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Greg Henry
Pictured left Greg met with
Adam Barowy, Research Engineer
with the Fire Science Laboratory
in Chicago
To investigate how modern fire dynamics theories
influence highrise firefighting tactics and procedures Singapore, UK, Sweden, UK, USA
In 2013 I had been a professional firefighter for 18 years, I thought I
was experienced, curious and dedicated to learning. Then, I had the
good fortune to read the book Euro Firefighter by Paul Grimwood
and I realised how little I really knew.
This initiated a journey of discovery that led me to the work of
Stefan Svensson, Steve Kerber, and Dan Madrzykowski, among
others, on fire behaviour and practical firefighting. In an effort to
learn more, I pursued this Churchill Fellowship and in doing so, was
given the extraordinary opportunity to meet not only these people
I had been inspired by, but many other passionate, experienced and
incredibly knowledgeable people. The generosity and hospitality
shown by all those I met was humbling, and in keeping with the
finest traditions of the world-wide fraternity of firefighters.
The overarching lesson for Australia is that successful fire fighting is
based on a combination of experience, knowledge and skill in
the core principles of fire behaviour, fire ventilation and fire
suppression. However, true expertise will come from not only
understanding these core principles individually, but also how they
interact with each other. Therefore, Australian fire authorities must
understand that the foundation of expertise begins with, and should
be continually supported by, effective, holistic and realistic training
and education. This will provide a solid base and accurate context for
subsequent operational experiences to be built upon.
Pictured above Greg trained
with various Fire Academy and
Department squads during his
Fellowship
Pictured above One of the
engines of the Chicago Fire
Department
It was an extraordinary experience
that has been invaluable from both a
personal and professional perspective.
I hope my findings will contribute to
the current and future development of
high-rise and structural fire fighting in
Australia.”
During this Fellowship it was clear that proactive fire agencies
recognised the value of collaboration with researchers. As such,
many departments have developed strong research partnerships to
help drive change and innovation in high-rise and structural
firefighting, and Australian agencies should do the same where
possible. If that’s not possible within individual jurisdictions, local
departments should leverage the collaborations of others, through
attendance at conferences such as the Fire Department Instructors
Conference.
Download Greg’s full report from our website
churchilltrust.com.au/fellows/detail/4029/Greg+Henry
Rewarding Australians Striving for Excellence
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