All Blog Posts (3,145)

Training is not just for the bread and butter tasks, but to sharpen skills that we rarely use, too. This cartoon focuses on one of those tasks: standpipe training, tactics and operation. Are standpipes a resource that we use often? Most of us would probably say no. Is utilizing standpipe connections a real and present possibility? I think most would say…

I don't know what kind of strange energy I upset with the fire gods, but take a look at these photos. …

It’s just a seat!

The front right seat, company officer, lieu, cap, acting Officer, or whatever name you have for this seat it is not to be taken lightly. An officers position is to influence your people to be better, better at their craft, and better as a person. As an officer the right seat holds a tremendous amount of responsibility.

All too often when promotion time comes around you will see a majority of people running to…

New analysis coming in the beginning of 2017 from UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute.

That gives us plenty of time to take a deep breath and plan to handle this information appropriately.

Simply, we all need to begin by reading the entire report. The actual report. Not some random Facebook page's analysis of the analysis. Start with the raw material to get a full…

T-Shirt Management

by David Rhodes 

This Hump Day SOS is dedicated to my good friend MG, you know who you are. Enjoy!

I am always amazed at how many critically important issues there are to manage in the fire department. With any high-risk occupation, the day is…

In the ongoing debate over structural firefighting tactics in the era of fire dynamics enlightenment, the topic inspiring particularly passionate sentiment does not so much regard tactics themselves, but the sequence in which they are performed.  Regardless if your belief is that almost all firefighting should be performed indoors and that the only valuable exterior action is ventilation, or if you have embraced all or some of the fire behavior research findings that…

STAY FIRED UP!

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Click here to see more of my work or to order prints:…

On the right, a "Code Red" structure -- we only enter if we *see* a savable life -- on fire twice yesterday. Missing 10' of foundation, numerous holes in the floor, and missing structural members.*

On the left, a house with roof crumbling around a truck company's vent h***, garbage bags over the windows, and an old man who came out to see if the neighboring…

It seems that most of the time when ground ladder training is mentioned a lot of firefighters are hesitant to get excited. The ground ladder is probably the most simple of all the tools we use as firefighters. We don’t have to mix their fuel, choke them, charge their batteries, or anything of that nature because they don’t require any of those items. Although they’re one of the simplest pieces of equipment we use; that doesn’t take away from their importance. There is always a time and place…

Attempting to transmit through your face piece is what some might call an art, but it’s actually a science. And like other sciences, it requires experimentation. Your variables are voice quality, voice strength, mic placement, and noise cancelling and isolation.

How can you ensure your message is getting through? First, you must ensure you're speaking clearly- call it voice quality. You have to fight the nose cone and chin cup that are doing their job in keeping a…

Thinking your three or four member rapid intervention team will suffice when combating a fire in an ordinary construction group of attached structures can be compared to “fool’s gold".…

The Sunday Preach CHAPTER 5:

It's Really The Only Time You Have.

"Much of how quickly you deplete your air supply is predicated on your level of comfort in wearing the SCBA ensemble, your physical fitness level, and your mental status." (Pg 39)

In the not so distant past, SCBA cylinders had "work" and "exit" times that were universally accepted for the various cylinder types. Those static numbers are a thing of the past.

While there are certainly unofficial 'rules…

I’ll start off as always with my shout-outs for this blog. This one goes to 1^st Lieutenant Sarah Read, of the Chili Fire Department Explorer program. You will see why as you read through the blog.  

In the past couple years, two reoccurring themes have been proposed in the various classes we have taught throughout the states. First is the demise of the fire service because of “The New Kids” and second is their lack of understanding of pride, tradition and honor.…

There are many things that can impact poorly on an emergency incident: poor communication, disregard of SOP’s, poor tactical decisions and lack of command, just to name a few. I will focus on command. A strong command presence can overcome most issues on an emergency incident. Most think that command starts once a chief officer arrives on the scene; this ideology can prove to be detrimental to a successful outcome on an incident. The fact is, during an emergency, the incident…

CAN YOU HELP??

Recently I read something in the news about in reference to a certain fire department here in the United States about the fire department and EMS department being separate but it wasn’t so much as to the being separate departments of being the problem. Here in lies the problem: It’s a policy that’s in effect about the EMS and fire personnel not being able to play together. Now, I’ll go into a little more detail. “911, What’s your emergency?” “My…

Another shift day. The smells of the firehouse when walking in at the start of the new tour. Another 24 hours and homeward bound again to be with our biological families. But somewhere in the world within our brotherhood of business, someone will not get to go home; even as much as we strive for everyone's safety, so that everyone can go home; we live with the reality of one of our brothers or sisters not coming home. This is the nature of our career. We signed up for it, but we…

Spring and Summer bring an onslaught of action packed movies sporting muscle-bound studs and mercenary vixens who leap and punch their way into the American culture with gravity defying ease. I admit, I'm guilty of enjoying the latest exploits and theatrics of Captain America, too. But what happens when society places more emphasis on pop culture icons and…

Does This Plywood Make Me Look Vacant?

by David Rhodes

What if…