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AT FIRST glance, Wildland Fire Fighting for Structural Firefighters is a broad and systematic manual of wildfire for those uninitiated in dealing with fires in the natural environment. However, in some ways, the title does not do the book justice – it represents a great educational tool for anyone who requires an understanding of the science and theory, tactics and tools, and safety precautions required when tackling wildfires. As such, it offers sound guidance and practical advice for both novice and experienced firefighters.
I like the way in which the authors have ‘pitched’ the text at firefighters. It maintains a strong safety focus, with regular ‘warnings’ and ‘cautions’ punctuating the text, as well as visual teaching. While explaining the theories and ecology of wildfire, it also indicates that the knowledge and understanding gained from the manual needs to be built upon with practical skills development. This, too, fits well with the modern approach that requires knowledge and understanding to be complemented by skill development.
In addition, this latest version of the publication includes important sections detailing:
Maintaining the strong emphasis on safety, the appendices include a section on risk assessment. The only potential misgiving I had – that the vernacular and terminology used may not readily translate to UK firefighters – was eased by the inclusion of appendices explaining the terminology and offering a glossary of terms.
In summary, a very useful guidance document for all firefighters.
This publication can be purchased online from the IFE website: www.ife.org.uk or by contacting the IFE on e-mail: borders@ife.org.uk; tel: +44 (0)1608 812 580; fax: +44 (0)1608 812 581. View the IFE’s complete range of publications on the website.
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