January 2011 Blog Posts (49)

Often we have to fight it to get to the scene, then work against it to pull lines and consider it as another issue in strategy and tactics to take into consideration in our decisions.

I am hoping that this blog will be somewhat informative on the aspects of snow pertaining to the fire scene. A few of the things I hope to discuss here are the affects snow has during the response, inital scence sizeup/360, hose and ladder deployment and particularly on the building itself.



In…

Does anyone out there use video conferencing systems to conduct training with other stations/departments?

If you do, what manufacturer do you have?

Does it work?

Do you like it?

Any help is much appreciated.

I want to know how something works.

I want to know when something doesn’t work and why it doesn’t work.

It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a product or process. I want to know what makes it go and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

Please try to control your excitement as I tell you this…

The report on the causes of the financial crisis, as prepared by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) is out. Their website is…

From turnto23.com:

A firefighter was hurt after a refrigerator fell on top of him in a burning house in Oildale (CA) Saturday morning, but he was quickly saved by his crew...

 

It all started just before 8 a.m. the crew at Station 63 was called out to a vacant house going up in flames on Washington Avenue. [Firefighter Devin] Lawrence ran into the burning building with…

In the 1987 movie about the Old Guard, 3rd Infantry Division, Sergeant Major “Goody” Nelson (James Earl Jones) makes this statement during a barracks inspection. There is no significance between the movie and the rest of this piece other than the title, but it is a really good movie if you are looking for one.

One of the best methods for ensuring the safety of everyone on the fireground is a well placed hose line. The effective use of a hose line has saved more lives than all the…

At the January 26, 2011 meeting of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Medical Device Advisory Committee, Circulatory Systems Devices Panel, a recommendation emerged to tighten regulation of AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators).  Currently, AEDs are listed as Class III (high risk) medical devices being…

Nothing like a little freelancing to muck-up the best intended plans and strategies. It's bad enough when these individuals circumvent the chain of command to "help" where they please, but their blatant disregard for accountability and the safety of others is simply…

I was forwarded the letter below (in red) from my wife.  Her sisters’ life-long friend sent it to her. 

Mike had a fire in his home and lost everything.  Literally, everything.  This is not about the fire department that responded.  This is an extremely rural, mountainous region and I am sure they did everything possible.

The reason for this is simply to remind us all of what I am sure most of us take for granted.  “Someone had a fire in their home”!  OMG!  I have gone to…



David Eason

Rank: Firefighter Recruit

Age: 38

Gender: Male…

It is in sadness and with great honor that we as a Brotherhood post a Line Of Duty Death for 2011 from the USFA. Fellow Brother Firefighter and Captain Leslie "Les" Clark has made the ultimate sacrifice in love for their fellow man. Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and the members of the Dixon Rural Fire Protection District.



Leslie "Les" Clark

Rank: Captain

Age: 80

Gender: Male…

Hello All,

The 2011 Near-Miss Calendars are now available from the IAFC.  These calendars are distributed FREE of charge throughout the year by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  If you would like a copy I will gladly send one out to you.  Just please email me your name, address, and quantity requested to dstacy@iafc.org

Be sure to get one for yourself, station, family, and friends!

These calendars are always highly anticipated and enjoyed so be sure to…

January's magazine editorial cartoon speaks to any department which relies on volunteers or paid-on-call personnel to protect their district. Quality local jobs are dwindling and people have become less interested in helping their communities to concentrate on second careers, soccer…

My good friend, Shawn Longerich, Executive Director for the Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition (CPTC) at www.FireSmoke.org sent me the video “Out of Air”; currently in Beta testing.

The video is just under an hour long and it is, as Captain Mike Gagliano of the Seattle Fire Department and a board member at CPTC pronounces; an homage to those firefighters who have succumbed to the effects of smoke inhalation.

“Out of Air” opens with a…

Many things are being discussed in our service today. My take on things is a mix I suppose you could say between sides of the fence that the Fire Service has created. We have the "Safety Sallies" in the blue corner and the "Aggressives" in the red corner. I did the groups in specific corners for a reason, if you figure it out wonderful, if not, sorry. Many issues are in the front of our minds right now. Searching of insert name of building type here, proper size hose lines,…

There should be no question as to the core mission of any fire department and that should be to help people in their time of need-any people; regardless of their circumstances that includes socio-economic.

Our passion for the job and the compassion for our fellow humans demands that we put everything else ahead of ourselves/our well-being, if need be.

But once again, the bloggers are busy churning up sentiment, punctuated by their eloquent and often emotional perceptions of the…