All Blog Posts (3,145)

I don’t know if I have been lucky, in the right place at the right time, blessed or a combination of the three.

I started writing my thoughts down and sharing them over 10 years ago; not only on discussion boards, but in op-ed pieces.

It started at Firehouse.com. They were in the process of rolling out a “MembersZone” section and for a subscription, you could get additional content that wasn’t accessible as part of the free membership. I was a charter member of MembersZone and…

Well, it's that time of year again and I can't wait - packing up today and heading to Indianapolis for FDIC! This will be my tenth trip and it just keeps getting bigger and better. Though my roll has changed from firefighter attendee to Fire Engineering staff, I still take in as many classes as possible and soak up as much knowledge as I can in one short week. It truly…

UPDATE: Here is the link to the story of the Wednesday, March 2nd trustee meeting:

I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems as if I’m seeing more and more departments involved in some degree of discourse.

It’s running the gamut;…

Forcible entry is always an interesting discussion around the service. On one side, you've got the forcible entry purists (myself included). These guys can force a door with a safety pin, a rock and a piece of duct tape. Despite their McGyver-esk skills, they prefer the irons.

On the other side of the discussion are the mule kickers. Often mistaken for SWAT Officers, these guys prefer the old size 10 for forcible entry. Kick... grimace... repeat. Sometimes it works, sometimes…

On Tuesday, March 8^th, 2011, my fire department was toned out for a CO without illness call in our district at 0724 hrs. 

Chief gets on scene and establishes command.  I was on the first-due engine with a driver, a firefighter and me as officer.  I advised the firefighter to turn on the multi-gas meter while responding non-emergency. 

As I call arriving, my chief advised me to check with the homeowner and investigate.  I took the gas meter…

Blog note: On March 6^th, many of us paid tribute to the memory of Assistant Chief Dennis Olson of the Monmouth, Illinois Fire Department, who died in the line of duty on that day in 1993. This blog raises many questions, may raise many dormant feelings, but it is done with the utmost respect for family, friends, community, fire department and most of all, Assistant Chief Dennis Olson.

Monmouth, Illinois is known as the “Maple City” in west central Illinois.

At…

From digtriad.com:

 A firefighter who fell through a floor while fighting a house fire this weekend said he's happy to be alive and thankful for his co-workers.

"I feel very fortunate," said Winston-Salem Fire Captain Darron Southern. "The good Lord was looking out for me. It was bad enough to fall down and fall eight feet. But, to only receive a bruised shoulder, I…

At Traditions Training we consistently state at every program we teach... we must be "Combat Ready" as firefighters.  For some "Combat Ready" might just be taken as a "slogan" or a "buzz -word" of the week.  Other's see it as something they have to do personally, a facet of readiness that may just save a life: be it your own, your brother…

A mobile home fire at the corner of Beeline Lane and Amy Lane early Monday morning sent one Harker Heights firefighter to the hospital and displaced four adults.

...



The firefighter remained in the Scott & White Intensive Care Unit in Temple with fellow firefighters by his side on Monday evening, Fire Chief Jack Collier…

Today Spartan Motors, Inc. announced that it will acquire Classic Fire, the Ocala, FL-based fire apparatus…

From the Associated Press by way of MiamiHerald.com:

A Daytona Beach firefighter is recovering from injuries after the first level of a burning home collapsed and dropped him into the basement.

The firefighter was searching for victims in Friday night's house fire when the floor gave way. He was taken to the hospital with a leg injury. He has not been identified.

Hey Everyone,

Be sure to start following the National Firefighter Near-Miss Reporting System page on facebook.  It is a great resource to obtain "Report of the Weeks", training information, and current trends delivered right to your newsfeed!

http://www.facebook.com/firefighternearmiss

I'm not sure what else I can say about the current political climate and keep this blog PG rated. I think I'll just let my cartoon say it all.

To see more of my work, visit:…

Everyone Goes Home just released a new seatbelt PSA. It's already been posted at least once on the Fire Engineering Community site. It still fascinates me that we need to have this conversation...that we haven't just done the right thing and started buckling up. It's such a simple thing. It can be a hassle, yes--if you've never "practiced" donning what you need to don while…

Blog Note: Another public sector employee has been fired for posting disparaging remarks about their employer. Is it a freedom of speech vs. employee conduct issue?

Read the article here: http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110224/NEWS/102240313

Good or bad; the explosion of the use of social media for its velocity and reach comes with some…

The NFPA 1917 Standard for Automotive Ambulances draft closed for comment in December 2010 and the Committee met in Dallas during February 2011 to review the 1,785 comments received. Many comments and proposals for change were duplicative: 133 received on Vehicle Data Recorders (VDRs), 136 on maximum top speed of 72 MPH, 131 on estimated in-service vehicle weight, 132 on visual indicators of tire…