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In the last two decades, lightweight building construction methods and the use of man-made materials in construction and furnishings have become more and more common. The expected time until structural failure occurs in a fire has been reduced, and firefighters have seen hotter fires that generate high levels of deadly gasses. Recent studies by NIST concluded that fires are growing more rapidly, and escape from certain types of fires has been reduced from 17 minutes to 3 minutes. The ventilation methods used by modern firefighters, however, have not kept pace.
Positive pressure was first used in the fire service to ventilate a structure after the fire was knocked down. Battalion Chiefs Kriss Garcia and Reinhard Kauffmann have taken positive pressure a step further. Positive pressure attack (PPA) achieves effective ventilation in coordination with aggressive fire attack. Properly used, PPA allows firefighters greater control over the interior environment of a fire building. It begins at the earliest stages of the operation, when ventilation can provide the greatest benefit for victims, firefighters and the structure. With a small investment in equipment and a commitment to training, any fire department can implement PPA at the company level.
Kriss Garcia and Reinhard Kauffmann have trained over 10,000 firefighters from over 400 departments in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada, including a group of firefighters from Sapporo, Japan, who traveled to Salt Lake City. Kriss and Reinhard have conducted positive pressure training in a variety of venues, including FDIC and in facilities provided by host fire departments. They have also co-authored a book,Positive Pressure Attack for Ventilation and Firefighting. Both currently work as battalion chiefs for the Salt Lake City Fire Department. | |
 Garcia |  Kauffmann |
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