March 2014 Blog Posts (43)

It can’t happen here! Words I’m sure have been spoken before, and words I’m sure were regretted later. In an age where a 24-hour news cycle chronicles every event where people die, and a culture that needs instant gratification and “attention”, the perfect storm exists where first-responders are being attack in ever more frequency. Some deadly, most are not, but all…

Chief Ron Kanterman -- April 2014

In 2004, Chief Ron Siarnicki, Executive Director of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) invited 200 fire service professionals (250 showed up) to Tampa, Florida to discuss line of duty deaths and injuries and asked us to come up with a national action plan to curb the trends and shrink the numbers. The Sixteen (16) Life Safety Initiatives (LSI’s) were developed as well as the Everyone Goes Home program and Courage to be…

Since the weather has been getting warmer it is allowing more time to train outside and get some real good engine work in. Been practicing a lot of moving lines up stairs. With a 3 person engine it makes it difficult especially in a…

This one has been in the back of my mind for a long time, and it is meant as no disrespect it is just some thoughts and opinions.

I remember getting into the fire service at age 15 and getting introduced to some of the older guys a lot of whom worked for various fire departments around the area some worked in the Urban city but most in the suburban counties. Both had differing opinions on how the best way to do things was.

Then I remember going to college and meeting…

At every teaching opportunity, I make it a point to spend plenty of time talking about risk assessment and risk management. For the sake of discussion lets focus strictly on fireground operations.

My concern is and continues to be a growing and unashamed trending towards total risk aversion.  I have theorized that there are many reasons for the rapid…

Bad Bull

Back in the day we pumped gasoline for customers, washed their windshields and offered to check under the hood for them. We had a mechanic who actually repaired cars, air was free and we were called a service station.

Fire houses were community hubs, meeting places and service…

With all of the acronyms, studies, and science being brought into the fire service today, I often hear of people clamoring for a simpler time. A time when the job was what they describe as simpler. Even as a believer in a lot of these different studies, and I feel that the fire service should be an educated fire service, but at the core of our job what we do everyday has not changed. A lot of these concepts are not even “new” if you are familiar with any fire service history. I learned about…

How often do you tour your TSDF facilities?  

Most fire departments will use the "Rule of Thumb" and wait for HazMat to arrive.  DO you think that is an appropriate response?  OR  Do you think we can take response steps for a release to a facility like this?

Love to hear what you have to say!

Your friend,

Todd C.…

When we dream about fire, and fighting it, our packs are light, movement is easy, water is plentiful and the good guys win. Every time.



In reality, movement is slow, and labored, our bodies feel like they weigh a million pounds and the water clock ticks incessantly in our heads.



Being "in deep" isn't a big deal with a charged line in hand and help behind us, for it is that help that keeps us moving forward, going…

I got a lot of views to the last blog but only 2 with the courage to tell us what he would do.  Thanks Charlie and Justin.  Here are some of their comments . (Remember, these comments are for the last Blog and not the one below.  Do not get confused.  “From the outside we are looking at nothing more than a MODERN style split ranch, so to start our search we are going to start a right hand search towards the sleeping quarters due to time and day. With a three man…

Most died away from the scene than at the scene

Update: On 26 March, the USFA announced the death of an Oklahoma captain/chaplain killed during a fight with another firefighter.

The following information is a breakdown of the details of those members in the fire…

Spring is here and it’s time to do a little spring cleaning but, be careful what you ask for. Would it be interesting to tell the 1 year rookie to “get rid of everything that doesn’t get used anymore” and then see what ends up at the dumpster? Along with the items shown in the picture might also be conversation, common sense, station…

Fire department releases another view of January vacant building fire

You may recall the fireground video from Stockton California where the local news station reported that the chief had some questions about the actions of his firefighters on that video. The story gained…

It doesn't matter if you're a volunteer, paid, or part-time firefighter. In this business trust is everything. Without a strong foundation of trust, we will surely miss opportunities to be successful at every level of the organization.

Opportunity number 1 - Do your citizens trust that you know how to do your job, provide great customer service, and will be responsible with their tax dollars.  Building this type of trust in your community is a non-stop effort. Every time you…

Missing Flight 370 started us on a discussion of mitigation speech on the fire ground.  It’s a concept first written about by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers.  Mitigation speech is a passive form of communication when we “downplay or sugarcoat the meaning of what’s actually being said”.

While talking with my wife the other day she spoke very highly of an acquaintance.  “That girl that is a “straight shooter” and she will give it to you like it is, no fluff.  You know…

I get a lot of requests to come up with workouts that can be performed on duty with equipment found at the firehouse. The other day, my crew and I performed this intensive 30 minute interval workout.  This workout will get your heart racing, challenge your core and work your muscles.

The workout consists of three, 10 minute intervals each with a different focus.  The first 10 minutes focuses on anaerobic recovery, the second ten minutes on full body strength and the last ten…

I get a lot of requests to come up with workouts that can be performed on duty with equipment found at the firehouse. The other day, my crew and I performed this intensive 30 minute interval workout.  This workout will get your heart racing, challenge your core and work your muscles.

The workout consists of three, 10 minute intervals each with a different focus.  The first 10 minutes focuses on anaerobic recovery, the second ten minutes on full body strength and the last ten…

The fire service today is under more scrutiny than it has ever been in memorable past, firefighters arrested for stealing and selling scheduled drugs or other illicit substances, firefighters being terminated for engaging in sexual acts while on the clock, and even members in high ranking positions stealing money from the fire department coffers…

Most of us spend too much time on the last twenty-four hours and too little on the last six thousand years.…

The Sunday Preach:

"Never forget where you came from"

This is a multi-faceted profound statement that is often heard around the firehouse. Here are 3 quick extrapolations we came up with....