A fire grows with each passing moment, threatening lives, and destroying property.

Requirements
Extinguishing a fire requires:

• Multitude of trained personnel, each with a different job
• Protective clothing
• Specialized equipment

Firefighter Tasks
Firefighters perform several tasks after arrival at a fire:

• Search and rescue - Firefighters search a building for victims and perform rescues.
• Suppression - Armed with a limited supply of air, protection clothing, and hose lines, crews enter a burning building to locate and extinguish a fire. Depending on the severity, size, and potential for unsafe structural conditions, crews may be forced to battle the fire from the exterior.
• Command and safety - A commander oversees the operation and ensures firefighter safety.
• Ventilation - Firefighters cut holes in roofs and remove windows to remove hot gases and smoke so firefighters inside the building can locate and extinguish the fire. Ventilating a building can also provide good air for trapped occupants.
• Rapid Intervention Team - Firefighters must stand by to rescue injured or trapped firefighters inside a building.
• Salvage and overhaul - Firefighters minimize damage to personal items by covering or removing them from the building. They also open walls and ceilings to extinguish fires that could later rekindle.
• Investigation - Investigators determine the cause of the fire.
• Rehabilitation - A crew helps firefighters rehydrate and cool down after being inside a building.