The Edxcel 2007 BTEC Level 3 award (60 hours) and certificate (90 hours) courses in Compartment Fire Behavior Training (CFBT) provides accredited qualification to CFBT Instructor level. The longer 90 hour course includes an 'add-on' module in Positive Pressure Ventilation. The training syllabus provides an underpinning knowledge of both theoretical and practical skills for National Occupational Standards relating to firefighting.

However - Some Concerns!
CFBT was introduced nationally in the UK in the late 1990s following several firefighter life losses. A training need was subsequently identified and CFBT was seen to provide the platform upon which this training could be effectively delivered.

In the decade since CFBT has fulfilled this training need there have been four further firefighter deaths in the UK that were all linked, in part, to inadequate provision of flow-rate at the attack nozzles (refer to coroners narratives). Since 1994 Paul Grimwood (London Fire Brigade retd) has presented several technical papers through the trade and IFE Journals that demonstrated how the firefighting flow-rate available at attack nozzles had almost halved since the transition to more modern equipment at the turn of the 1990s. His practical flow-rate research of 58 UK fire brigades was published and demonstrated that 89 percent of brigades were under-flowing their attack hose-lines in accordance with their target flows, which in turn were determined by nozzle manufacturers literature. What is perhaps more worrying is that the brigades in question were completely unaware of this fact. They were sincerely of the belief that if a nozzle says 500LPM on the rotating collar,  then that is what it delivers! His research further suggested that the flow-rates in use were often inadequate and potentially dangerous, where developing fires were concerned. In some cases, the flow-rate from the 19mm hose-reel was greater than that being achieved when 'scaling up' to the 45mm lay-flat hose-lines.

A recent fire in the UK where two firefighters became trapped, demonstrated how critical it is to have adequate flow-rate for post-flashover firefighting readily available at the nozzle. The crew sent to rescue them were unable to advance to their aid because the stream from their nozzle appeared to be 'having no effect on the fire'. A subsequent e-mail from a CFBT instructor in this same brigade stated; 

'As an exercise, myself and a colleague tried to make an attack (CFBT-Attack 2) with a length of 45mm last Sunday and got beaten back. Then we tried the same with a (high-pressure) hose-reel and succeeded'.

This is hardly surprising because the style of nozzles in use, coupled with the way this particular brigade were under-pumping through 45mm attack lines, meant that  flow-rate available at the nozzle on the 45mm is not much greater, in some circumstances, than that from the 19mm hose-reel! Only, the hose-reel stream (in this case) offers greater velocity and performance in a fire attack simulator. 

Whilst the overall document detailing core units of CFBT learning is well presented, there are major concerns raised over the absence of certain subject matter, where a distinct training need has been identified through past experience. The issue of firefighting flow-rate, coupled with a detailed knowledge of fire loading, is one that just has to be addressed if we are to learn from previous coroner's findings in two separate fires where four firefighters lost their lives.

Limitations of CFBT 
A further important omission from the Edexcel CFBT syllabus, that may appear equally as critical, is the provision of training in defining the limitations of the various extinguishing techniques. There is only very minor reference in the document to other methods of attack, such as indirect and direct extinguishing, but little or no definition as to what 'appropriate extinguishing techniques' actually means! 

Again, we have experienced an entire generation of new firefighters during the past decade who have only been taught gas-cooling and knocking back gaseous-phase combustion in the 1.5MW simulators. Often, when faced with an interior attack in an intense compartment fire in the stages of development, they cannot understand why the training techniques fail!

Fire Behavior Terminology 
Some of the references used in the syllabus of the Edxcel CFBT relate to out-of-date terminology and refer students to a book (Fundamentals of Fire) that translates inappropriate fire terminology and definitions from Swedish into English. Refer HERE for further information.

This 2007 document presented us an opportunity to address some important issues based on experiences learned over the past decade of CFBT in the UK. Whilst it is a very well presented guide to accredited CFBT Instructor qualification, these serious omissions concerning needed firefighting flow-rates; fire behaviour terminology; and limitations of various nozzle and extinguishing techniques; against various levels and types of fire load, means that it is an opportunity sadly missed.

Edexcel BTEC Level 3 CFBT Instructor's Qualifications