Texts for reading and giving annotations Text 1. Hazards for fire fighters

The primary risk to people in a fire is smoke inhalation (breathing in smoke; the more common cause of death in a fire rather than burns). The risks of smoke include:

• suffocation due to the fire consuming or displacing all of the oxygen from the air;

• poisonous gases produced by the fire;

• aspirating heated smoke that can burn the inside of the lungs.

Firefighters carry self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA; an open-circuit positive pressure compressed air system) to prevent smoke inhalation. These are not oxygen tanks; they carry compressed air. SCBA usually hold 30 to 45 minutes of air, dependent upon the size of the tank and the rate of consumption during strenuous activities.

Obvious risks stem from the effects of heat. Even without contact with the flames (conduction), there are a number of comparably serious risks: burns from radiated heat, contact with a hot object, hot gases (e.g., air), steam and hot and/or toxic smoke. Firefighters are equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) that includes fire-resistant clothing (nomex or polybenzimidazole fiber (PBI)) and helmets that limit the transmission of heat towards the body.

The heat can make pressurised gas cylinders and tanks explode, producing what is called a BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion). Some chemical products such as ammonium nitrate fertilizers can also explode. Explosions can cause physical trauma or potentially serious blast or shrapnel injuries. Depending upon the heat of the fire, burns can occur in a fraction of a second.

Text 2. Women in firefighting

Historically, firefighting has been dominated by men in both professional and volunteer contexts. Today, there are numerous women who actively fight fire alongside their male counterparts. Modern firefighting demographics show that all firefighting and prescribed burning occupations in the United States have a growing female component.The first known female firefighter of the United States was a slave from New York named Molly Williams, who was said to be "as good a fire lady as many of the boys".

Fire ecologists in the U.S. are approximately 50% male and 50% female and fire-related occupations are being taken on by women increasingly throughout the world. Because of firefighting's predominantly male participants, the word "fireman" became synonymous with "firefighter."

One major problem to entrance into firefighting for women was the lack of facilities. The immediate problem of sleeping quarters and bathing areas had to be solved before women could participate fully in firefighting as an occupation and as a culture. Communal showers and open bunk halls were designed for men only. Today, although most stations are now designed to accommodate firefighters of both genders, some female firefighters still face issues related to their gender.

One of the greatest difficulties experienced by most women in the fire service is ill-fitting protective gear. Not only are women usually smaller than men, they are also shaped differently, so gear designed for men often will not fit correctly. In an environment where uncovered skin can be almost instantly covered in full-thickness burns, it is essential that protective gear fit properly.