Catherine Dilts
  • About Catherine
  • Catherine Dilts - Blog
  • Rose Creek
  • Short Stories
  • Annie's Fiction
  • Survive Or Die
  • Rock Shop Mystery Series
  • About Catherine
  • Catherine Dilts - Blog
  • Rose Creek
  • Short Stories
  • Annie's Fiction
  • Survive Or Die
  • Rock Shop Mystery Series
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

News 

1/9/2013

Pikes Peak Writers blog article - Fire It Up!

Picture
My blog article "Fire It Up! A Writer's Guide to Firefighting" appeared on the Pikes Peak Writers blog December 28, 2012. This is a report on Robin Widmar's Write Brain presentation. Robin's blog may be found at http://worldneedsproofreader.blogspot.com/

Robin Widmar spoke about firefighting at the November Write Brain, with the goal of sparking the imagination while keeping writers grounded in fact.

“Firefighting is a complex subject,” Robin told us. “Every fire is different. Every fire department is different. Every fire fighter is different. Do your research!”

With a fifteen-year career as a firefighter, Robin has an AAS degree in Fire Science Technology. She covers the Falcon Fire Protection District for The New Falcon Herald. Robin went to her first fire at the age of four, and her father, stepfather, and great-great-grandfather were firefighters.

Robin finds that fictional depictions of fires often miss the mark. Giving numerous examples from television, movies, and novels of what works, and what doesn’t, she cautioned the Write Brain audience that “entertainment rarely meets reality.”

Sometimes Hollywood gets it right. Robin cited scenes from the television program Chicago Fire showing an exhaust hose on a fire truck inside the fire station. That was a realistic touch she said firefighters would appreciate. The trucks must have their exhaust vented to the outdoors because the station living quarters are basically attached to a garage. Another scene aimed a camera through the front windshield of a fire engine to show what the ride through city streets is really like.

On the downside, she said firefighters would not dress as casual as the characters on the television show. The tight tank tops, unbuttoned shirts, and sexy poses would not be found in a real fire station. 

To encourage writers to get their fire related scenes correct, Robin presented Five Myths of Firefighting.

Myth One: Fires depicted in fiction are rarely hot and smoky.
Reality: She showed us pictures from movies, and from actual fires. The myth shows neatly spaced patches of fire, great visibility, and a firefighter not wearing an air mask. Reality is that visibility can be nearly zero due to thick, dark smoke, and the temperature can be 1000 degrees at the ceiling level. 

Robin explained rudimentary fire science to us, while cautioning us that the subject is incredibly complex. She told us a story involving her training as a volunteer firefighter, when her chief told her to spray water on a burning Volkswagen as a lesson. Robin did, and the engine flared into white sparks and flame. Old VW engines were composed of a metal that reacted with water when it burned. Someone not trained in the science behind firefighting might not know that some metals are as much a source of fire fuel as wood, gas, or paper.

Fire dynamics are dramatically different today than a century ago. Robin asked us to consider the time period and setting of our fictional fires. There are new synthetic materials inside houses, contained in furnishings, carpet, electronics, and even building materials, that put off toxic gasses when burning. Robin explained how modern floor joists and rafters may be built of lightweight materials that burn more quickly than solid wood components used in older structures.
 
Myth Two: The Hollywood image of fire is of bright, uniformly shaped and sized flames leaping out of windows. Reality: Robin showed us photos of structure fires. One of the “reality” photos was a house with thick smoke rolling out of the upper level. Firefighters must learn how to read fires and smoke in order to know what kind of fire conditions they are dealing with.

Myth Three: Cars explode on impact, or easily catch fire.
Reality: The reality is that cars rarely explode or burst into flames in a crash. To achieve the Hollywood effect, cars are rigged with explosives, and detonated to get that special effect.

Myth Four:  Arson fires are always successful.
Reality: While many arsons do succeed, the reality is that some arsonists don’t always understand fire dynamics. Fuel, oxygen, and heat must be in proper proportion. Robin described an attempted arson fire where the building was too air tight to provide the oxygen needed for the fire to progress. Firefighters found gasoline soaked carpets that had not ignited.

Robin said that investigating a fire is a topic that could fill an entire talk. She touched briefly on several aspects of fire investigation. - Arson is a crime that destroys evidence as it progresses. - Who investigates fires? It depends on the jurisdiction, since some fire departments have their own investigators, while others use investigators from the local police or sheriff’s department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) will investigate fires involving federal property. ATF will also assist local departments when requested, particularly when a department lacks investigative resources. - Fire behaves in specific and predictable ways, which helps fire investigators determine the cause and where the fire started. - Dogs can be trained to detect accelerant use. Crime labs can analyze samples for the presence of an accelerant.

Myth Five: Firefighters are flawed but attractive and buff men and women.
Reality: Robin did not dispel all of this myth. Firefighters carry fifty pounds of basic gear, and can be loaded down with an additional fifty pounds of equipment. They run up ladders and stairs carrying all that weight. They do need to be buff. And of course, like all humans, they are flawed.

The reality is that firefighters tend to be pranksters and jokers, to relieve the stress of the job. They come from all walks of life, and deal with the same issues as everyone else. They are devoted to their families, communities, and crews. Firefighters may be saints or sinners, just like the general population. There is no stereotypical firefighter.
At the end of her presentation, Robin reviewed some terminology. Much depends on what part of the country your story is set in.
  • Sometimes the driver of the fire truck is called a driver engineer, sometimes a driver operator, and in some areas, a chauffeur. Do your research.
  • The correct term is firefighter, not fireman. Unless, of course, your story takes place in a time period when women were not typically working in this field.
  • A fire station is not the same thing as a fire department.
  • There are many different types of vehicles. “Fire truck” is a generic term applied to different kinds of vehicles. Depending on their function, the size of the community, and the area of the country, there are fire engines (also called pumpers) that pump water, and ladder trucks equipped with aerial ladders, ground ladders, and other equipment.
  • Not all fire vehicles are red. Robin showed photos of red, red and white, blue and white, and yellow vehicles. Again, it depends on the particular location in which your story takes place. Do your research.
  • Firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) which hold compressed air, not pure oxygen. Think about it. Oxygen is fuel for fire, and a tank of oxygen would be incredibly dangerous.
When Robin was an active firefighter, she achieved the rank of driver engineer. She spoke with enthusiasm about driving the fire truck through busy traffic en route to an alarm. After attending Robin’s presentation, I believe that firefighting is more of a calling than a career.  

Robin’s knowledge and experience would fill several Pikes Peak Writers talks. Let’s hope she finishes her Firefighting for Writers book soon!

Tamsyn Coulon
1/22/2013 01:39:45 pm

Wonderful blog post! Thank you for sharing it - lots of great information from that presentation that flew by real fast. Glad it is here to refer back to.


Comments are closed.

    Subscribe to this blog:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly