The Fire Service is changing.  Yet, some would argue that it isn’t and we still hold true to our cultures, traditions, and mission.  I would like to offer up a different perspective – a view of which I’m certain that will receive ridicule from those who do not like change.  For…

The reduced time and the increasing temperatures that structure fires burn due to modern day products, diminishes the window we have for rescue rapidly. 

If this isn’t a wake up call enough to be in excellent physical shape, the rate of Cardiac related deaths, sleep apnia, and the risk of cancers, diabetes and other health issues in the fire service should be. …

It is dangerous out there, no doubt about it. We have a responsibility to protect ourselves, our brothers and sisters and our patients from harm. The latest danger seems to me not to be carfentanil but paranoia. That's right, I'll call it "fentanyl analog paranoia."  It's bad enough that widespread misinformation has made prehospital providers the poster children for misuse of nitrile gloves.  Now, we're helping to spread ridiculous warnings about…

Those Who Lead: When Opportunity Knocks

By: Thomas D. Kuglin Jr.

I received a group email from my Fire Chiefs supervisor, concerning what makes a great safety professional after attending a recent conference. He further spoke of the characteristics listed by participants during the conference and how that list could be expanded to any profession.  He asked that members of our department do “homework” and list the top 10…

There are infinite skills and tasks that must be performed as a first-in engine company to the scene of a fire incident.  Skills and tasks can range from hoseline selection and deployment to size-up to hand tool selection and everything in between.  We could spend countless hours and time engaging in practical training evolutions on each one alone.  How can we develop a training evolution that encompasses multiple essential tasks?  I’m sure you’re thinking we do this all time so what makes…

Firefighters deal with the public day in and day out. In fact, I would argue that we are one of the best customer service agencies out there. We deliver quality care and will respond to a variety of problems, fix them, and then move on leaving satisfied customers in our wake. The Fire Service prides itself on putting the public first, as we should. The Fire Service aims to treat every in the public with respect and dignity. But what happens when a member of the…

Young children read many stories about the important work of firefighters. Most people probably have a fond memory of taking a field trip to the fire station during their elementary school years. If they were lucky, they got to climb up into the fire truck or put on a fire hat. Which of us didn’t anxiously await the appearance of sparkling red fire trucks with sirens blazing at the start of every parade? Kids in every city and town dream about one day becoming a heroic firefighter. While…

There are a few professions where you can fake it through an entire career and never be exposed as a fraud - whether career or volunteer, firefighting is NOT one of them. Sure, you might slide for a while, but sooner or later you're going to ride the bull and there's simply nowhere to hide when you do. So the message here is simple: Get serious, be dedicated,…

It was just a couple weeks ago when I found out that the pump of a new engine we placed in service was preset to 120 PSI. While listening to a group of firefighters talk I overheard one of the engineers state they felt that the needed 145 PSI for that nozzle was too much to handle so they had it set to 120. If you’ve spent any amount of time on a hose line, you should know that 145 PSI pump discharge pressure on 200 foot is very manageable with a single firefighter, but two firefighters…

A recent case in New York involving a police officer, taking 10 years to resolve, revives a sleepy law we do not hear much about called the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

This case (Wright v. City of Jamestown), involved an Army Reserve officer with the Jamestown (NY) police department initially filed his USERRA claim against the department in 2007 after he was denied…

How many times have you heard, "Man, it's like we've got four different fire departments working here!" Many have and we all know the meaning behind that statement. Fire Departments that have 3 or 4 different operational shifts, can often do things each a little differently. You know what I am talking about like differences in daily chores, vehicle maintenance, riding assignments or even operational responses. The amount of "different" can be dependant upon the amount of leadership…

Most of us in the fire and emergency services would agree that leadership matters and is vital to the successful outcomes of any organization. We could also agree that many so called leadership gurus and fire service personalities are out on…

Today during some rare downtime at work, I was privileged to receive a phone call from a man that I greatly look up to named Chief Jack Murphy. If you are in the fire service and do not recognize his name, I guarantee that he has impacted your career in some manner, whether you are aware of it or not, from the tireless work he has done advocating on our behalf for safety within the building codes.

Our conversation ranged from the recent Grenfell Tower fire in London, combustible…

I returned from FDIC 2017 with the nagging impression that the American fire service remains divided into two general camps regarding our tactical approaches: those who embrace the results of research, and have modified their methods accordingly; and those who have little accord for experimental evidence, and continue to embrace familiar methods.  There was even a significant imbalance in the reactions to the different viewpoints: presenters who spoke of the duty, honor, and sacrifice…

There is a lot of derisive talk these days about appropriate aggressive tactics and when to use them… or not to use them… and quite a few people are making a name for themselves preaching the extremes on both sides of the banter. “Believe and act the way I do or you’re a coward,” or “science and risk aversion is the only true way of the fire…

There are plenty leaders standing alone on the proverbial organizational island. It has been said time and time again “the higher up the food chain we ascend, the lonelier we may become.” Why is this so? Perhaps we may have lost sight of how vital our values and principles transcend any leadership style. Let’s…

I have deferred my blog page this month to a good friend with a great message. I mentioned Rob (not by name) in Journal Entry #45 “Cancer.” He’s the chief that put off his cardiac testing and went to play golf because he was told there is a 10% chance of a false positive so he couldn’t possibly be sick! He’s in great shape! Well, here’s the real story. I thank…