Knowing Your Buildings

Book excerpt: Stay focused on firefighter safety with Knowing Your Buildings, an illustrated guide to building construction terms and concepts. This book is a valuable companion for learners as well as a handy reference for practicing fire service professionals. This latest edition includes an expanded introductory section with chapters on understanding building features; risk management through planning, preparing, practicing, and performing; and hazardous building features and conditions. Additionally, the A-to-Z section has been augmented with hundreds of new terms and definitions. These terms are organized alphabetically and include photos, diagrams, drawings, and charts to clearly explain and provide visual examples of building construction materials and techniques. Safety points are also highlighted throughout the book to explain the connection between building construction materials, fire growth, and, ultimately, the safety of responding firefighters and fire officers. Features Understand the connection between building construction and firefighter safety with clear and concise definitions and explanations Stay safe on the scene with an opening chapter on building construction and risk management as well as safety notes integrated throughout the book Quickly and easily find terms and explanations, as well as photos and illustrations, with cross-references between related topics Stay informed with appendixes covering statistics, NIOSH reports, additional resources, and more