August 2015 Blog Posts (63)

While out running errands I came across the building that is pictured below. From the street it looks like any other Starbucks, Moes, Cold Stone, Remax and dentist office. But a closer look reveals the old smoke stack and a 360 reveals that it used to be some type of plant or factory. This changes our size up completely. It takes the building from being a possible Type II to a Type III or Type IV. Meaning that instead of truss being our main concern, now it's hidden…

It wasn't until I was at a friends house recently that I realized just how "Child Proof" a home can be. There seems to be a gismo that can block any size opening or keep any type of knob from turning on the market. While this is great for the safety of our children these products can create a nightmare for us. There is in fact so many different safety products available that I will start by only discussing baby gates in this post. 

Baby gates come in just about any shape and…

As a servant leader hopefully you will not fall into the trap of focusing your efforts on self-serving ventures or only focusing on the organization.  As a servant leader you must be focused on what is truly the most valuable resource in the fire service, the others around you.  

It is important to remember there is no I in team.  This is a hard area to over come and it takes constant effort with successful leaders as they are always striving to get better, focused on the vision…

Recently, while teaching a hands-on-engine class in Delaware, my younger and wittier teaching companion Roger Steger, found it was time for our traditional protein bar and Monster (drink) run. As he headed out the gate, he stopped and asked me if I needed some Metamucil to go with my Ensure. This was his not-so-subtle way of reminding me that I am old. It was day two of, running long-lines, pushing in with large lines and box-alarm drills, and on top of that, it was 97 degrees. I needed…

The topic of short staffed operations is often overlooked, despite it being an issue that many municipalities deal with across the country. Understaffed fireground operations, specifically understaffed rapid intervention team (RIT) operations, is an important topic to address for any fire department. Short staffed operations change the way we operate on the fireground. Understaffed RIT operations directly affect our safety on the fireground. Not being able to rescue a downed firefighter…

Pro-Active Drivers: Why there are more jobs, than just babysitting the truck

By: Dean Helsel

            In the volunteer and combination departments, in my area, I see an ongoing issue with the drivers.  Drivers are getting the firemen to the scene, but what are they doing once they are on location?  Are your engine drivers being pro-active when…

Firefighter Fitness from a New Zealand Firefighter's Perspective

Introduction

As firefighters, we tend to consider ourselves generally fit and healthy individuals capable of carrying out a physically demanding job.  But are we really as fit as we think we are?  Are our bodies really in good enough shape to handle the frenetic pace of the first twenty minutes at a working structure fire; the…

As we continue to discuss and explore modern fire attack (MFA) methods, I thought it was time to start talking about what may be the greatest tactical change: we can stop routinely cutting holes in roofs and breaking windows of burning buildings!  (And by "greatest" I mean the one offering the most benefits and challenges.)  Now, you can read all of the recent fire dynamics research reports and analyses yourself and never find that recommendation, but I see it as a logical and…

               This may be the most important blog I have ever posted. In order to make the greatest impact possible I have decided to also keep it short.

               When I was younger my parents never let me quit a sport once the season began. Their philosophy was "Finish what you started. If you quit when things get hard you'll quit anytime you encounter adversity in life." I will forever be grateful for that…

Collaborative efforts for organizational efficiency and effectiveness are a must in today's society. Business practices that once worked for an organization may not necessarily work today. For many years, we have been transitioning our organizations over to computers, GIS mapping software, new and innovative 911 alerting systems, and now web-based reporting programs that are being developed by firemen...for firemen.…

I would like to take a long winded roundabout way to look at the importance of saving seconds in an effort to saving minutes on a fire scene. This came up when I noticed during night calls guys would wake up, put on their shoes, walk to the Apparatus and then take their shoes off. This didn’t make sense to me, I just don’t put my shoes on, but how could I tell them that they were wasting time. Throughout my short career I have always been told “seconds matter”,…

The Sunday Preach:



See the future... (crystal ball not required)



If you are looking to see potential forcible entry challenges in the residential setting, often you need to look no further than your local hardware store.



"Residential building forcible entry is no longer the 'mule kick' on a hollow core wooden door. Formidable forcible entry concerns are becoming prevalent in the single family…

          Let me begin by saying there are two sure fire ways to fail as a leader in the fire service. One is to DO without ever thinking and the other is to THINK without ever doing.

          You and I both know people who habitually take action before developing a sound game plan. They are what I call “Ready/Fire” people. They don’t take the time to aim at the target they just shoot like a chimpanzee holding a…

EVALUATE, DIAGNOSE, AND PRESCRIBE.

The Fire Service is similar to the patient waiting room at the local doctor’s office. Both are filled with all kinds of people from different places with assorted backgrounds, personalities, exposures, symptoms, complaints and outlooks. The one common denominator is that each person has come seeking a reason and an explanation for why they are feeling whatever it is that they are…

The next time it is too crummy, hot, rainy, snowy, etc. to get out of your firehouses and into your streets looking at your buildings grab your laptop, tablet, etc. and search out the many different mapping and G.I.S. programs on the internet and also most likely available through your city or county real estate, auditor, property websites and "take a drive through town" While doing this one quiet day in the firehouse I found another great medium to help keep our members more informed and…

Everytime I turn around it feels like I’m being told to change. I’ve been told my thought process is outdated, my tactics are obsolete and, even worse, that I am dangerous. A lot of change in the fire service is driven by NIST /UL research. A lot of beneficial information has come out of that research, information that has allowed firefighters to better understand what is…

Getting The Job Done

On more than one occasion, I have heard firefighters complain about SOP’s, specifically how they can’t be written for every situation and or you are putting us in a box.  This could not be further from the truth.  What we are doing, is establishing a game plan for specific incidents and the operational concerns that they pose. In recent years, dedication to getting the…

If you spend any time at a fire house, you will undoubtedly hear older firefighters say "It's the little things that matter." They talk about the past and tell stories about tedious tasks (which many new school guys would call “busy work”) with reverence. They talk about detailing brass, scrubbing with toothbrushes, and washing the trucks after every run. They know that…

 Embezzlement is described as - theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one's trust or belonging to one's employer. A recent uptick in the theft of funds, equipment or property from the fire department is creating an embarrassment to the fire service as a…