Essentials of Fire Fighting - History of The Essentials of Fire Fighting

History of The Essentials of Fire Fighting

In 1934, the Western Actuarial Bureau sponsored a meeting in Kansas City to begin the process of gaining consensus on common training methods and techniques. State fire training directors from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas attended and the Fire Service Training Association (FSTA) was formed. By its next meeting in 1935, 16 states were represented and more joined every year thereafter. Oklahoma A&M College (OAMC) was chosen to publish the manuals to be developed by the Fire Service Training Association. In 1935, two planographed, hardbound books were produced: Elementary Science Applied to the Firefighting Service and Ladders.

Eventually a total of ten topics were covered and published in 1937. Because of their red covers, the fire service called them “The Redbooks.” The ten original “Redbooks” were:

• Forcible Entry, Ropes, Knots, and Extinguishers
• Ground Ladders
• Hose
• Salvage and Overhaul
• Fire Streams
• Fire Apparatus
• Ventilation
• Rescue
• First Aid
• Fire Prevention and Inspection

In 1955, FSTA becomes the International Fire Service Training Association or IFSTA when the first Canadian officials attend and participate. In 1957, Oklahoma A&M College became Oklahoma State University. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s IFSTA became more active in the U.S. fire service. IFSTA was a participant in the Williamsburg meeting that led to the formation of the Joint Council of National Fire Service Organizations. Everett Hudiburg, director of IFSTA, was selected to chair the Joint Council and spearheaded the formation of the National Professional Qualifications Board (Pro Board). The Pro Board developed professional qualifications standards and a national certification system. The four original professional qualifications standards adopted in 1974 included:

• Fire Fighters
• Fire Officers
• Fire Inspectors and Investigators
• Fire Instructors

IFSTA realized that its products could be used to assist firefighters in achieving certification. IFSTA manuals were then revised to ensure they covered the standards. It was apparent that it would be impractical for firefighters to have to buy at least 10 manuals to meet the firefighter certification requirements.

It was decided that a single manual should be developed to assist firefighters in achieving certification, and thus the Essentials of Fire Fighting was born. Carroll Herring, director of the Louisiana Fireman Training Program (now known as the Louisiana State University Fire and Emergency Training Institute, is credited with recommending the title of Essentials of Fire Fighting. The first edition of Essentials of Fire Fighting was published in 1977 and subsequent editions have been published in 1983, 1992, and 1998. The latest edition (5th) was first printed in January 2008.