HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Fire Department on Thursday offered "The Art of Reading Smoke", a class from Thornton, Colorado Battalion Chief Rob Backer. Over 120 firefighters from across the state of Kansas attended the one day only class offering on April 20th.
Backer is a 20-year veteran of the fire service and has written for Fire Engineering and fire service blogs, and has been delivering The Art of Reading Smoke and The Art of the First Due nationally.
Today’s structure fires are more dangerous than ever before. Lightweight construction, low-mass synthetics, and open space floorplans have created a perfect storm for rapid, prolific fire growth and extreme behavior. It is imperative for firefighters of all ranks and experience levels to be prepared for this new battle.
The Art of Reading Smoke, developed by Dave Dodson and continued by Rob Backer, provides the knowledge necessary for first-arriving firefighters, officers, and chief officers to determine the fire’s location and progression “from the seat” before seeing any flame.
Through the extensive use of actual fireground videos, first-time students are able to develop, and returning students refine their knowledge and skills to become intellectually aggressive firefighters, rather than arbitrarily aggressive.
The class took place at the Hutchinson Fire Training Center at 3201 East 4th.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.