Staring down a $3 billion—and growing—tab to clean up water sources at military installations across the country that are contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals linked to firefighting foam, the Defense Department ...
Environment
Jun 02, 2020
0
4
San Francisco's women firefighters are exposed to higher levels of certain toxic PFAS chemicals than women working in downtown San Francisco offices, shows a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, ...
Environment
Feb 26, 2020
0
14
When female firefighters put on the protective suits they need for their work, they're often using gear that has been designed for a male body.
Other
Jan 17, 2020
0
1
Wildfires such as the ones that have been burning across Australia for months, pose different threats to the firefighters battling them. And, because the safety equipment used by woodland firefighters is far less regulated ...
Environment
Jan 17, 2020
1
4
A firefighter says asbestos, mold and toxic fumes inside a fire station in Alabama's largest city have sickened him and other firefighters.
Environment
Dec 31, 2019
0
12
Drinkers will soon be cheering all the way to the bar thanks to a team of scientists who have taken a big step forward in solving the puzzle of how to make the perfect head of beer.
Materials Science
Dec 21, 2019
1
411
Hundreds of California firefighters on Tuesday battled a wind-driven brushfire that grew out of control overnight near Santa Barbara, threatening thousands of homes and prompting evacuation orders.
Environment
Nov 26, 2019
0
19
Firefighters in California struggled to contain a new fast-moving blaze on Wednesday that threatened thousands of homes and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, as rare "extreme" red flag warnings were issued for much ...
Environment
Oct 30, 2019
0
13
Australia is tackling multiple bushfires that have broken out across New South Wales and Queensland over the past few days.
Environment
Sep 10, 2019
0
11
One of France's biggest wildfires this year has been stopped after more than 500 firefighters battled for two days to protect homes and lives, emergency services said Thursday.
Environment
Aug 15, 2019
0
15
Firefighters (historically, firemen) are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations. The increasing complexity of modern industrialized life with an increase in the scale of hazards has created an increase in the skills needed in firefighting technology and a broadening of the firefighter-rescuer's remit. They sometimes provide emergency medical services. The fire service, or fire and rescue service, also known in some countries as the fire brigade or fire department, are some of the emergency services. Firefighting and firefighters have become ubiquitous around the world, wildland areas to urban areas, and on board ships.
According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, the English word "firefighter" has been used since 1903. In recent decades it has become the preferred term, replacing the older "fireman", since many women serve as firefighters, and also because the term "fireman" can have other meanings, including someone who sets or stokes fires - exactly the opposite of the firefighting role.
In some countries, including Australia, Canada, Chad, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden and the United States; there are often paid, or career firefighters working. Additionally, there are volunteer firefighters (who are theoretically unpaid) and retained firefighters (sometimes called on call or auxiliary firefighters, who are paid for the specific time they are on duty, i.e. permanent part-time career firefighters) on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In such countries as the United Kingdom and Ireland, the use of additional retained firefighters is standard. In Portugal, the use of volunteer firefighters is standard, along with career firefighters. In Australia there are volunteer brigades which are mostly unpaid rural services (although traditionally they are paid by their employers if called out during working hours).
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
