Art Zern

I had some running around to do before the FOOLS meeting last week.  I suppose because I was running from place to place, I didn’t think about what I was doing, just getting things done.  I didn't really think about it until yesterday as I was writing a condolence card to the family of Captain Walter C. Sumner of the Cranesville Volunteer Fire Department in Pennsylvania. Captain…

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I saw that face again Tuesday, you know the one. The face, of a fellow human being, that had just witnessed an event that would remain etched upon their mind.....forever. I have seen the face countless times over the 30 years I have been doing this job.



The face, of a father, kneeling over his daughter, in the middle of a busy street. He was crossing with his three kids and with only two hands, the older daughter got a bit ahead. The face, blood stained, from a father’s futile…

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Back in January, I wrote a blog post asking the question, “Can we establish a common understanding of risk? Or.. should we write it off?” Because my tongue was planted firmly in my cheek when I posed the question, I don’t want the point to be missed. I believe our duty to ourselves and our beloved fire service cannot be separated from our duty to the citizens we are sworn to and are obligated to protect. What is good for us is good for them. My question is, are we seeing this trend to "let it… Continue

Often, we get caught-up in seeking information about tactics and task level training needs and desires. Additionally, a lot our members (especially the younger ones) spend a significant amount of searching the Internet for dramatic fire “videos”. Don’t get me wrong, there is value to both of these pursuits. However, I would also encourage all members from all age and seniority groups to spend more time looking at, reading and learning from several on-going research projects that have real… Continue