July 2014 Blog Posts (36)

If you follow Tactical Advantage Training, you have seen me post, “Wolves don't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.” For the modern fire service, I believe this motto is incredibly fitting.  So…

Feeling a little silly today, but my guess is there a more than a few of you out there who can relate!

Take care, stay safe, and always make a difference!

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

One of the best ways to incorporate fireground movements into your workouts is to perform what I call "10-minute interval overhauls."  These are 10 minutes of intervals that can vary in work and rest times that are performed after your strength training sessions.  You can read more about these "interval overhauls" by clicking here or see how to integrate them into an actual…

HouseFireIAPVersion18.10-31-12.pdf

It is an interesting observation when you see, experience and read about the continued pressure to change the fire services. Many times those pressures are brought externally by politicians and money, internally by personnel, leadership (or lack thereof) and an entrenched bureaucracy unwilling or unable to change. Sometimes change is made by an outside agency such as the Department of Justice.…

Are there spider webs in the hose bed?

There are a multitude of skills that must be mastered in order to be proficient on the fire ground. There are two skills make or break the fire operation. They are the ability to stretch hose effectively and search effectively. No doubt there are numerous…

SOP's are thoughts preserved.

I am passionate about many things surrounding the fire service. I see value in education and experience. One without the other can fall short. I have spent time in person, on the phone, messaging etc. with some of the most brilliant (some educated, some simply experienced tailboarders, drivers and officers who gained knowledge thru busy tours). I generally hate reading but see value in it. As I read fire service literature both old…

Story sent to me from a “friend”

 "Chris, me and the crew were out on a 2nd due fire the other day. The first due pulled off the lines and begin to go to work. While en route we went to the Commander in charge asking for an assignment so we knew what tools we would need once we got there (we like to get off the truck with tools in hand). Never got a reply when we got there our officer went to take in our assignment from the IC and he couldn't get a job for…

          How do you perceive failure? I want to encourage you to look at failure for what it is, an opportunity to grown and change. Teach your team how to put failure into perspective. Next time you are in a room full of your peers, look around and pick out the person whose team has achieved the highest level of success. There is a great possibility that you will also be looking at the person in that room who has failed the most.

          You have two choices when you experience…

This weeks quick tip refers to what I call "Fast Shears". While working on extrication scenes we all know there is a long list of objects that will need to be cut (seatbelts, various plastic, wiring, wiring boots, weather stripping, patients clothing, etc). Many times they are small and "annoying" objects that don't warrant the psi and time taken using hydraulic cutters. Everyone claims to carry trauma shears or a cutting device, however more often…

Company officers (CO) have many responsibilities. Aside from the emergency scenes, they have nothing less than a balancing act going on in the fire station (or should have).  Our business is all about people, including our own people that we serve internally. We take care of each other like the family that we are. But are CO’s taking care of the needs of their firefighters as best as they can? Sometimes not. The CO is getting the work of the organization done through the firefighters. Most…

Today’s firefighters are equipped with an assortment of hand tools inside their pockets. These tools can save a firefighter from becoming entrapped while working inside a structure fire. We all carry them, some type of linesmen pliers, knives, door chocks, screw drivers, flash light, webbing, rope. These are all common tools that are found in one’s pocket, but how do you know when too much can be an overload? Or what to carry or not to carry? This article can bring some focus on the vast…

Many times we pass on opportunities to train or learn something although many situations lend themselves to doing so. Look for ways to incorporate the situation or circumstance that you are dealing with into a learning moment. The pictures below are of a company training on aerial ops with a candidate operator.



It was a call for an alarm sounding at a medical building after hours. After looking in the windows and doors and seeing no signs of smoke or fire and with the lock box key…

I know it’s been a while since my last post and yes – for those of you that liked the search posts there are more to come.

I have been working on a few projects that have taken time from me, and will continue to do so for most of the summer. However, I do have an assignment for you.  (Hence the title of the blog.)

School is out.  Where I live, it doesn’t start back till August 28^th.  So!  Here is what I want you all to do. “Make a Plan”.  Figure out what you are…

While speed during extrication is often critical, it comes at a high price without efficiency.  We must first learn the tools, develop skills, learn the how’s and why’s, practice teamwork, train, become efficient, with the result being speed of the operation.  Speed is the rate of one’s activity, in this case extrication skills.  Whether at a fire, during an extrication, or on special operations, it takes efficiency and training to foster speed. In referencing the…

priv·i·lege

: a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others

: a special opportunity to do something that makes you proud…

Each and every one of us comes from a different background, specializing in a different area of the greatest profession there is.  We can sit back and visualize what are strengths and weaknesses are, as well as where we would like to eventually end up in our careers.  No matter what part of the country your are from, our firefighters and leaders are subject to some of the…