China's official histories are replete with intriguing examples of incendiary and aquatic warfare being employed (particularly by the outnumbered) in pivotal roles to turn the tide of battle. In his new book Fire and Water, best-selling author Ralph Sawyer traces the dynamic evolution and development of incendiary warfare in ancient China, from antiquity through the introduction of true gunpowder weapons, including cannon and muskets. Discussing both use and techniques, the book similarly unfolds the evolution of aquatic methodology, emphasizing the strong interconnection between the two with the inception of riverine combat. Fundamentally based upon an examination of the Chinese military writings, Sawyer examines and recounts the most important clashes and epochal conflicts in which these dramatic tactics were employed over the centuries. Although not a naval history, Sawyer does examine the extensive employment of incendiary attacks in naval conflict and explores the means for overcoming riverine obstacles, such as floating bridges.

In Fire Birds�Valuing Natural Wildfires and Burned Forests, award-winning science author Sneed B. Collard III challenges society�s negative views toward natural forest fires. By focusing on the research of biologist Richard Hutto, Collard reveals the complex relationships between fire and thriving plant and animal communities. The book especially focuses on the heavy use of burned forests by dozens of bird species�and debunks the idea that burned forests are worthless wastelands. Besides delivering a powerful environmental message, Fire Birds couldn�t be more timely. With record numbers of acres burning every year, pressure to suppress wildfires and �salvage log� burned forests has never been greater. Stunning photographs and clear text deliver the message that recent fire policies have been backfiring badly.

A pair of ferocious forest fires rages out of control, threatening to destroy two American national parks and incinerate thousands of homes and park buildings. As the desperate battle to squelch the global warming-induced fires before they "blow up" reaches a fever-pitch, a mysterious string of violent airborne accidents among the air tanker fleet produces a mounting body count. The air tankers - the old aircraft used by pilots to bomb the fires with fire retardant slurry - have been literally falling apart in midair. Clearly not designed for such punishing high-stakes flying, the flying museum pieces should have been grounded years ago. Veteran pilot Clark Maxwell thought his fire bombing days were well behind him. But when Jerry Stein, Maxwell's friend and air tanker fleet-owner, calls at the height of the fire season to beg him to reenter the war, he doesn't hesitate. As the wildfires spread, whipped by massive winds and the federal forces arrayed against the fires reach their limits, hysteria and potential evacuation threatens the local population. In the middle of this crisis, Clark Maxwell becomes convinced that a sinister cover-up is behind the rash of horrific air disasters. As he races to unravel a very real mystery and prevent a natural disaster of massive proportions, Maxwell's probe reaches the upper levels of government agencies charged with mounting the aerial fire fighting effort - a move that for wholly unexpected reasons just may cost him his life.

How destructive or beneficial are forest fires to wildlife? Should we be trying to reduce or increase the amount of fire in forests? How are forest fires controlled, and why does this sometimes fail? What effect will climate change have? These and many other questions are answered in this richly illustrated book, written in non-technical language. The journey starts in the long geological history of fire leading up to our present love-hate relationship with it. Exploring the physics of how a single flame burns, the journey continues through how whole forests burn and the anatomy of firestorms. The positive and negative ecological effects of fires are explored, from plants and wildlife to whole landscapes. The journey ends with how fires are controlled, and a look to the future. This book will be of interest to ecologists, biogeographers and anyone with an interest in forest fires and the role they play.

This is a new, award-winning textbook for firefighters with a working knowledge of fire fighting. It includes topics such as fire weather and behavior, safety and leadership. This textbook should be required reading for personnel with management responsibilities on wildland fire incidents.

