This workshop reveals a firefighter’s focused view on the ABCs of fire dynamics and provides insight into the likely modern fire development scenarios based on decades of international frontline experience and research focused on effective and accurate tactical decision making and task-level risk assessment. First-arriving crews need to make rapid decisions with very limited information. An enormous number of factors need to be considered when sizing-up a fire, and the reality is that they may not be known until days after the fire has been extinguished. People with unlimited time frames operating in a low-stress environment evaluate our actions. It would be nice if there were a bulletproof way of making the best decisions every time. The most effective approach is based on a sound understanding of modern fire behavior and how to use the tools available in the most effective manner. Every fire talks to us through the four key fire behavior indicators: smoke, air, heat, and flame (SAHF). When read in the context of the building and environmental factors, the SAHF assessment can assist firefighters to determine the location of the fire, stage of development, and changes that are likely to occur. Underpinning this critical skill is a sound fundamental understanding of fire dynamics in the modern built environment.
