Jim Mason

Profile Information:

Lives in:: Chicago IL
Department:: Chicago Fire Dept.
Title/rank:: Lieutenant
Years of public service:: 21
Agency structure:: Paid fire department
Topics you provide training for:: Fire ground operations
Company Officer Training
Fire Ground Survival
Areas of expertise:: Engine,and Truck Operations
Company Officer
Bio:: 21 years total member of the fire service, 6 years in Oak Lawn (IL)
15 years in Chicago (IL). As a FF assigned to Engines, Trucks and Heavy Rescue Squad. Associates Degree and Published in Fire Engieering Magazine, Speaker at FDIC.

Comment Wall:

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Michael Bricault (ret)

Hi Jim. Sounds great. I'll be attending FDIC to present again and always look forward to getting together with some of the Brothers.
Drop me a line advising when you'll be there, we can compare schedules.
Stay safe, Michael

Nov 6, 2008
Todd Trudeau

Hi Jim, I'm new to the sight today and I see you provide training for Company Officers. I'm trying to develop an officer mentoring program in my department (initially for new Lt's). Do you have any info that I could build from? We currently have seniority promotions with little prep for new officers. Thanks, Todd

Nov 7, 2008
Todd Trudeau

Thanks Jim, do you have a specific outline of scenerios/materials used consistently with your new officers?
If so, did your dept. develop its' own or are you aware of literature available in this area i.e. powerpoints, handouts, outlines?

Nov 7, 2008
Todd Trudeau

Thanks again Jim, I was already checking out your CSF group. All good stuff thanks.
Stay alert! Todd

Nov 7, 2008
Mike Cervik

I think this site is a great way for us to train and to share our experiences with others. I look forward to learning from others. Yeah, Valpo is only about an hour or so. I hope everyone in the Engine that was involved in the crash is OK.

Nov 8, 2008
Harry Harty

Hi Jim
Actually I'm a past chief of the Otisco department but I'm still active and serve as president now.Otisco FD is a small rural department covering the eastern half of the town of Otisco. Amber FD protects the other half which includes a large portion of Otisco Lake,the eastern most Finger Lake.The town is in southwest Onondaga County ,whose principle metro area is Syracuse.

Nov 12, 2008
Art Zern

Hey Jim,

A pleasure, thanks for starting the group. I'll look forward to each topic. Yes, Dave is an old friend and I had the pleasure of arriving early at his 5-11 this summer. A long night with alot of work to do. Let me know if I can help in any way.

Art

Nov 12, 2008
Joe Heim

Jim,

This is an excellent group! I am gaining alot on information and knowledge from everyone that contributes to the discussions. The discussions keep you thinking and adds to the tools already in the tool box. Hope all is well!!

Stay Safe!!

Joe

Nov 12, 2008
Rick Fritz

FE is great to work with, they are the only ones I'll work with. Looking forwar to CSF!

Nov 13, 2008
Rick Fritz

FORWARD that should be!

Nov 13, 2008
Harry Harty

Hi Jim
I haven't forgotten you.I've been giving your queries some serious thought and will get back to you and the group.Harry!

Nov 15, 2008
Jim Wilk

Jim,

Thanks a lot for starting this group. I am taking a promotional exam in January. There is always a fire problem and these scenarios with your questions will help me out. Thanks again.

Nov 16, 2008
Doug Ott

Jim, I'm happy to be here. I need as much help as possible when it comes to learning about our job. I'm from a combination department that is about 90% paid, myself included. We have about 10 volunteers these days and I didn't want to disrespect the effort that they put in by clicking the "paid fire department" option. So naturally we don't have the day/night staffing issues that other departments have. We have 5 houses with one company each and 4 of those houses have 4 firemen and the remaining house has 3 for now. We're hoping to add the fourth guy to that house in the next few years. All of the firemen are 24-hour. With vacation/sick days we are able to go down to 3 per truck except for our busiest house where the required staffing is 4 all of the time. Our volunteers do ride-a-longs as a part of their requirements for membership. The extra hands are always nice.
Anyway, thanks for having me. I'm really loving this community FireEngineering has set up. Stay safe, Doug.

Nov 17, 2008
Andrew Brassard

Hey Brother,

Good to meet you in Morris, I hope all is well in the "Windy City".

Stay Safe
Andrew

Nov 17, 2008
Doug Ott

Jim, Fire duty is slow. On average we can count on 1 or 2 working fires a month in a "good" year. Sometimes we get a good run of them and get our morale up and our tactics running smoothly and then the fires quit coming for a while. Such is life. Stay safe.

