Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV)

Positive Pressure Ventilation, or PPV as it is commonly known, is a fire fighting technique that uses air as a tool to control the hostile environment inside an enclosed structure. Small electric and gasoline-powered blowers are used to replace a hostile interior environment with fresh, ambient air. The most common blowers range in size from 18” to 27” (460mm to 690mm) in diameter and deliver from 7,000 to 24,000 CFM (11,900 m3/hr to 40,600 m3/hr) airflow.

PPV was first developed in the United States in the 1960’s and was used on a limited basis by progressive fire departments. In the early 1990’s, information about the use and applications of PPV became widely available and research was conducted to study the benefits it offered to fire fighters. Today, PPV is an accepted fire fighting technique and is used by fire departments and fire brigades around the world.