Developing Smoke Skills Because Smoke Kills
Most fire deaths are not caused by burns but by smoke inhalation. Often, smoke incapacitates people in high-rise commercial and residential buildings so quickly that they are unable to negotiate their egress to safety. They are found overcome in hallways, stairwells, and apartments not involved in fire and sometimes elevators. It is becoming all too common that building occupants from other than the fire apartment will, when hearing an alarm or seeing a fire apparatus, will attempt to exit a building rather than shelter in place as recommended by safety guides and brochures from building management. Events such as this will overwhelm the resources of personnel responding, but there are methods and means to institute smoke management and control while simultaneously performing search, rescue, and fire extinguishment. That mandates the development of disciplines, skills, and the use of tools and equipment that meet that objective.
