February 2012 Blog Posts (27)

You can go to the many fire service-related outlets or social media sites every day and read comments left by firefighters as to why they love being firefighters.

The first book that I read on this subject was Dennis Smith’s “Firefighters”. It was a series of interviews that described in the firefighters’ own words on why they loved what they did. It was released in 1988 in hardcover.

More recently (2008), Rick Lasky released his “Pride and Ownership: A Firefighter’s Love for…

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If you take a minute to think about how our strategies and social skills are intertwined, you see the connection. Many levels and types of social skills are important aspects of our duty. How we interact socially affects how we will interact strategically.



If you have not read "Training Warning Flags", go through that first along with "Owning Training" as they are built upon each other.



Four of the five more significant warning flags are dependent upon the social skills of… Continue

Here is a quick look at a building that offers more than one considering in regards to construction characteristics. The building in the photos is currently a resale shop. This building has been a tack shop, lawn equipment, sold boats and trailers. If you look hard at the front, it has been added onto.

 

 

The right side of the building was the original and the left was…

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What would do you do for this heavily involved attached garage fire?  Does the split-level layout change your strategies/tactics?  Give us the report and your RECEO VS considerations.  Have fun!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!

There is a saying that states, " With knowledge, comes power." History is an important part of that knowledge. Recently, I attended a class on the history of the fire service. And with the exception of the instructors assembled, everyone in that class had 5 or less years of experience. I represented the dinosaurs with 30+ years. A portion of that class involved us watching a…

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I had some running around to do before the FOOLS meeting last week.  I suppose because I was running from place to place, I didn’t think about what I was doing, just getting things done.  I didn't really think about it until yesterday as I was writing a condolence card to the family of Captain Walter C. Sumner of the Cranesville Volunteer Fire Department in Pennsylvania. Captain…

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We have all heard and been taught to do a 360 of the structure during a working fire.

There is some debate, but this is becoming common practice and there are several things to look for.

The picture is a bulk head for a basement. We have always been taught and trained to look for and create a secondary means of egress for upper floors. Well, it’s no different for basements.

When you make entry, especially if the fire has not been isolated, make sure that either you open…

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