Nov 18, 2008
Bryon Woodward

Jim,

Glad to be here :-) We receive 18 people on a first alarm assignment, which includes an ALS ambo, 2 trucks (1 is a FAST truck), 2 engines, a heavy rescue and a command car . Our primary vent is probably horizontal, but we have an preassigned vent group (outside and inside) and if command does not state his preference, then they make the decision on where. If we come across a VES situation, then our outside group handles it and if needed, then our inside group hooks up and works VES with them. We are located right next to South Bend, about 90 miles from you guys.

Bryon

Nov 19, 2008
Michael Bricault (ret)

Hey Jim, sent you a message in the internal email here listed at the top of the page in the personal tool bar.

Nov 19, 2008
Andrew Brassard

Hey Bro,

You get the video I sent you?

Stay Safe,
Andrew

Nov 22, 2008
Joe McClelland

Thanks Brother. Just trying to do a little good with the time I have.

Nov 23, 2008
Michael Bricault (ret)

Hi Jim. Interesting new topics. I really like them.
-Crazy how one conversation spawns another......
-Keep up the good work.
BRICK

Nov 24, 2008
Bryon Woodward

Ya, can't wait. You can't beat training that good only a couple hours from home.

Nov 26, 2008
Mike Walker

I just teach High-Rise to my own guys. Our SOP is much like Chicago's. I've been able to attend you all's confrence before and loved it. Tried to go back this year but didn't have the funding. Maybe next year.

Nov 26, 2008
Mike Walker

Next month McGrail will be in town and we are going to teach my guys our new SOP and Line Operations. We will be taking the remainder of the department through the school over the winter. Should be interesting. It has been years in the making, I'm glad we're finally able to pull the trigger on it. The biggest resistance I've faced is getting the absolute need for smoothbore operations in these types of fires but we're getting there. I'll let you know how the December school goes

Nov 26, 2008
Kurt Callisen

Hi Lt. thanks for having me. In Niles we run 2 engines with 3 men and 1 truck with 3. Also 2 ambos. On a fire we get 2 engines and 1 truck with the ambos being part of there engine. So that makes 14 counting the chief. Once someone is on the scene and confirms a fire than the alarm is upgraded bring 1 more eng. truck squad chief and ambo.

Kurt

Nov 26, 2008
Kurt Callisen

We only go that far south when the chit hits the fan

Nov 28, 2008
Josh Materi

Hey Jim,
Thanks for posting the comments from Capt Van Sant.
You ever get a chance to work with Double E?

Materi
FTM-PTB

Nov 28, 2008
Art Zern

Jim,

Thanks for your insightful comments on my blog post "Relections on the Indy VES video". I think you were right in the mark.

Thanks Brother,

Art

Nov 29, 2008
Doug Ott

Jim, Figures that after you asked about the fire duty that things picked up. None of them were anything to write home about and no one got hurt. But it's still better than sitting in the recliner and reading.

Nov 29, 2008
David Bullard

I will check it out Brother. I have been trying to find your email for a couple of years. I had met you in Hooters at FDIC 05 and exchanged email addresses. We had a server problem and I got your emails 2 months later, but could not retrieve and open them to reply. I have no idea what we had discussed, but it related to size up and an article you had just written at the time.

Thank you Brother. You probably don't recall, but I still wanted to apologize.

Dec 5, 2008
Edward Moore Jr

Jim, Thanks for welcoming me to the group. As you mentioned in your question, I am a career Lieutenant in a combination fire department. What has become pretty common in central New Jersey is combination departments that staff stations during daytime hours. Our department staffs three fire stations (2 Engines and 1 Truck) from 8a - 4p Monday through Friday. Nights and weekends are covered by the volunteer fire companies.
During the day, we have a career Chief who directs operations. We utilize the incident command system so the first arriving officer, career or volunteer, takes command. We receive mutual aid from other compaines in our town that also have career firefighters and also from the volunteer forces. There are four fire companies in Jackson Township all will career staff during the day. Structure fires during that day will provide approximately 14 career firefighters combined in town, a chief, and about 10 or more volunteers from the four fire companies.The problem with our town is that it is 100 square miles so you do not get all these people right away. It can be 10-15 minutes before your second due piece arrives in some areas. Thanks.

Dec 5, 2008
Eric Hankins

Jim

thanks for the Welcome. CSF looks like a good group.

YCFD get 3 engines and a Battalion for a total of 10 personnel. less than ideal but better than the 6 we used to get 8 years ago.

Dec 5, 2008
Jeff Clayton

Thanks Jim,

I'm with the Brampton, Ontario Fire Department. We have 11 stations, 16 pieces of staffed apparatus and protect 450,000 people. We are mainly a bedroom city for Toronto, but have many industrial and commercial properties.

On a first alarm we'll have 2 Engines (Pumps, here in Canada) an Aerial, District Chief and a RIT truck. That brings us a total of 12 people for the fire, one commanding officer, and a 4 person RIT.

