August 2019 Blog Posts (10)

A frequent criticism of Modern Fire Attack (MFA) methods, often phrased as a warning against their adoption, is that the actual number of experimental fires upon which they are based totals only a few hundred, while Traditional (TFA?) tactics have been "proven" effective many thousands of times.  To be exact, I counted just 106 test fires performed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL)…

The fire service creates and manages a lot of records including personnel files, personnel medical records, inspection reports, personnel action forms (better known as discipline or corrective action), vacation requests and many others. Many of those records have some protection, a lot of protection or no protection subject to public disclosure laws.

One set of records with the highest level of protections are the…

I recently had a conversation with fellow firefighters about the importance of documenting their exposures after a fire.  Most of them said that they agree that it is an important part of post fire procedures and state they wish the process was more convenient. So, I created an online survey that they can access on…

     A cycle is something that gets repeated over time. They are also known as habits, routines, or standard ways of doing things. They are typically thought of as self-perpetuating, meaning they are capable of continuing or renewing themselves indefinitely. Once something is put into motion it will keep creating the conditions needed to continue.

     But sometimes the cycle needs to be broken. This is certainly true when it’s a negative cycle we find ourselves in. If we don’t…

 Health Assessment: Are You a Help or a Hindrance

Far too often people find it to be much easier to Monday Morning Quarterback those around them while standing idle from the outside than it is to take a long hard look at what their reflection shows in the mirror. The easy route shouldn't always be the path less traveled, but unfortunately seeing your own flaws is a…

*****UPDATE: I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong. I was challenged on the ability to put 100 psi in a can overfilled with water so I experimented.  It is possible to fill a can with 100 psi regardless of how much water is in it, so proper pressure does not equate to a properly filled can. The only way to accurately check a can is to weigh it and check the pressure with a gauge to make sure the cheap gauge on the can is accurate.*****

Do you know how to fill the…

Whether you call it Vent, Enter, Search (VES) or Vent, Enter, Isolate, Search (VEIS) doesn’t matter. What matters is that you know and understand the tactic and practice it frequently to build and maintain proficiency.

VEIS is an effective method for entering a structure from an alternate location, generally from a window, to search survivable space for trapped occupants. It is essential to isolate the room…

Most of us probably take some time in the summer to relax at the shore or up in the mountains. (I’m thinking the gang in Colorado is looking for the beach and the gang in Florida is heading for Montana, just sayin’.) In any event, we talk “health and safety” every day at every call, at every training class and every drill. Why not? It’s all about surviving the fire service and getting out healthy and in one piece. But what about off duty or when not tied up with the volunteer company? I know…