All Blog Posts (3,147)

Power Lines & Breaker Box’s

Upon arriving at an incident, whether it’s a working structure fire or a “possible structure fire”, there are many tasks to be completed.  Water supplies, size ups, 360’s, interior reports, and a whole host of other actions that…

Fire Chiefs all over the country have received votes of no confidence from members of their organizations. Most recently was the Fire Chief of Cleveland whom the Union members indicated that there serious concerns about the public’s safety and according to the local news, the resolution asks the City Council to investigate the unions complaint about those and other safety issues. In Jackson Beach, the fire union, taking a similar vote, says the chief has fostered an atmosphere of "hostility,…

Whether you are leading them or teaching them, let’s get one thing straight Generation Z are NOT Millennials. They are currently about 1/5th of the workforce and rapidly growing. They were born after 1995, therefore they are under the age of 25. FETC Services has focused a lot of leadership training on understanding Millennials in the firehouse but now it’s…

In my last post, I talked about establishing your pump discharge pressure (PDP) for a high-rise. In that post, I used the Devon Tower as an example. Standing at 844 feet in height, per the formula (height x .434 + 100), that structure would require 470 psi to get 100 psi to the roof. Structures that require these extremely high pressures have some added considerations, one of which is the presence of separate vertical zones.

Why Different Zones?

Per NFPA 14, the NFPA…

Out there today there is triple the number of people who want the job than there are “on the job.” Over time many give up, they settle for a separate career, or they become consumed with resentment towards others who got the job. The Fire Service whether you volunteer, or career is the greatest job in the world, no matter if you either are paid or not it is a profession. That being said, there is a large population of citizens and volunteers out there who want this job. With the competition…

For some time now, cancer in the fire service has been a hot topic leading to passionate pleas and spirited debates. It seems there has recently been an even bigger uptick in the “air time” that cancer is getting in articles, on social media, and in presentations across the country. Everywhere you look, it seems that a new study is being conducted, results are out from a study completed, or a new way of doing things is making the rounds.

We all agree that cancer is a major concern for…

For years, departments have relied on pump charts for establishing pump discharge pressures (PDP) on high-rise fires. And generally, these charts are based on 125 plus five psi per floor in elevation loss. Using these charts may work very well on many mid-rise structures, however on taller and more modern high-rises, there may be a better way.

Discard The Pump Card?

Pump charts based on five psi per floor in…

The practice of estimating the likelihood of finding living persons inside a burning building, and basing a large part of our risk determination on this calculation - more specifically, the decision whether to enter the building to perform a search - has spawned fervent discussions in the fire service, to say the least.  One side cites the lack of justification for risking firefighters’ lives if it is unlikely there is anyone alive to rescue,…

Look at your Fire House right now, look at the people that make it up. Are they being inspired? Do they appear to be a goal setter, the person that gets it or do they lack passion and are just there. Inspiration is an important thing in life, it is a psychological fact that human beings work harder and set goals for success by being inspired.

You

Let’s start with you first; are you inspired? What inspires you? Do you find inspiration in something or from…

So, are YOU there yet? Being the Best-of-the-Best means being the best you can be, too.

STAY FIRED UP, and get in the gym!



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January Fire Engineering magazine cartoon. What kind of effort are you giving?



Excerpt from the 2019 Drawn by Fire/Fully Involved calendar, and Captain Mark von Appen:

Everyone has to do their job. Everyone has to treat one another right. Everyone has to give all out effort. Everyone has to have an all in attitude. Without these things, the group…

In reviewing information recently I found a great series of definitions regarding "line" in the American fire service. The source is the general definitions section of the 2015 NFPA 1410 Standard on Training for Emergency Scene Operations. Of all the various terms and definitions we maintain, NFPA, at least in this case has distilled it down to attack, backup, initial attack,  leader, preconnected and supply line. …

Water Rescue: Are you ready downstream?

By: Josh Pearcy

As spring approaches and we enter what is predicted to be one of the “wettest” years on record crews should prepare themselves for spring rain and the reality of the swift-water calls ahead of us. For most responders it is time to dust off the swift-water gear, look at known trouble spots, and preplan responses to areas in your district.

For many crews in the nation the swift-water refresher starts with the review of…

Much of the personnel litigation affecting a department can be prevented with adequate and early communication between the parties in the attempt to resolve an issue of conflict. As you may be directly or indirectly affected, that could mean you are the Chief, the affected member or their representatives.

Conflict refers to some form of friction, or discord arising within a group when the beliefs or actions of one or more members of the group are either resisted by or unacceptable to…

      Have you ever had a conversation with someone whose outlook or attitude was so crappy about the topic that it exhausted you just listening to them?   As leaders, we are often tasked with realigning people's perspective and/or performance to the expectations of the organization.  Accomplishing this typically involves having to have "hard" conversations with people whose values and interest about the fire service may not resemble much of our own.  This becomes especially…

     A major portion of the United States was just hit with a pretty decent snowstorm. My area in NE Ohio was no exception, getting anywhere from 10”-16” of the white stuff. As I left my shift in the darkness and headed home, it was no surprise that the main roads were plowed while the side streets were still untouched. The majority of the business parking lots were unplowed as well, likely due to the fact that many would be closed that day for MLK Jr. observance, and thus, didn’t need to be…

Excerpt from the 2019 Drawn by Fire/Fully Involved calendar, and Captain Mark von Appen:



Share what you love about the job, not how you think others should be. Save the highest standards for you and you alone for that is what you control. Gravitate towards those who exhibit similar DNA. You can't control others or make them shoulder your…

There is a human factor to what we do. It is hard to quantify to someone what the public’s human factor exactly is. Can you measure it by data? Possibly. We could use intervals of time, judging different durations from one significant event to another, a way to justify outcomes as if predetermined. “She was 96 years old, she lived a good life.”…”It’s been six hours since anyone heard from him”. The ever-assuring comfort that time will be the alpha and the omega.

            We attempt…

Without getting political, the current government shutdown is the longest in our country’s history. Despite this fact, how do government shutdowns increase our public safety vulnerabilities?

My heart goes out to individuals and families directly and indirectly affected by the shutdown. The added stress and anxiety this matter brings to hundreds of thousands of government employees and those that rely on government services is mind blowing. Imagine wondering how to meet your…