An award winning arson investigator brings you over thirty cases from his own files and those of his colleagues. These true case histories cover the entire spectrum of arson crimes from the hapless goof to the most evil and obsessive fiends of them all. Among this collection are the erratic street denizens who are the serial arsonists. This group wanders your streets at night igniting anything that strikes their fancy. A more dangerous and dedicated group is the "mission men" who are trying to set a fire or explosion of cataclysmic proportions, with deadly intentions. The most colorful and odd group in this book has been labeled "whackjobs, weirdos and wannabes". This group consists of phonies masquerading as firefighters, cops, secret agents and others. The chapter on "mad men" shows how much a man's hate will drive him until all rational thought goes out the window. The author, Ed Nordskog has been a police detective for over 23 years and a specialist in arson and bomb investigations for the past 17 years. His beat is the sprawling Los Angeles basin with its over nine million citizens. His case histories in this book are a mere sampling of his 1,700 arson investigations. He has arrested and sat face to face in cramped interview rooms with over 300 arsonists and bombers. Some of these people are also rapists, murderers, gang members, devil worshipers, child molesters, and child murderers. Nordskog's first book, "Torchered Minds-Case histories of notorious serial arsonists", has been widely accepted and lauded in the arson investigation field. This exhaustive study focused on over 60 case histories of the more famous serial arson investigations. Nordskog's current book goes into much more depth to chronicle the various subtypes of the more dangerous arsonists he's come across. He shows obsessive-compulsive stalkers and rapists. He meets and speaks with several dangerous paranoid-schizophrenics who have voices within their heads telling them to burn and kill. He highlights a few suspects who went out on a fiery mission with very little expectation to survive the day, and with the stated goal of taking as many victims with them as possible. He introduces you to people who maim, torture and kill helpless animals and family pets with poison and fire. Lastly, Nordskog introduces true crime readers to the shadowy world of arson investigation and to the investigators themselves. The cases in this book are weirder or more bizarre than can be dreamt up by a Hollywood screenwriter. They are all also 100% true. These cases cover an area from the Los Angeles basin, through the desert region and along the foothills and forests that run up and down the entire state of California. Det. Ed Nordskog has been and arson/bomb investigator, undercover narcotics detective, and a detective working burglaries, robberies, auto theft and other major crimes. He has a Master's Degree and has received over 85 awards for his investigative work to include "Law Enforcement Officer of the Year" and "International Arson Investigator of the Year". He continues to work as an arson/bomb investigator for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. He is an active lecturer and instructor in this field for the State of California, the California Conference of Arson Investigators and the International Association of Arson Investigators.

The NEW 4th Edition of this bestselling book by noted wildland firefighting author, Bill Teie is updated to address the most current NFPA and National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) standards and qualifications for wildland firefighting. This book is written for the fire personnel who need a basic understanding of wildland firefighting. Firefighters and fire officers who have primary wildland responsibilities and who may be called into a wildland fire situation as a mutual aid response will all find this handbook valuable. This handbook combines critical components from the 2016 edition of NFPA 1051 and NWCG documents into one source for wildland firefighters, officers and command staff. The NFPA and NWCG documents are referenced at the front of each chapter. The NEW edition now includes a Fireline Construction chapter. The content is sequenced to logically build competency from the first through all 15 chapters of the book.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Discusses how fires start, the new fire-fighting technology available, the beneficial and destructive force of fire, and the controversy surrounding fire management in national parks

In pursuit of lifestyle change, affordable property, and proximity to nature, people from all walks of life are moving to the wildland-urban interface. Tragic wildfires and a predicted increase in high fire danger weather with climate change have triggered concern for the safety of such amenity-led migrants in wildfire-prone landscapes. This book examines wildfire awareness and preparedness amongst women, men, households, communities and agencies at the interface between city and beyond. It does so through an examination of two regions where wildfires are common and disastrous, and where how to deal with them is a major political issue: southeast Australia and the west coast United States. It follows women’s and men’s stories of surviving, fighting, evacuating, living and working with wildfire to reveal the intimate inner workings of wildfire response – and especially the culturally and historically distinct gender relations that underpin wildfire resilience. Wildfire is revealed as much more than a "natural" hazard – it is far from gender-neutral. Rather, wildfire is an important means through which traditional gender roles and power relations are maintained despite changing social circumstances. Women’s and men’s subjectivities are shaped by varying senses of inclusion, exclusion, engagement and disengagement with wildfire management. This leads to the reproduction of gender identities with clear ramifications for if, how and to what extent women and men prepare for wildfire.

