Fire ventilation

6
Foreword
In this book fi re ventilation is understood to refer to all the
measures taken by fi re and rescue services during fi res, above
all in buildings, to release fi re or hot gases into the open.
Salvage and overhaul, which can be a positive secondary
effect of fi re ventilation, has not been taken into consideration.
Permanent arrangements in buildings in the form of
vents or fans, for example, have only been treated in general
terms.
The book is primarily intended for the training activities
of the Swedish Rescue Services Agency. Chapters 1-4 include
theoretical concepts of fi re ventilation, the fundamental
principles for fi re gases, pressure and temperature conditions
in buildings. The book also describes how fi re ventilation
ought to be implemented in practice, which problems
and opportunities can be expected when creating openings
in different types of structures, and the essentials of positive
pressure ventilation (chapters 5-8). In chapter 9 there is a
general reasoning on tactics during fi re ventilation. The
fi nal chapter in the book presents examples of fi re fi ghting
situations.
The book is based on practical experience from fi re and
rescue services, research and experiments, and on the available
theoretical knowledge on the subject. The book does
not claim to be fully comprehensive, since there are many
variations of fi re ventilation. For those who wish to undertake
further reading there is a list of recommended literature
at the end of the book.
Major contributors to the book include Sören Lundström,
the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, Lasse Bengtsson,
Helsingborg Fire Department, and Magnus Nygren,
Swedish Rescue Services Agency. Bertil Wildt-Persson,
Norrköping Fire Department, has also been a great source
of inspiration.