Negative-pressure smoke ejectors are still carried on rigs but are used only when it would be impractical to use PPV.
PPV was not universally accepted at first; some senior officers opposed it when it was introduced. They were concerned about intensifying the fire and pushing fire into uninvolved parts of the structure. The resistance diminished the more PPV was used. It was easier to employ and gave faster results than other ventilation methods. The majority of our fires involve single-family dwellings and large houses that have been converted into apartments. Most of these fires are room-and-contents with smoke and heat through the rest of the dwelling. PPV seems to work well for these applications.
Because first-arriving personnel handle search and rescue and advance hoselines, PPV generally occurs after lines are operating inside. By using PPV in this sequence, there have been no reported problems.
