September 2014 Blog Posts (46)

Has the fire service changed?

That's the question I've asked myself over the last several months. My guys have asked the same questions about changes, leadership and tradition. My answer to my crew is simple.

Times always will change and we have to be prepared for it. But you prepare for the challenges in the classroom and the training grounds. Given our ever changing…

A health and safety issue when dealing with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF).  Many of do not even think about carbon nonotubes or carbon nanofibers but they represent the newest technology that creates a health hazard for our firefighters. NIOSH ¹ rated the health hazards, based on comparison, with silica, asbestos, ultrafine carbon black…

I am adding another web article to Fire Engineering’s web site in Fire Dynamics. It is called “What Would You Do? Here is the link:   http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2014/09/what-would-you-do-lightweight-wood-building.html

Twice a month, I will post a scenario on the web site.  It will contain a looped video of a fire situation, a brief description of the building and…

Many times there are situations in which the "chosen ones"-the spreader and cutter are not the best option for freeing a heavily trapped patient. When faced with heavy side intrusion, we need to consider cross ramming. It is incredibly beneficial when the side causing entrapment is against an object or when extremities are pinned in an…

The Boy Scout motto is, "Be Prepared".  We admire the people who seemingly can show up and simply figure things out on the fly.  It simply isn't true.  If hope and luck are what you operate on, you are asking for trouble.  Eventually the clock will strike midnight, your engine will turn into a pumpkin, and…

One of my favorite benefits of the Internet is the ability to communicate with extrication trainers from around the world.  So I asked several extrication trainers a simple question. In one to two sentences, why do you train in extrication?

Jorg Heck

It simply doesn't work efficiently without training...

Randy Schmitz

Well in a nut shell I think the removal of a patient trapped in the wreckage of an automobile or other…