All Blog Posts (3,145)

Gender equality has been a long and winding yellow brick road for many women in the fire service. They work hard, train hard, and study hard, but no matter how many times they click their heels and wish for a fighting chance, progress has been painfully slow.



Is progress being made? If the ladies I meet at FDIC and other events are any indication, I’d say…

To start the evolution, the apparatus moves 200 feet to location B.  The tanker is filled from a fill site engine.  When the water tank is full to overflow, the fill line(s) are disconnected (ensure all firefighters are seat belted in prior to moving apparatus), and the tanker moves 200 feet and stops (document your total time for later use with ISO).  Read…

This week's post is a weblink to my YOUTUBE Channel. Over the weekend I presented the first full pilot of SPEED SMOKE STRESS: Is Killing American Firefighters. Please stop by and take a look. It is just a glimpse, I can't give to much away. My goal is to have a version of this course on the docket for FDIC 2013. WIth the support of this training community, I believe this will happen.…

Here are some more pictures from my A Shift buddies, Jim, Bob and Dave at Florissant Valley Fire Protection District. These photos show the challenges of just getting into some of our buildings. It’s a lot easier to get a good look at the working mechanisms and traits of these obstacles during daylight and in non-emergent situations.







Take time to know what is behind these doors and grates. What are they protecting and how secure are they? Is just a…

Oh, where to begin.

As if things weren’t already bad enough in Illinois, I read today where my state is the third most corrupt state in the nation. Chicago has the distinction of being named as the number one most corrupt city in the nation.

For many of us who have lived in Illinois our entire lives, this doesn’t exactly come as a revelation, but it is very frustrating after spending so much time in politics with the idea that we were going to change…

FireRescue athletes are at a very high risk of back injury.  Some research has shown that almost 50% of all firefighters will experience some type of back injury during their career.  Effective core training brings about a proactive approach to protecting your body and joints (especially your back) from injury. Core strength consists of hip, shoulder, and trunk stability. It is the foundation of efficient movement and vital to…

THE SCENARIO:  HEAVY FIRE from the attic w/ extension to TWO other houses!  If this one doesn't test the strength and discipline of your crews and alarm assignments, congratulations!   Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

Here’s another moving water drill.  If you missed the portable pond set-up drill, click here.  Move the water as you would in a water shuttle operation.  (Record and document times for later use with ISO).…

Which is better: letting pain and muscle spasm immobilize an injured spine or doing it with the same tools we’ve used for decades?  Should hypothermia begin DURING the arrest?  Do response times make any difference whatsoever in patient outcomes?  The answers to these and other hot EMS topics were intensely debated in Dallas last week at the 14^th annual Gathering of Eagles, EMS State of the Science Conference.

The U.S. Metropolitan Municipalities EMS Medical Directors…

Does your engine have a reserve or secondary line? This line is not a main per-connect, "the second line" or the back up. This line functions as a reserve set up. 

Certain situations may require positioning your hand line to another area. The problem it creates, once it’s charged the time and effort to re-position increases. The line in operation would be shut down, possibly drained, and redeployed which under some circumstances is a labor intensive ordeal. A dry, fresh line is much…

Over the next few weeks several water shuttle related company drill topics will be added.  In Ohio the terminology is tanker, however, it is synonymous with other regions tender terminology.   Many of these skill set times are evaluated when ISO comes to visit you, but more importantly the training will improve your operations.  *Keep track of your times and the evolution description for later use with ISO.…

Disclaimer: As an Advocate for the Everyone Goes Home program, I have a duty to see the mission of reducing Firefighter Line of Duty Death fulfilled. This post was written due to my frustration with the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives being both misconstrued for personal agenda and as a shield to hide behind. In addition, the statements below are not part of the implementation process for the initiatives. My goal is to break down a key element of LSI #1, accountability and personal…

What would your FD do for this attached garage fire?  What would you do to address the extension issues?   Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO

Be Safe

I am not sure if this cartoon is whimsical or prophetic, but it's a fact that we are all doing more with much, much less these days. Better limber up your toes, folks - they're going to be needed!

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Getting Closer...



In part one of “Check your Dance Card” we discussed a few items to take a look at before we enter the fire building and start our dance with the “beauty of fire.” In part 2, we…

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”- Alexander Graham Bell

The word focus has an interesting origin. This term comes from the Latin word for fireplace or hearth. One can only assume that the definition is a central point, the source of heat in the home long ago. In modern times, this still holds true, as many fireplaces…

Ok, so I have made the big switch from EMS supervisor to Truck/Roving officer and it has been a month. It is a completely different beast. As an EMS supervisor, the work came to me, I had no time to sit back and relax, I was constantly on the go. However as a truck officer, I find there is more down time. I am spending time getting to know my truck and crew. I have already had a few issues but nothing that I couldn't deal with. Unfortunately, my comfort level with my new crew and my general…

I hate bullies! Always have, always will. Unfortunately, this is a leadership trait of far too many company and chief officers. As I see it, there are fundamentally three types of supervisors:

Leaders: Their ability to motivate and empower firefighters to excel is their key to success. People enjoy working for leaders and they have the highest…