Jim Silvernail's Page

I recently saw a question on social media which asked: " Do you think the tactics used and developed in urban departments are universal?"  This is an outstanding question. First of all, what are tactics?  Are they the same as strategy?  Or are they the implementation of fire ground actions/functions?  If you were taught that tactics are the implementation of fire ground functions, then there are many circumstances which affect the implementation of actions, making universal tactics extremely…

The RIT/RIC dilemma raised its ugly head again last week when my friend Doug Mitchell (25 to Survive) posted a chart of FDNY’s RIT statistics from 1989 to 2008.  The stats that really grabbed my attention were 1. The elapsed time from the working fire declaration (10-75) until the Mayday, 19 minutes, and 2. Who found the Mayday firefighter.  First alarm units, excluding the F.A.S.T. or RIT team, found the Mayday firefighter 76.47% of the…

If you have ever sat through one of my lectures this will not be new.  But as the high school, college and professional football players begin to get back to their practice fields, I thought this lesson in coordinated tactics was relevant.

Many comparisons can be made between American Football and Firefighting. …

Often we are asked, "When does size up begin?"  Many times when asked this, most fire officers and firefighters answer: at the receipt of the alarm.  Very true, but it begins way before this.  In the realm of situational awareness it begins with a very honest look in the mirror.  Simply stated; however, sometimes difficult and painful.

Even though I find it beneficial and necessary to differentiate your capabilities by your circumstance or particular demographic (often…