'Unless you can effectively do several things at the same time (on the initial response) - PUT THE FIRE OUT (first)'. ... 'this should be followed by aggressive ventilation by the swiftest means possible'....' This practice allows you to first get a hose-line between savable victims and the fire (assuming the line was taken into the structure in the most appropriate avenue, placing it between the fire and savable people). Hopefully this will keep the situation from getting worse'.

John Mittendorf - Retired Los Angeles Fire Chief

I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which a fireman has to do believe that this is a noble calling. There is an adage which says "Nothing can be destroyed except by fire". We strive to preserve from destruction the wealth of the world, which is the product of the industry of men, necessary for the comfort of both the rich and poor, We are the defenders from fire, of the art which has beautified the world, the product of the genius of men and the means of refinement of mankind. But, above all, our proudest endeavour is to save lives – the work of God himself. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even at the supreme sacrifice. Such considerations may not strike the average mind, but they are sufficient to fill to the limit our ambition in life and to make us serve the general purpose of human society.
Edward F. Croker
Chief of Department
New York City 1899 – 1911 (retired 1911)

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My name is Shan Raffel and I am a career firefighter working in Queensland Australia. I joined the Fire Service in 1983 with the Brisbane Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board. During my 25 year career I have worked out of some of the busiest Fire Stations in Queensland and served in several countries on short term attachments. I have had the privilege of visiting some of the worlds best Fire Training Institutions and working with some of the most respected Firefighters, Instructors and Fire Engineers in the world.

The course of my career took an interesting turn when, in 1997, I submitted a proposal to study the latest methods of teaching Firefighters how to recognise and safely deal with Flashover, Backdraft and other Fire Phoneme. As a result of this proposal I was sent to the United Kingdom and Sweden to study realistic teaching methods and training facilities. Upon my return to Australia I set about gaining acceptance for these live saving methods and have been honoured to assist numerous Australian and International Fire Services to develop their own realistic training programs.  After spending 3 years working on the development of a nationally recognised CFBT training program, I decided to return to operational duties as a Station Officer. I have lectured at numerous international conferences and delivered practical training in several countries. I have had my technical papers published in National and International Fire and Emergency Journals. In 2005, I co-authored a technical manual that is published by the International Fire Service Training Association. (http://www.ifsta.org/). Several of my written works have been translated into French, German, Spanish, Croatian, Malay and Chinese.

I have been a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers for 25 years. In the last decade I have held a number of State and National positions in the Australian Branch. I am currently the National President and represent Australia on the international General Assembly. 

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