Bears and bureaucrats, timber and telephone lines, poaching and predators, fires and families -- all these play a part in this fascinating and long-overdue study of Canadas National Park wardens. The Warden Service has been integral to Canadas National Parks from their earliest days. First established in Rocky Mountains Park (now Banff National Park) in 1909, the position of Fire and Game Guardian was the precursor of todays National Park Warden, whose duties now include resource management, law enforcement and public safety. Robert Burns traces the growth of the warden service from here, its formative years, and goes on to show how the role changed and developed according to the expanding park system, altered societal expectations, and technological change. Guardians of the Wild is a study of real people and their trials, triumphs and tragedies. This book creates a complete history where before there existed only sketchy accounts of single individuals and incidents. The need for such an account is undeniable; well-known historian Simon Evans describes this story as "one which deserves to be heard." Both a tribute to the enormous devotion to duty and dedicated labours of the park wardens, and a well-researched factual account of how our National Parks evolved, Guardians of the Wild is a singular study of the historical evolution of protection and management inside Canadas National Parks.

Hard Work: Defining Physical Work Performance Requirements focuses on physically demanding occupations that require strength and stamina, such as law enforcement, structural and wildland firefighting, mining, forestry, and the military. It is the first book to examine the relationship of recruitment practices, physical training, and physical evaluation to the intricate environment of corporations, labor organizations, the legal system, and employment rights. Hard Work assists readers in making intelligent and informed decisions resulting in a safer, healthier, and more productive work force. Authors Brian Sharkey and Paul Davis have spent more than 70 years combined researching worker performance in physically demanding professions. Hard Work brings their perspective as exercise scientists to an examination of these factors: -Work requirements and capacity for physically demanding jobs -Physical characteristics of the “athlete-worker,” including aerobic and muscular fitness -Test development, validation, and utilization in employee selection -Employee health and job-related fitness -Environmental factors affecting employee performance, such as heat, cold, and altitude -Respiratory protection and lifting guidelines -Legal aspects of employment, consequences of legal decisions, and a proposed alternative to litigation By using case studies and real-life examples of tests and programs, the authors teach readers how to evaluate recruits and maintain employee health and safety. The book also includes nine appendixes offering valuable perspectives on testing, job-related fitness, policies, procedures, and performance assessment. Hard Work: Defining Physical Work Performance Requirements is organized into five parts. Part I begins with definitions of the physically demanding occupation and characteristics of workers available for employment. The legal aspects of employment are also considered, including reference to age, gender, race, and disability. Part II examines the value of initial and periodic evaluations, the test development process, and issues related to testing. Additionally, part II contains an examination of the effects of court decisions and labor unions on the evaluation processes of both new and incumbent employees. Part III discusses implementation of recruit testing designed to determine those individuals who can and cannot perform the job. The inherent challenges in shifting from recruit testing to periodic tests for incumbents are described, and ways to evaluate the costs and benefits of testing and training programs are examined. In part IV, the values and limits of medical examinations and employee wellness programs are considered. Part IV also discusses work physiology and its relationship to performance and presents the job-related physical fitness program as the essential element required for preserving career-long performance and health. Part V discusses employee performance in extreme environments, respiratory protection devices and their impact on the worker, and guidelines designed to reduce the risk of back injuries. It concludes with an examination of legal issues and a proposed alternative to litigation using a collective approach that avoids confrontation and biased testimony and saves taxpayer money. Hard Work: Defining Physical Work Performance Requirements suggests how workers could benefit by working up to job requirements while maintaining their health, safety, and job performance. This unique text seeks to bring about a paradigm shift wherein workers are viewed as occupational athletes who, aided by effective recruitment, testing, and training, receive the necessary support to help them excel in their physically demanding workplace.

Our country has become quite polarized - what do we do about it? Recent times have put a spotlight on the deep divisions in our society. Much has been written that acknowledges and describes racial, political, religious, and other divides, but there is little practical information on what we can do about them. How to Heal Our Divides highlights organizations that are taking real action to address these issues and heal divides in effective and practical ways. See how you can help make the world a better place.

Shelving Guide: Environmental Engineering In-situ burning is recognized as a viable alternative for cleaning up oil spills on land and water. It can rapidly reduce the volume of spilled oil and eliminate the need to collect, store, transport, and dispose of recovered oil, and can also shorten the response time to a spill, thus reducing the chances that the spill will spread on the water surface or further into land. This book will serve as a comprehensive reference for all aspects of in-situ burning of oil spills and include the scientific aspects of the burning process and the related effects, as well as practical information about the procedures to be followed and equipment required for carrying out an in-situ burn.