Firefighting: Combustion, Extinguishing Agents and Tactics

Overview

Fires in oil, gas, petrochemical and energy facilities can escalate very quickly because of large inventories of flammable liquids and gases, high pressures and congested plant layouts. The first minutes of a fire are often decisive, and the people who respond, whether site fire teams, operators or emergency crews, must understand how fires start and spread, which extinguishing agents work on each type of fire, and how to attack or contain a fire without putting themselves at unnecessary risk. Poor tactics or the wrong agent can make a fire worse and endanger lives.

This course provides a practical understanding of fire science, extinguishing agents and firefighting tactics for industrial facilities. Participants learn the chemistry of combustion, the fire tetrahedron, heat transfer and fire development, and the classes of fire. The course covers water, foam, dry chemical powders, carbon dioxide and clean agents, their extinguishing mechanisms and limitations, and the selection and use of portable and wheeled extinguishers. It also explains pool, jet and flash fires, BLEVEs, tank fires, fixed protection systems, hose handling and foam application, cooling of exposed equipment, firefighter safety and incident command at fire scenes.

Objectives

• Explain combustion chemistry, the fire tetrahedron and fire development
• Classify fires and select suitable extinguishing agents for each class
• Describe extinguishing mechanisms and limits of water, foam, powder and gases
• Use portable and wheeled extinguishers correctly and safely
• Recognise hydrocarbon fire types, including jet fires, pool fires and BLEVEs
• Apply hose handling, foam application and equipment cooling tactics
• Protect firefighter safety and work within incident command at fire scenes

Who should attend

Training methodology

The course combines explanation of fire science with videos, demonstrations and practical exercises using extinguishers, hoses and foam equipment where facilities allow. Participants select agents for different fire scenarios, calculate foam and water application rates for tank and spill fires, and plan cooling of exposed equipment. Live fire extinguisher practice is arranged where a suitable training ground is available. Case studies of major industrial fires, including tank fires and BLEVEs, are analysed in groups to understand tactics and errors. Each day ends with a short quiz and discussion of fire response at participants' sites.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Certificate

Frequently asked questions