Assignment task: Respond back to this post in a friendly manner
In my opinion smoke are definitely presents the greater risk. Flames are extremely dangerous and with direct contact can quickly become lethal. But flames are most times avoidable and predictable. Smoke on the other hand is not. Firefighters will be surrounded by some degree of smoke from the time they approach the structure until a thorough overhaul is complete. Smoke presents multiple hazards that don't appear as obvious as flames. Extreme heat is one. Our structure gear is very effective at insulating us from radiant heat and our SCBA provides usable air in an otherwise impermissible environment. This can give a false sense of security to someone who doesn't respect the fact that one breath of this superheated gas can cause irreversible damage and death. The second threat is understanding what "smoke" is. A large percent of visible smoke is actually unburned fuel. This characteristic makes it extremely volatile in the right conditions or change of conditions. These are the instances referred to as flashovers and backdrafts. The third and least obvious threat are the toxic gasses. When the smoke seems to cool and dissipate many take the opportunity to remove their hot and uncomfortable SCBA. What they aren't considering is the toxic chemicals released during combustion don't have to be hot or visible to cause harm or kill you. These are the three main reasons I chose smoke as the greater risk. Need Assignment Help?