Affordability

Most fire departments and colleges with fire science programs are unable to properly train with live fire because of the cost and space needed for live burns, and even with the benefits of burn towers and similar structures, it is hard to safely demonstrate critical stages of a fire such as, flashovers, backdrafts and smoke explosions. The Max Fire Box provides an economical solution for fire behavior and thermal imaging training that doesn’t require a lot of space. It is one of the most cost effective fire behavior training tools available and its live demonstration of fire behavior and thermal imaging could save lives.

A Better approach to Education

Fire Fighters must be able to make life and death decisions in rapidly changing environments. To do that effectively they need to be able to not only recognize the signs of changing environments but also recognize what factors cause the environment to change. Although classroom training is a great way to teach fire fighters the basics of fire behavior such as, definitions and what they need to be looking for in live events, actually seeing those definitions first hand can be a much more impactful way to learn. When properly used, instructors are able to define multiple fire behavior and thermal imaging terms while teaching with the Max Fire Box. The Max Fire Box comes with an instructional video that will prepare instructors to give their class a hands-on demonstration, as well as, classroom materials that will help integrate the Max Fire Box into their lecture. This will include slides and some of the video clips from the instructional video so that students will be able to more easily recognize the different stages during the live demonstration.  This integration of traditional and hands-on learning is part of what makes the Max Fire Box the most complete approach to fire behavior education.

 The Science of Fire Fighting

As research is being done on fire behavior, we realize that there are scientific principles that dictate how and why fires progress.  There are many factors that impact fire behavior, and as organizations such as, UL and NIST, continue to provide important research on door control, flow path, and the importance of cooling super heated gasses; fire departments need to have access to training equipment that demonstrates the behavior of live fire. The Max Fire Box is the only tool that safely recreates these environments in a way that is easy to see and understand. By using the Max Fire Box, instructors can show how changes directly affect fire. By repeating the process with the same results, it is easy to see how their actions can quickly affect fire in a way that can make the environment more survivable or more deadly. Our goal is to provide instructors with an efficient way to demonstrate potentially life saving research in a way that is hands on and engaging.

Fire Service Learning Ladder

Properly teaching fire behavior requires more than just providing a short lecture on the topic. The fire service needs to create a proactive approach that incorporates multiple steps. Each of these steps should build on each other to accomplish their goal, similar to climbing a ladder. Unfortunately, most fire fighters are expected to be ready for action after just the first step.

  Classroom lectures are an important first step in understanding how fire behaves, but it is only the first step. The next step is viewing and understanding the different stages of a fire in a live environment. The Max Fire Box allows for the live study of fire on a safe, manageable scale, while remaining affordable to small departments. By studying live fire in this way, it prepares fire fighters for the next step, acquired structure burns. This step is where many aspects of fire fighting start to come together, and in order to make the most of these training opportunities, fire fighters should already have a solid knowledge of fire behavior.  Recognizing the environment around them will allow for quicker, better decision-making and allow them to better perform their assigned task.