Venting the Roof: When, Where, and How with Nicholas Papa
From Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast by Scott Orr
November 2, 2025 · 28 min · Episode 355
About this episode
The episode discusses vertical ventilation in firefighting, including techniques, safety, and training, featuring expert Nicholas Papa.
Do you know exactly how vertical ventilation works? Depending on your level of experience, you may think you do, but you still might not have a really solid understanding of why it works. Simply cutting a random 4x4-foot hole in the roof won't do the job in all cases. My guest today has a good deal of experience as a firefighter, but he admits that, until he saw a live fire test, he misunderstood how cutting a hole in the roof affects the fire. We’ll talk about that, as well as when it’s the best time to vent the roof, how dangerous it is to work up there, how handlines can be used to move air and smoke with it, and how much training firefighters need to remain proficient in roof operations. Nicholas Papa is a 17-year veteran of the New Britain, Connecticut, Fire Department, where he’s a captain. He became a firefighter in 2003, volunteering for a neighboring suburb until he was hired by New Britain. He is the author of the book Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment & Survivability.
People in this episode
Host: Scott Orr
Guest: Nicholas Papa
Topics covered
- vertical ventilation
- firefighting techniques
- roof operations
- fire behavior
- firefighter training
Keywords
- vertical ventilation
- firefighting
- roof operations
- fire behavior
- firefighter training
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New Britain Fire Department
Books & works: Coordinating Ventilation: Supporting Extinguishment & Survivability
Places: Connecticut
More episodes of Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast
- Size-Up: A System for Success with Todd Edwards · April 3, 2026 · 30 min
- Searchable vs. Survivable with Sean Duffy · March 21, 2026 · 31 min
- Leadership from the Bottom Up with Dr. Candace Ashby · January 29, 2026 · 30 min
- Making the Grab with D.J. Stone · January 15, 2026 · 22 min
- Stretch, Charge, Flow, and Move with Daryl Liggins · January 8, 2026 · 22 min
- Getting Treatment for PTSD at the IAFF's Center of Excellence with Curt Isakson · August 28, 2025 · 18 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Code 3 - The Firefighters Podcast podcast page.