February 2013 Blog Posts (17)

“My mind is a bad neighborhood I never try to go into alone.” ~ Anne Lamott

“A human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” ~ William James

In today’s world, stress is an undeniable part of life. Many people are running nonstop when it comes to their career, family life and other responsibilities. In this fast paced world it can be challenging to find time to slow down and relax.

The thing is, if you do not find time to slow down and take…

Hey, a man has got to have his priorities, right?

.

http://headsupfirefighting.blogspot.com/2013/02/looking-down-road.html

What are your motivations for promotion? Are you letting that goal get in the way of keeping yourself sharp in your current position?

On the morning of December 13^th 2011, I stood on the roof of a hotel 23 stories above Ground Zero in New York City. I was with a small group from the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb Committee. We had just finished climbing 110 flights of stairs to honor those who lost their lives in the World Trade Center which once stood on the ground we over looked. The night before Ron Sarnicki, Executive Director of the NFFF presented the FDNY Counseling…

Balance, coordination, power, strength, cardiovascular recovery....all essential fitness traits of the "fit for duty" Fire Rescue Athlete.   If you are a Fire Rescue Athlete (or not) you need to plan your workouts to address each of these traits.  One of the most overlooked is balance and coordination.  As a trainer I get asked how and when is the best time to train for balance?  As a firefighter I get asked why do I need to train for balance?  The last thing you want to happen…

A cold, hard February epiphany about firefighter/EMT layoffs and cut-backs.

.

A cold hard February epiphany about firefighter/EMT layoffs and cut-backs.

A little Fire Line humor to start your week. Hey, if ya gotta clean the john, you might as well do it the firefighter way!

Click link below to see more of Paul's work or to order prints:…

How can a fire company get a copy of a FDNY PSA? Like close the door.

Please email jsnykus@aol.com

I don’t know about you but I have dealt with brain smoke in the past for many years. Now, I do not mean this literally as if products of combustion had found their way inside, but figuratively; that “smoky” feeling in your head that makes it difficult to see correct answers easily or to think clearly. The thing is, until I became healthier I did not realize how much my thinking was under attack. The more I learned what type of food and lifestyle choices were right for me, the more my…

From our very beginning in New Amsterdam, the role of the fire service was to be proactive and save lives through . In 1647 Fire wardens would inspect houses and chimneys, fining the owners for potential hazards, to prevent fires from happening.  If the early firefighters were not actively inspecting, then they were patrolling the streets looking for fire. A team of firefighters would walk the streets with wooden rattles and would sound the alarm upon discovery of fire. The intent of this…

       As I now sit in the Back Corner of the Training Room , and watch , I'm coming to realize that there are 2 things missing from our Beloved Volunteer Fire Service , Training and Communication , As a Past Chief , I now relaize that once you leave Office you become a Nobody.I found it a harsh reality the next day , and becoming one of the "guys " is even tougher , you really do not fit in and when you offer advice it's frowned upon .

        Training is the number 1 key in our…

Can anyone help me out with some new and exciting training ideas for my volunteer FD. 

The Mile High City is not one of the first to come to mind among those in the fire service. Denver is not one of the “Great” cities; New York, Chicago, San Francisco. Not among those currently seeing high fire duty like Detroit or New Orleans. It sits humble in the shadows of the Rockies, between the two coasts with few if any appearances on the covers of National professional journals.

Don’t be fooled by the lack of exposure, there is a…

-The following is the script of a two minute radio broadcast that happened twenty five years ago by the great Paul Harvey, on his hugely successful radio program, "News and Comments by Paul Harvey". My Harvey was a great broadcaster who had a tremendously kind spirit. He was know for taking the obscure and introducing it to the rest of us in a beautifully eloquent way. The challenge was made more difficult because, for you youngsters, Mr. Harvey was a radio broadcaster; no…

Every year around this time I am asked for the "best" fitness tips to make the new year a healthy one.  Over the years this list has changed and evolved but for the most part if you are a Fire Rescue Athlete you need to be doing these 10 things.