A Special operations firefighter, also known as Fire Service Special Operations, is a specialist
firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
who has been specially trained to execute tasks other than standard
firefighting
Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter.
Firefighters typically ...
operations. The
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. As of 2018, the NFPA claims to have 50,000 mem ...
's ''Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments'' (NFPA 1710) defines special operations as "Those emergency incidents to which the fire department responds that require specific and advanced training and specialized tools and equipment". The NFPA 1710 further defined special operations as "Special operations include
water rescue, extrication,
hazardous materials
Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...
,
confined space entry,
highangle rescue,
aircraft rescue and fire fighting
Aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) is a type of firefighting that involves the emergency response, mitigation, evacuation, and rescue of passengers and crew of aircraft involved in aviation accidents and incidents.
Airports with schedule ...
, and other operations requiring specialized training".
They are highly trained firefighters that do
technical rescue operations. Special operations firefighters are intended to complement regular
fire engine
A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to an i ...
crews.
Types
Each
fire service department has its own types of special operations firefighters. In the United States, for example, the types vary from one fire department to another. The types of special operations vary according to a city's size or geographic location.
Basically, types of special operations firefighters are as following:
*
HAZMAT Squad
*
Urban Search and Rescue Squad
* Air Operations Unit
*
Dive Rescue
Beaching a casualty while providing artificial respiration
Diver rescue, following an accident, is the process of avoiding or limiting further exposure to diving hazards and bringing a diver to a place of safety. A safe place is often a place ...
Squad
*
Underwater Search and Recovery
Underwater search and recovery is the process of locating and recovering underwater objects, often by divers, but also by the use of submersibles, remotely operated vehicles and electronic equipment on surface vessels.
Most underwater search ...
Squad (also known as Dive Team)
* Marine Unit
*
Bomb Squad
*
Technical Rescue Squad
*
High-angle Rescue Squad
* Extrication Squad
* Ice Rescue Squad
* Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Squad
*
Search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
Unit
History
1915-1930s
The
New York City Fire Department's (FDNY)
Rescue Company No. 1 is the oldest special operations firefighters in modern firefighting history. On 8 March 1915, Rescue Company No. 1 was established. Rescue Company No. 1 began as a volunteer fire squad composed of volunteers from the
ironworker
An ironworker is a tradesman who works in the iron-working industry. Ironworkers assemble the structural framework in accordance with engineered drawings and install the metal support pieces for new buildings. They also repair and renovate o ...
, elevator man, and
mason
Mason may refer to:
Occupations
* Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces
* Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...
professions. During that time, their work description included "performing civilian and firefighter rescues at structural fires as well as operating at "odd jobs"". The Rescue Company No. 1 transformed into a
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...
that handles rope rescues as well as underwater search and recovery. Today, the FDNY Rescue Companies are now responsible for missions such as rope rescue, urban search and rescue,
trench rescue, fire and
explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
rescue, and
elevator rescue.
1930s-1990
The construction of
high-rise structures was growing in the 1930s. This circumstance led to the establishment of new rescue squads or companies, not just by the FDNY but also by other fire departments, such as those in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
. Later, more units with various specialisations were established. The
New London School explosion
The New London School explosion occurred on March 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion and destroyed the London School in New London, Texas, United States. The disaster killed more than 300 students and teachers. , the event is ...
occurred on 18 March 1937, in
New London, Texas
New London is a city in Rusk County, Texas, United States. The population was 958 at the 2020 census.
New London was originally known as just "London". Because Kimble County Texas had already established a US Post Office station named London, ...
. The explosion was caused by
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
, marking the beginning of HAZMAT operations.
1990-present
The term "Fire Service Special Operations" was coined in 1990, when the FDNY unified all of its rescue companies, squad companies, marine units, TAC units (now known as FDNY Special Response Units), and HAZMAT units under one command. The command is known as the "Special Operations Command". Later, other fire departments began to refer to their special operations units as "special operations" units.
Roles
![NSWFB_HAZMAT_Unit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/NSWFB_HAZMAT_Unit.jpg)
According to the NFPA, special operations are a major service component of a fire department. Aside from special operations, other services include
fire suppression
Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated a ...
,
EMS, aircraft rescue and fire fighting, marine rescue and fire fighting, and/or
wildland firefighting
Wildfire suppression is a range of firefighting tactics used to suppress wildfires. Firefighting efforts in wild land areas require different techniques, equipment, and training from the more familiar structure fire fighting found in populated a ...
. Special operations are intended to complement conventional firefighting crews by providing specialised expertise and equipment throughout an operation. Depending on the squads and the fire department, the special operations firefighters may or may not be involved in firefighting operations.
The roles of special operations firefighters are self-explanatory based on the name of the squad. The HAZMAT squad, for example, is responsible for managing
hazardous materials
Dangerous goods, abbreviated DG, are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials ( syllabi ...
as well as fighting fires caused by hazardous materials. High-angle rescue squads are responsible for rescuing people from high places such as
high-rise buildings
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...
and
cable cars, and they are trained in
rope rescue
Rope rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of rope, be it steel or cable rope, or more commonly used nylon, polyester, or other type of rope. Kernmantle (kern = core and mantle = sheath) rope as it is called, is available ...
techniques. However, some fire departments combine multiple specialties into a single team. For instance, the FDNY's
Squad Companies. They are special operations firefighters who respond to fires but are also called in for high angle,
collapse
Collapse or its variants may refer to:
Concepts
* Collapse (structural)
* Collapse (topology), a mathematical concept
* Collapsing manifold
* Collapse, the action of collapsing or telescoping objects
* Collapsing user interface elements
** ...
, confined space, subway, and hazardous material emergencies. Another example is the
McKinney
McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas. It is Collin County's third-largest city, after Plano, Texas, Plano and Frisco, Texas, Frisco. A suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is about north of Dallas.
...
Fire Department's TIFMAS squad. They are special operations firefighters that serve as
wildland firefighter
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally re ...
s and as a
disaster response squad.
Notes
References
{{Firefighting
Firefighting
Rescue