Thanks again,
Jeff

Dec 5, 2008
Tom Dunne

Jim, Hope you have a great holiday. Stay safe, look forward to seeing you at FDIC next spring. Tom

Dec 5, 2008
Harry Carter

Jim..

Please work hard on your Common Sense Firefighting book. Id there is anything we really need it is common sense. More than that, we should start shooting for some good old "horse sense"..

Harry

Dec 5, 2008
Bill Shouldis

Glad to see your articles and comments in the magazine .Just had the pleasure of meeting Chief Van Dorft(?) at the National Fire Academy for a wind-driven program. Also, a former chief Dr. Don (EMS background) and I have been working on an ICS for EMS pilot. He is invovled with smoke inhaltion patients. Take care and stay warm during the upcoming "Fire season". Bill Shouldis
.

Dec 6, 2008
Mike Kuryla IV

Jim, I think you got me confused with someone else about the member from T11 getting burned while preforming VES. As to how many members we get on a still alarm it varies. Where I work full time in Oakbrook Terrace we usually get 4 from Elmhurst, and 4 from York Center as well as the 4 of us so most of the time if we pull up and its going good we box it.

Dec 6, 2008
troy kerckhove

Our response for a res. fire 3 eng,1 ladder (3 firefighters each), rescue 4 firefighter, medic, safety, bat chief fast truck. Comercial 1 more eng and ladder. Currently there is no real officer development being done other then s&t and FO1 state cert class. I feel we are needing to work more on the tactics side of being an officer. I see many of our officer old and new using old world tactics in modern day structures.

Dec 7, 2008
Wayne Benner Jr

Hey Jim,
Our first due response during the day would be 15-20 which includes Chief and (3 career on shift manning the 1st away Engine-Cpt & FF2x) Our career staff get automatic call back for all general alarms. most use their own POV as the callback FF take the 2nd away Eng and Ladder truck. It works for us.
Wayne

Dec 8, 2008
Doug Price

Thanx Jim, Hickory and Valdese are in the foothills of western NC. I am full time with HKY, first due alarms is 2 Engines with 4, Ladder with 3 and BC with 1, at Vladese its a combo department so it depends on the time of day. HKY is trying to start running a rescue truck depending on the monies you know. HKY has 115 supression. Also trying to get a second ladder up and running but you know how that goes. Looking foreward to doing alot of reading in this group. Thanks again.
KTF

Dec 8, 2008
Rick Lasky

Hi Brother Jim,

Hope all is well buddy.

Be safe

Dec 9, 2008
Harry Carter

OK, I will take a look..

Dec 9, 2008
Jamie Morelock

Jim,

Do not approve this message call my cell ASAP 419-377-4728, I think someone hacked into your e-mail.

Jamie Morelock

Dec 9, 2008
Eddie Cornejo

The studying is going allright. A few of us are starting a group session, hopefully we'll be meeting every week. I'm glad you're not stuck in Europe!

Dec 9, 2008
Matthew J. Mayer Jr.

Hey! Thanks for the add.

Rock Community is about 20 miles south of St. Louis. On a residential alarm we normally get 2 quints and 3-4 pumpers depending on the location. On a full day (no one on vacation, sick, etc.) that will give us around 20 members on scene. So far, this has proven to be a sufficient number for a first alarm including a RIT team.

Thanks for the question.

Matt

Dec 9, 2008
David O. Couvelha

Jim,

Thanks you. I am hopig to make FDIC this year. Of course, I've said that for the last five years, but teaching/training conflicts came up and I'm yet to make it.

Yes, we (Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute) are the state fire training and certification agency. We are part of Continuing Education at the University of Kansas. I am the Certification and Technical Rescue Programs Manager.

Stay safe!
Dave

Dec 9, 2008
troy kerckhove

What house are you at? Going to be in the big city next week for class. be safe troy

Dec 9, 2008
Brandon Roark

jim, im in... that troy kerckhove kid should be in too... even if i have to drag him there

Dec 9, 2008
David O. Couvelha

We currently deliver and certify Fire Officer I & II. We're working on Fire Officer III. We are also delivering a series of senior fire officer professional development seminars that are targeted at chiefs.

Dec 10, 2008
John Salka

Jim,
No I did not get out to LA. I'm sure they are doing well with it out there. Yes the holidays are here and we are all pretty busy. My son is doing well over in Iraq and my younger son is getting ready to go to USMC boot camp in January. Talk to you soon and have a Merry Christmas.
John Salka

Dec 11, 2008
Art Zern

Jim,

We have many, many mid-rise (4-6 stories) and many taller. Due to O'Hare Airport being at our South border, we don't go much above 10 stories.

Dec 11, 2008