January 2011 Blog Posts (28)

Does anyone out there use video conferencing systems to conduct training with other stations/departments?

If you do, what manufacturer do you have?

Does it work?

Do you like it?

Any help is much appreciated.

I want to know how something works.

I want to know when something doesn’t work and why it doesn’t work.

It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a product or process. I want to know what makes it go and how to fix it when it doesn’t.

Please try to control your excitement as I tell you this…

The report on the causes of the financial crisis, as prepared by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) is out. Their website is…

From turnto23.com:

A firefighter was hurt after a refrigerator fell on top of him in a burning house in Oildale (CA) Saturday morning, but he was quickly saved by his crew...

 

It all started just before 8 a.m. the crew at Station 63 was called out to a vacant house going up in flames on Washington Avenue. [Firefighter Devin] Lawrence ran into the burning building with…

At the January 26, 2011 meeting of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Medical Device Advisory Committee, Circulatory Systems Devices Panel, a recommendation emerged to tighten regulation of AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillators).  Currently, AEDs are listed as Class III (high risk) medical devices being…

Nothing like a little freelancing to muck-up the best intended plans and strategies. It's bad enough when these individuals circumvent the chain of command to "help" where they please, but their blatant disregard for accountability and the safety of others is simply inexcusable!

 …

I was forwarded the letter below (in red) from my wife.  Her sisters’ life-long friend sent it to her. 

Mike had a fire in his home and lost everything.  Literally, everything.  This is not about the fire department that responded.  This is an extremely rural, mountainous region and I am sure they did everything possible.

The reason for this is simply to remind us all of what I am sure most of us take for granted.  “Someone had a fire in their home”!  OMG!  I have gone to…

Hello All,

The 2011 Near-Miss Calendars are now available from the IAFC.  These calendars are distributed FREE of charge throughout the year by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  If you would like a copy I will gladly send one out to you.  Just please email me your name, address, and quantity requested to dstacy@iafc.org

Be sure to get one for yourself, station, family, and friends!

These calendars are always highly anticipated and enjoyed so be sure to…

January's magazine editorial cartoon speaks to any department which relies on volunteers or paid-on-call personnel to protect their district. Quality local jobs are dwindling and people have become less interested in helping their communities to concentrate on second careers, soccer games, and a myriad other distractions. In most cases, they no longer work…

My good friend, Shawn Longerich, Executive Director for the Cyanide Poisoning Treatment Coalition (CPTC) at www.FireSmoke.org sent me the video “Out of Air”; currently in Beta testing.

The video is just under an hour long and it is, as Captain Mike Gagliano of the Seattle Fire Department and a board member at CPTC pronounces; an homage to those firefighters who have succumbed to the effects of smoke inhalation.

“Out of Air” opens with a…

Many things are being discussed in our service today. My take on things is a mix I suppose you could say between sides of the fence that the Fire Service has created. We have the "Safety Sallies" in the blue corner and the "Aggressives" in the red corner. I did the groups in specific corners for a reason, if you figure it out wonderful, if not, sorry. Many issues are in the front of our minds right now. Searching of insert name of building type here, proper size hose lines,…

There should be no question as to the core mission of any fire department and that should be to help people in their time of need-any people; regardless of their circumstances that includes socio-economic.

Our passion for the job and the compassion for our fellow humans demands that we put everything else ahead of ourselves/our well-being, if need be.

But once again, the bloggers are busy churning up sentiment, punctuated by their eloquent and often emotional perceptions of the…

The importance of having a tool with you can’t be stressed enough.  Besides using it for forcible entry and venting windows or other operational functions, it can save your life.

It should be a habit that every time you come off of the truck for an alarm there should be a tool in your hand.  And take a tool that you can do something with.  Some of the most common tools are the Halligan and a flat head ax. You can take a pick headed ax and/or a sledge hammer, depending on what your…

After 30 years in the fire service, the last six as a hazmat tech for the state of Ohio, I thought I was pretty sharp about dealing with hazardous materials.  Then I transferred to the Health Department as an emergency response coordinator.  Then 9/11 happened.  Suddenly I needed to know a whole lot about some things that I knew very little about.  My colleagues at the health department needed to know about response too.  So the die was cast and we forged ahead.

The…

From the Chicago Sun Times:

A 51-year-old veteran Chicago firefighter died after being found unresponsive at his firehouse quarters on the South Side Saturday morning.

 

Lt. Patrick Hannon was given Advanced Life Support care and was taken to Mercy Medical Center where he died, according to Fire Media Affairs Dir. Larry Langford. He was on-duty and was found…

Have you ever been to the zoo and watched the monkeys fling their own poop at each other?

Yeah; some of you already know where this is headed.…

Practical jokes and “ball-busting” have been a part of the firehouse culture for as long as there have been firefighters. It can be fun, it can bring a sense of inclusion and acceptance, it can be a stress-reliever – it’s a healthy part of the firehouse social climate.

Hazing as I define it is…