All Blog Posts (3,198)

By Blaize, FD Hacks

Passing on history is important because “those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it.” This is of particular relevance to us firefighters as most of…

Keeping it Functional and Keeping it Fun

With fireground training or firehouse fitness, it is critical to develop lesson plans or workouts with the goal of making them functional to the service your department provides, while more importantly keeping it…

     Social media is full of debates, discussions, and general arguments resulting in name-calling on where water should be applied from. One camp is firm in its belief that fast water from whatever location or position is the best. The other camp belittles anyone who does not immediately initiate an aggressive interior attack. This debate has been going on for decades, really, it is now just being rehashed in a different format, that being the internet.

     What often gets…

In the world of firehouse life there are a select few who have elevated the art of complaining to Mount Everest proportions. In fact, they are so skilled at whining and grumbling that they most certainly could win Gold if there was ever a Gripe Olympics! What's worse, it's remarkably easy to be pulled down into their pit of despair and backstabbing -…

No one gets where they are alone! However, you would never know this by the actions and words of some. Humility goes a long, long, way!

STAY FIRED UP, and stay humble!

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            There are some common fire service debates that just seem to be staples of our craft. In recent light a new one has arisen, traditional helmets versus European. While that one seems to be gaining attention, that won’t be what we discuss today. There are statements out there that say, “What goes around comes around.” and “Everything comes full circle.” This is true. If you talk to anyone that has been in their line of work for any amount of time, they’ll tell you common practices…

The Firehouse Kitchen Table: The Perfect Podium to Promote Health and Wellness

Some of the best memories and learning moments in the fire service don’t take place on the fireground or in a classroom setting; rather they take place around the table while we eat as a shift or take the time to talk over a cup of joe.

Downtime in the firehouse can often lead to complacency or at times the…

This article is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Atlantic Beach Fire Department Chief Adam Snyder. Chief Snyder was an incredible husband, father, friend, mentor, leader, and advocate for mental health. Prior to his death, he led the Eastern Division of the North Carolina Peer Support Team. He never hesitated to be there for a fellow first responder in need, and on the second Tuesday of every month, he led first responder support group meetings open to anybody in need. He was the…

For in-depth media demonstrations and explanations, please visit our social media pages and our YouTube channel. Links are found at the end of the article. 

As a modern fire service, we are constantly seeking methods and tactics to increase our service delivery model and to have better trained, better equipped firefighters and to strengthen our relationship with our citizens and business owners while effecting efficient & effective entries on calls. This…

As an officer, I put a ton of pressure on myself to be wiser, smarter, and more experienced than I was yesterday - to lead by example. Unfortunately, all this studying, training, and preparing can take up much of your free time during the course of the day and it's all too easy to say "I'll workout tomorrow." When tomorrow comes, well, you do it again.…

The fire service has been described as paramilitary organization with a leadership organized in a top down fashion. In other words, one person does the thinking, one person directs the organization and one person takes responsibility. Is that right? Is that how your organization operates?

I was stimulated to author this article based on the belief that we can lead and manage better if we involve all of the personnel…

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I recently heard this statement in a podcast by Stephen Mansfield. Though I’ve heard variations of it in other places, the way he said it made me stop mowing the lawn and pay closer attention.

It’s a simple statement, yet it’s packed with reality. The point of it is that life can be a struggle, success hinges on how you face up to those struggles.

We teach our kids from their earliest moments this lesson. When a baby is first learning to walk and keeps falling,…

The inventor, thinker, genius, mathematician and all around smart guy, Albert Einstein once said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I think he was right. We worked the same way for a long time (the first 270 years or so) and injuries and LODDs became part and parcel to our service. We thought that simply doing it “over and over again” the same way and thinking it would change all by itself, would work. It didn’t. However…

My training and tools side hustle receives a fair share of inquiries regarding “vetting” new tools. These typically come from the company themselves, direct to us, for review. What intrigued me as a Truck Co. firefighter after seeing The CHAR tool was that this could be the first vertical firefighter self-rescue tool. As a massive fan of the pompier ladder, I had to get my hands on this.

This one I solicited for. I wanted this…

Anyone who has seen the HBO Mini-Series “Band of Brothers” knows who Major Richard Winters is. The leader of Easy Company, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment states in his book, “Beyond Band of Brothers” that, “Having selected the right men for the job, I then delegated the authority to my subordinates and allowed them to use their initiative to execute the mission. There is no need to tell someone how to do his job if you have properly trained your…

I would think it’s safe to say that practically every truck company in the US carries a K-12, whether Partner, Stihl, or Husqvarna. Departments without dedicated trucks often carry these versatile saws on their engines. Obviously we also find them on squads and heavy rescue companies.

They are a great tool to have and if you’re lucky you have at least two. There’s a lot that can be…

A Letter to America's Fire Officers

Dear America's Fire Officers,

We the American firefighter need you. 

We need you to set the example.

We need you to be competent.

We need you to be ready.

We need you to set the example.

We need you to be in shape.

We need you to not shirk responsibility.

We need you to put your gear on...always.

We need you…

I read something the other day about a firefighter suicide that got under my skin. It said, "we need to do something, because what we are doing is not working."

While we will never be able to prevent or stop all suicides, we are making a difference.

Sadly, it's a difference that we will rarely quantify because sometimes, we rarely know the difference we make in the lives of others.

I know I have been in dark places, and all it took was a smile…