March 2012 Blog Posts (27)

All the pieces came together for this auger extrication prop.  I originally saw the idea on Brotherhood Instructors page, check it out here.

Firefighter Josh Goetz (Carroll Township FD) was instrumental in locating an old auger from a combine.  Firefighter Kevin Killgor, also from Carroll Township FD lined up a shop for us to fabricate the prop. JD Vasbinder suggested adding an electric box to simulate…

Looking at annual Line of Duty Death statistics, anyone can easily see that cardiac arrest is a Firefighters foe. In fact, heart attack is at least 50% of the reason why we lose so many brothers and sisters each year. We can all agree that improving our health, getting annual medical physicals and exercising are the right things to do. However, I have two questions. First how many of us are working out regularly and to the intensity of the fire ground, getting physicals and eating the way we…

As firefighters we protect life and property by any means necessary. And by “any” we mean the “safest and the best.” This means we do not marry ourselves to any one response modality or school of thought. We don’t always go interior on a fire attack...or always use a Halligan to force open a door (sometimes it’s already unlocked) right? We take into account certain factors along with the environment, resources, etc. and make the best tactical decisions we can.…

A Firefighter’s Own Worst Enemy: A Synopsis

When I created this class it was in response to my own attitudes and behaviors that I had developed over a period of time. During those 18 months of “darkness” I allowed outside influences to dictate my perception of the fire service, what my job is and should be and the direction of my future. Luckily, I had other influences around me that recognized I was drifting and helped to set me back on course.

After I was re-calibrated I…

So, what does the constant thump of complaining do to team unity?

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Are you struggling with being negative or are you dealing with negativity within your organization? Take an hour or so and get a interpersonal dynamics tune up via Fire Engineering's Blog Talk Radio.  FETC Services did a great radio show on how to look at personalities to fix the underlying root cause.  Click here:

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The picture to the left is from a fire the other night in a two story 1,500 square feet residential joint.  It had a gable roof and the second floor was made into one room with knee walls on both B and D walls.  The window seen here was to the first floor bathroom.…

Check out this blog post by Frank Lipski, Co-Owner of Engine House Training, LLC and good friend on Bailout Hooks. Join the discussion and check out our site atEngine House Training, LLC.…

http://youtu.be/evN_Y749UFQ

By now, you have undoubtedly seen the video.

According to wctrib.com, the two Sedan, MN volunteer firefighters occasionally wear dresses to raise funds for their volunteer fire department.

”The group of volunteers were waiting in line in preparation for Padua’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday when a fire erupted in a truck and the firefighters went to…

At FDIC this year I will be presenting a classroom session titled Ventilation Principles and Practices on Thursday 4/19 from 1330 to 1515 in Rooms 134/135. Below is a preview of some of the information I will be covering. Choosing a class to attend from the schedule is very difficult due to the quality of programming and sheer number of sessions. If you are unable to attend FDIC this year or you choose another session I would still like to make my information available to you as…

Thanks goes to Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell and Chief Halton as Traditions Training Instructors Larry Schultz (DCFD) and Ricky Riley (Clearwater Fire and Kentland VFD) have been chosen to present our "Waving Red Flags on the Fireground" class. This class will be given Monday morning on April 16th at 0800 hours. At many incidents, all the signs and sounds are there for…

2012… 5th Annual "Keeping Tradition Alive" - Pipes, Drums and Honor Guard Symposium

May 10 & 11, 2012, Lewisville, Texas

It’s that time of year again!  What an incredible event!!  Our City has embraced this with open arms and continues to support this annual event like nowhere else.  Each year it continues to grow and I don’t know how they do it but it keeps getting better and better!

If you get a chance check it out on YouTube by searching…

A simple equation that has great value is Performance = (Knowledge + Desire + Experience). In a previous post, I mentioned this formula briefly, as it applies to training. Today we want to examine our performance, when altered by outside factors or influence.

Performance on and off the fire ground is crucial. From the final test to receive certification to how we function on our next working fire, performance should improve anytime we increase a constant. Measurements of…

I write this in gratitude of the response our local emergency services provided during a mass casualty shooting yesterday and also to the school my sons attend. I also write this to my colleagues in Public Safety as a gentle reminder that training does pay off.

" It Happened Here "

Yesterday, March 8, 2012, a mass casualty incident occurred at the Western Psychiatric Institute Clinic. There were several people shot, a police officer injured and…

We have taught a lot of classes and trained extensively on numerous firefighter operations. One thing that always interests me is the choice of hand tools by firefighters. Each has their own preference and favorite, but in many cases when challenged as to why that specific tool is their tool of choice, the answer is not clear to them.

Some are bound by the fact that they work on a truck, engine or squad. Some are bound by their riding assignment based on what order they arrive on the…

I am new this whole writing thing, so any feedback would be very welcome.  This first bit is something I wrote in reply to a question asked of me about my view of Situational Awareness as it relates to Crew Resource Management.  Please let me know what you think, especially about the wording, flow etc.... Thanks in advance.

Situational Awareness

Situational Awareness (SA) is a term that I have been operating in and around for the better part of my working…

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…