All Blog Posts (4,187)

The Firehouse Kitchen Table: The Perfect Podium to Promote Health and Wellness

Some of the best memories and learning moments in the fire service don’t take place on the fireground or in a classroom setting; rather they take place around the table while we eat as a shift or take the time to talk over a cup of joe.

Downtime in the firehouse can often lead to complacency or at times the…

This article is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Atlantic Beach Fire Department Chief Adam Snyder. Chief Snyder was an incredible husband, father, friend, mentor, leader, and advocate for mental health. Prior to his death, he led the Eastern Division of the North Carolina Peer Support Team. He never hesitated to be there for a fellow first responder in need, and on the second Tuesday of every month, he led first responder support group meetings open to anybody in need. He was the…

For in-depth media demonstrations and explanations, please visit our social media pages and our YouTube channel. Links are found at the end of the article. 

As a modern fire service, we are constantly seeking methods and tactics to increase our service delivery model and to have better trained, better equipped firefighters and to strengthen our relationship with our citizens and business owners while effecting efficient & effective entries on calls. This…

As an officer, I put a ton of pressure on myself to be wiser, smarter, and more experienced than I was yesterday - to lead by example. Unfortunately, all this studying, training, and preparing can take up much of your free time during the course of the day and it's all too easy to say "I'll workout tomorrow." When tomorrow comes, well, you do it again.…

The fire service has been described as paramilitary organization with a leadership organized in a top down fashion. In other words, one person does the thinking, one person directs the organization and one person takes responsibility. Is that right? Is that how your organization operates?

I was stimulated to author this article based on the belief that we can lead and manage better if we involve all of the personnel…

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The Axemen lost another brother.

A few months ago, I shared a post about the importance of maintaining some kind of balance between the rigors of being a firefighter and whatever else it takes to put a smile on your face. Such a conversation usually starts with family, extends to a few golf strokes, an annual vacation, or maybe just hanging out with a pack of buddies at the local McDonalds, telling lies about the good ‘ole days.

At the time, David (Professor) and I were fresh…

I recently heard this statement in a podcast by Stephen Mansfield. Though I’ve heard variations of it in other places, the way he said it made me stop mowing the lawn and pay closer attention.

It’s a simple statement, yet it’s packed with reality. The point of it is that life can be a struggle, success hinges on how you face up to those struggles.

We teach our kids from their earliest moments this lesson. When a baby is first learning to walk and keeps falling,…

The inventor, thinker, genius, mathematician and all around smart guy, Albert Einstein once said, “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” I think he was right. We worked the same way for a long time (the first 270 years or so) and injuries and LODDs became part and parcel to our service. We thought that simply doing it “over and over again” the same way and thinking it would change all by itself, would work. It didn’t. However…

My training and tools side hustle receives a fair share of inquiries regarding “vetting” new tools. These typically come from the company themselves, direct to us, for review. What intrigued me as a Truck Co. firefighter after seeing The CHAR tool was that this could be the first vertical firefighter self-rescue tool. As a massive fan of the pompier ladder, I had to get my hands on this.

This one I solicited for. I wanted this…

Anyone who has seen the HBO Mini-Series “Band of Brothers” knows who Major Richard Winters is. The leader of Easy Company, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment states in his book, “Beyond Band of Brothers” that, “Having selected the right men for the job, I then delegated the authority to my subordinates and allowed them to use their initiative to execute the mission. There is no need to tell someone how to do his job if you have properly trained your…

I would think it’s safe to say that practically every truck company in the US carries a K-12, whether Partner, Stihl, or Husqvarna. Departments without dedicated trucks often carry these versatile saws on their engines. Obviously we also find them on squads and heavy rescue companies.

They are a great tool to have and if you’re lucky you have at least two. There’s a lot that can be…

A Letter to America's Fire Officers

Dear America's Fire Officers,

We the American firefighter need you. 

We need you to set the example.

We need you to be competent.

We need you to be ready.

We need you to set the example.

We need you to be in shape.

We need you to not shirk responsibility.

We need you to put your gear on...always.

We need you…

I read something the other day about a firefighter suicide that got under my skin. It said, "we need to do something, because what we are doing is not working."

While we will never be able to prevent or stop all suicides, we are making a difference.

Sadly, it's a difference that we will rarely quantify because sometimes, we rarely know the difference we make in the lives of others.

I know I have been in dark places, and all it took was a smile…

A mentor once told me “Good things are hard but hard things are great.”  It always stuck with me, sadly though he passed away before I could put his great mentorship and guidance to use.  I often think of him in a lot of my daily interactions and regret losing touch as my career took me on a new path.  I share this because I feel his message warrants a larger stage, so with that I’ll keep this as short and to the point as I can.

When you’ve failed a test, missed out on a career,…

In 2017 103 firefighters committed suicide. That is 103 families torn apart with very few answers hoping to turn back time just enough to have an impact on these tired souls that made the decision to end their life on their own terms. First responders are five times more likely to suffer from depression and PTSD compared to the general population. The International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) takes these numbers extremely seriously and has begun implementing phenomenal resources to…

Where has the passion gone? In my personal experience with life in general, we have become a self-centered population. Everything is about “me” and the fire service has seemingly become no different, many places are putting “we” first instead of “them”. It is true that many people just don’t seem to have the desire or the passion for the job that at one time they did, some never had it at all. This job will take a lot from you... and, yes, there will be times that it will take everything you…

The popular HBO series, Game of Thrones, provides a fun parody on the vicious firehouse backstabbing and culture of relentlessly second guessing the decisions made by others. It all seems so easy, until you're sitting on the Throne of Command.



STAY FIRED UP, and look outside of your own perspective before criticizing…