All Blog Posts (3,145)

Here’s a piece brother firefighter Charlie Hillman (Norwalk (OH) FD) wrote about a chimney fire last winter.  He brings up several fireground basics that we all should remember.  Pass it on!

On Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 0850 hours the Willard Fire and Rescue department was dispatched to a chimney fire.  The chimney fire was reported in a 1 ½ story wood-framed, single family dwelling, ranch style home.  Upon arrival the supervisor initiated incident command and a…

16 days left to register for the Lt. Brad Hutcherson Memorial Fire School 4th annual event!!!So don't miss out on one of the best training events ever!Everyone that registers online will automatically be entered to win a new fire helmet. Also we have door prizes from Paul Conway Shields, Chief's Choice, Firehouse Dolls,Nelm's Fire Co.,Talon Rescue, MN8 Products,Black Helmet Apparel,Firedog Energy Drink,TNT Rescue and many more.For more info or to register please visit: …

Good morning,

1.) What are the thoughts on dual-roled firefighters? (Firefighter/ Medic)  

2.) Do you see this trend continuing in the future?

3.) Does the community seem to benefit from this type of service?  

4.) What draw backs to this trend have you noticed?

I am with an organization that has had FF/Medic's in our system since 1995.  I myself, am a cross trained officer and came in under this new program.  There have been several noted…

I arrived in Kansas City on a late Tuesday afternoon and would not leave until Friday morning.

While in Kansas City on company business, I would rise early in the morning and would return to my hotel room in the late evening and would grab a cigar, go outside and call my wife. I would return to my room, turn on the TV for the day’s news, grab a bottled water from the fridge and I would sit down and read the Kansas City Star and the USA Today.

Then, I would check my emails, put…

I have never been very good at math, but even a cartoonist can solve this equation: ((EGO + PRIDE) x BRAVADO) - MAYDAY TRAINING = TROUBLE!!!



Don't get me wrong, I am all for aggressive tactics and training to keep yourself out of trouble. Understanding building construction, fire behavior, the laws of gravity upon a structure being…

Whenever I take a business trip, it also gives me the opportunity to cover a wealth of issues in my mind.

As I drove to Kansas City, Missouri, I was thinking about an article that I had read in the Sunday paper.

In the article, the author attempted to identify where we lost civility and an unwillingness to compromise in our political system.

He cited the usual suspects-social media, websites, blogs, talk radio-and offered nothing new.

I can easily understand the…

• According to the description, this was the 9th arson fire in THIS NEIGHBORHOOD in ONE HOUR.
• The minimal use of SCBA.  According to the comments, these crews had run FOUR fires continuously and their was no more air available when this fire was…

The recent news coverage of Chicago Fire Department losing big bucks to unreimbursed refusal of transport calls is not a problem unique to Chicago.  Sure, asthmatics will call for an albuterol treatment when caught without their own medications and some hypoglycemic patients…

It's amazing what becomes important when nothing important is going on. (Said to a firefighter who was better with the floor buffer than he was with his tools.) — Steve Auton, Halifax Regional Fire, Nova Scotia, Canada

The new Firefighter Skills Competency Workbook is now available. This workbook follows NFPA 1001 (2008) edition

www.createspace.com/3690367

This workbook is designed to assist departments with tracking not only initial firefighter training, but continued skills competency as well. Use of this book will also assist…

It is a story that sparked numerous discussions among the nation’s…

A few years back it was decided that circular saws ordered for the rescue and truck companies would be the same model and manufacturer.…

I have always believed that I was not capable of hating my fellow Man.

That’s not to say that, for my personal reasons, I have people that I hold no fondness towards; not many, but some.

But, I hate Paul Krugman.

Oh, don’t worry; I said that I didn’t have the capacity to hate my fellow MAN.

Paul Krugman is a repulsive, repugnant, reprehensible, reptilian reprobate!

In addition, a man has scruples, morals, ethics and…

The recently released Warner Bros. movie, Contagion details the fictional outbreak of a deadly and highly contagious novel respiratory virus.  While some aspects of the movie are improbable, a major outbreak of a deadly disease could really happen.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was extensively involved in the production of Contagion which was partially filmed at their headquarters in Atlanta.  If anyone…

Working two months in advance for Fire Engineering magazine can be a bit tricky with timely material like the cartoon above - especially when the material is so emotionally charged. Funny thing is, working that far in advance I sometimes forget what I've submitted - hey, I'm getting older!! However, when I received my copies of Fire Engineering in the mail today, it…