Fires in residential high-rise buildings present tremendous challenges to firefighters, where inappropriate structural design, construction omissions and poor maintenance lead to widespread systemic failure. However, firefighters are now facing even greater challenges in these buildings due to more recent shifts…

Paul Grimwood
2 Articles0 CommentsPaul Grimwood is in his 45th year of service in the UK and is currently the Principal Fire Protection Engineer at Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Following operational service with London Fire Brigade, Merseyside FRS, West Midlands FRS and a six month detachment to the New York City Fire Department in 1976, Paul obtained his PhD in Fire Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University this year. His research into the amounts of firefighting water required to optimise structural fire attack has since formed part of the BS 7974 (5) suite of UK fire engineering guidance documents and National Operational Guidance (NOG) package.
Effective Firefighting Operations in High-Rise Towers
A disciplined proactive command and deployment system can be used to reduce time-lag delays in high-rise firefighting operations. It requires pre-planning and pre-determination of how reconnaissance can be deployed effectively and rapidly on arrival to (a) locate the fire; (b)…